Celebration of Authors is sponsored by WINTRUST BANK
Purchase Tickets!
It’s both our annual gala AND a family-friendly, interactive festival!
Silent Auction! Games! Food + Drinks! Open Bar for adult guests! 360 Photo Booth! And of course, LIVE performances of stories written by our students for the 2024/25 School Year!
Attire: Fancy Schmancy where you can come Fancy – dressed to the nines in your best attire. Or you can come Schmancy – with a silly hat or funny outfit that expresses YOU!
You can bid on our amazing Silent Auction Prizes at the event, or remotely from anywhere! Silent Auction items include: A Trip to Mexico with Vidanta Resorts, A Sailing Excursion, An At-Home Dungeons & Dragons Session, Dining Packages, Sports Tickets, Theatre Tickets, and MORE! Stay tuned for a preview and get those bids ready!
This is the most affordable & most FUN Gala in town!
Tickets include food, drinks, a show, and activities for all ages!
Adult Regular Priced Tickets —$75
Youth Regular Price Tickets, ages 4 to 15 —$50
Children 3 years of age and under can attend for FREE
Mary Winn Heider is the author of over 30 books for kids, including THE LOSERS AT THE CENTER OF THE GALAXY, THE UNICORNS WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS, and THE STUPENDOUS SWITCHEROO series, which she co-created with Chad Sell. Mary Winn’s very first novel, THE MORTIFICATION OF FOVEA MUNSON, was based on her time working in a real life cadaver lab, and now that it’s a musical. In a School Library Journal column a few years ago, Betsy Bird wrote, “In an era of information overload, Mary Winn Heider is the author who will lead us through the pandemonium into the light.” Mary Winn’s books have been on state lists, appeared on Bank Street Best Books, received Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection status, been long-listed for the Edgar Award, and landed on Indies Introduce and Indie Next lists.But before all of that, Mary Winn was a company member with Playmakers Lab, where she spent a decade pretending to be a chicken, an astronaut, and a princess, and sometimes, all three at once.
This event is a fundraiser to support PML’s outstanding creative writing programming in partnership with Chicago Public Schools. 100% of the tickets proceeds will support PML classes! For 28 years PlayMakers Laboratory has served Chicago Public School students by providing a creative writing residency program aimed primarily at elementary schools. Our company of over 60 teaching artists utilize creative drama and storytelling to promote literacy and self esteem during our in-school residencies and park district programming. Each year, our programs serve more than 4,000 young people across Chicago. In our 6 week writing residencies, a whopping 88% of students improve writing scores by at least one level over the course of our residencies. Plus, 100% of classroom teachers report that our program supports their student’s writing and improves confidence and self-esteem.
By Claire O. and Elise K., Gwendolyn Brooks
Dialogues
That's Weird, Grandma
JuJuBee-a movie star in 2003
Elizabeth Jennifer Leona Rachle Claris Smithen (Tess)
In JuJuBee’s Club, The JuJUBee Flaming Flamingo
T: Where am I? And what are you wearing! Are you in your undergarments?
J: Are you another of my loyal fans seeking my autograph? Well you can’t have my autograph hours are over! So scram!!!
T: My name is Elizabeth Jennifer Leona Rachel Clarisa Smithen. Or Tess.
J: (sarcastically) And I’m Queen Elizabeth! (smirks)
T: (taken back) You are? You DEFINITELY don’t dress like her!
J: (snorts) I was being sarcastic, old fashion lady. Is it Halloween already? (looks at cloths)
T: You mean “All allows Eve” and it is the 1800’s isn’t it? Do you have a concussion, miss?
J: Oh, put a sock in it! And hit the road!
T: Excuse me miss I think you need to improve your English! What are socks do you mean stockings…of course I’d never ever put a st-
J: Oy!
By Measha P., Choir Academy
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
Thesis: Everybody’s name should be Measha and look alike and think alike and act the same.
PRO:
R#1: So you won’t have to try to remember everybody’s name cause there all the same.
R#2: So you’ll only have to grade 1 paper cause they all think the same.
R#3: It’ll be easy for you to teach cause it’s like teaching only 1 student.
CON:
R#1: It’ll be a bad rep on the real Measha.
R#2: It’s no fun because you’ll get tired of playing with yourself.
R#3: Life would be boring because everybody’s the same.
By Jessica M., Pritzker School
That's Weird, Grandma
One day a lady that was working on the airplane was wearing a brown outfit and the lady’s name was Vanessa. She didn’t like no one, but she have to be nice to the people. And the next day she went to work the next day she went to work and she had to use the bathroom bad! But she couldn’t go to the bathroom because she had to get the people what they wanted. So one person say for breakfast so she got it for the person. And then someone said if they can get some juices so she couldn’t wait no more she had to go to the bathroom. She was smiling too hard so she went to the bathroom and then she came out some one said if they can please have tissues so she spots the tissue on her foot and she give the tissue to the person. The end.
By Ashley C., Kristelle C., Justin A., Lazaro V., Celeste W., Erika M., David F., and Albar D., Cleveland School
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time Julia and Eric were getting married. They decided to make a puppet play about them getting married. First they showed it to their friends. Then they showed it to their families, and then their kids. Their kids thought it was freaky, good, and weird. The kids, Odallys and Joanne, said it was good because they didn’t want to hurt their parents’ feelings. Julia and Eric taught their kids how to dance. They taught salsa, rap dance, and rock and roll. They learned a lot about dancing. They thought it was fun. When they (Odallys and Joanne) grew up, they showed their kids. Their kids got married and everyone kept doing puppet shows.
By Ruvanna C., Leerica R., Johnita L., Charisma D., Jeanette C., Shabron R., Kajuan H., Edward B., David C., and Jamarco J., 5th Grade, Henry Suder School
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time there was a joker named Clown. He lived in a circus, a traveling circus called Universal Soul Circus. The clown made tricks out of balloons, but then he jumped in a small little box and he stuck there for a year. No one could find the clown so they took their money back.
One year later they threw the box away in an incinerator. Clown searched for help. A man took the incinerator to the junkyard. He found a jack-in-the-box and gave it to the daughter as a present. The daughter found out the toy was a real person. She screamed the father came in the room and said “Akuna Matate!” The he ran.
By Lekeja D., Gwendolyn Brooks
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
I believe Barbie should rule the White House.
First because then the whole world could play with me and I could have my own dreamhouse. Second because I would have the most Barbie cloths in the world. Third because Barbie should be respected since I have let little boys rip off my head and flush it down the toilet for so long! You may disagree because I’m plastic and stupid, but I’m very intelligent when it comes to cloths.
By Lacynthia J., Henry Suder School
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
I think money should grow on trees because if you need money for new clothes your mom would not be saying money don’t grow on trees.
By Leticia W., 4th Grade, Columbia Explorers Academy
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
I remember when I was 6, me, my mom and my brothers and sister went to McDonalds. And that was my first time going to McDonalds. So I was excited to go because that was my first time to go to McDonalds. So that day I was so excited to go. And then my mom said “What do you want?” and I said I want a cheeseburger. And then she bought it for me then we sat down in a table and everybody else had a cheeseburger too just like me. Then that same day I was so excited to go to McDonalds and so was my sisters and my brothers too. And then we left to go home and then when we got home my mom said, maybe we could go back tomorrow. And that day I so excited to go to McDonalds because that was my first time going to McDonalds. And that is when I felt so happy because that was my first day going to McDonalds. And me my mom and my brothers and sisters was so excited to go to McDonalds too. So that same day everyone was excited to go to McDonalds and I was so glad when my mom said that we might go.
By Deonte W., Washington School
Arguments
Songs
That's Weird, Grandma
I believe every boy/girl should have a car.
First-it looks like it’s easy. All you have to do is pull the handle for drive “D” and reverse “R” and all other stuff.
Second-it’s something like a jeep when you were 3 & 4 or 5.
Third-you can have fun.
Lastly-it would be cool to have a car.
By William L., 5th Grade, Washington School
That's Weird, Grandma
The best places to hide are the bathroom the basement and the closet and your room or under the front porch or in the backyard or in a car in the back seat lying down they won’t see you. Those are the best places to hide.
