PlayMakers Laboratory Story Archive
Celebration of Authors is back in 2026; Stay Tuned for More!
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
Plus we will present the Annual Storyteller of the Year Award to author,
and PlayMaker alumni, Mary Winn Heider!
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.
Can’t attend our party? We’ll miss you! Consider donating to support arts education in Chicago. Thank you!
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.
The Chicago Community Trust,
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events,
The Crown Family Philanthropies,
The Field Foundation,
The Mardi Gras Fund,
The Paul M. Angell Foundation,
The Polk Bros Foundation,
The Siragusa Family Foundation,
And generous Individuals like you!
By Dulce D., 3rd Grade, Cleveland School
Arguments
That's Weird, Grandma
Pros:
1. Hamsters are good because they are nice to people.
2. Hamsters play with you.
3. Hamsters are small.
4. Hamsters are cute.
Con:
1. Don’t have a hamsters because they bite.
2. They are mice to people.
3. They don’t listen to you.
By Alexander G., 5th Grade, Washington School
Arguments
Songs
That's Weird, Grandma
I believe kids shouldn’t have no hair until they’re grown.
First they won’t treat us hair right. Second, they don’t care about our feelings. Last when they are grown they will not make us ugly.
By Maria H., 6th Grade, Gwendolyn Brooks
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
One day my grandma was planting a garden. Suddenly, she fell into the pool. There was a pool cover on it but when she fell in the pool cover sunk down in the middle she couldn’t get out. She spent about an hour rolling around in a pool cover, trying to roll up the sides, and trying to get out, until my grandpa rescued her.
By Isamar, 3rd Grade, Washington Irving School
That's Weird, Grandma
I was doing my homework when all of a sudden I heard a crash. I went outside to see what it was. When I went out I saw nothing. I went back to go to my house. The door was locked. I saw a ghost in my house. I kept on knocking on my door and the ghost kept on saying go away. The ghost said I used to live here. I said I have to finish my homework. So the ghost threw out my homework. I finished my homework. I asked the ghost where am I going to sleep. The ghost said go sleep at your friend’s house! NO! I want to stay here. Why don’t you go to your friend’s house. The ghost said but I don’t have any friends. Well I’ll be your friend if you let me in. The ghost opened the door and was excited. He was so happy that he made fireworks outside. We played all different kinds of games. We played twister. When it was time for bed I took out a extra dog bed I kept for my dog. The ghost was sound asleep.
By Devonte T., 5th Grade, Choir Academy
Songs
That's Weird, Grandma
One day it was the weekend before school started back it was Saturday and my family had a barbq and me and my uncle work from 5am to 5pm but my uncle had went somewhere and I could not find him. So I went to the neighbor and nock on the door they were kids and my uncle was in there so he told me they are having a juking party. So I came in they were in the basement and I fell down the steps and then I got up and starting juke and then after a hour we left and came back so it was 6:30 and more girls came and then we left at 9:30 and my feet were hurting for two days.
By Selena R., 4th Grade, Columbia Explorers Academy
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time there was a man named Eddie he sold nice rims for cars but a man told him the rims are not fixed they broke off my car and Eddie said I fixed them every night and day you must be overreacting and the man said fine I will take the rims back and I will try it again and if it breaks you are in big trouble so he took it and it did not break so Eddie was right I was overreacting I have to go back and tell him so he ran back and told him he was sorry I was overreacting her you go your 1,800 dollars for the rims thank you have a nice day you too the man said and Eddie told his wife we can now go to Florida and see Mickey and Donald and all of the other guys and we can swim in the pool.
By Christina D., 3rd Grade, Cleveland School
That's Weird, Grandma
My dream job is to be no job. All I want to do is do anything.
By Arlene A., 3rd Grade, Cleveland School
That's Weird, Grandma
My Dream job is being a pilot. I will fly the plane in Mexico and Africa. In Mexico I saw everything in Mexico. My boss will pay me 1,0000000 and in Africa I saw people saw the plane and some of the people said It’s a plane.
By Jimmy R., 3rd Grade, Cleveland School
That's Weird, Grandma
My dream job is a King of making Jack-o-lanterns I get paid $90 dollars a day. I work at a pumpkin farm. I wear a dirty t-shirt. One day he died. The end.
By Melissa O., 3rd Grade, Cleveland School
That's Weird, Grandma
My dream job is being a Nurse at the Hospital. I will wear a costume of a Nurse and I will help people when they are sick. I want to be a nurse because I think they pay the nurses $10,0000000 dollars.