PlayMakers Laboratory Story Archive
Tickets are On Sale for CELEBRATION OF AUTHORS 2026 on June 27!
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!
EARLY BIRD Adult Tickets (available through 5/31)—$50
EARLY BIRD Youth Tickets, ages 4 to 15 (available through 5/31)—$35
Adult Regular Tickets —$75
Youth Regular Tickets, ages 4 to 15 —$50
Children 3 years of age and under can attend for FREE
Because PlayMakers’ students rock, they typically go on to do exciting things. Every year, we use our banquet to honor a special alum. This year’s Annual Storyteller of the Year Award goes to Isabella Wilhemy Sanchez. Isabella is a special effects make up designer, and former PlayMakers Laboratory student!!!
Isabella Wilhelmy Sanchez has been in the performing arts ever since she was a student at Play Makers Laboratory. She graduated as a theater major from Lincoln Park High School and has been working in the Chicago Indie film scene working on shorts like The Crossing 2020, Perfectly Sane 2025, Wild Party 2025 and I Only Sleep When The Room Is Pitch Black 2025. Isabella has worked under Chicago based makeup artist Anthony Kosar learning more of the makeup profession and learning skills like laying beards and applying prosthetics to create characters/monsters. Isabella’s passion for story telling was nurtured by the teaching artists at PML and is thrilled to join us at the Celebration of Authors gala to share more of her journey, and to celebrate creatives of all ages in Chicago.
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 29 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 utilizes 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.
Wintrust Bank
Forward Space
The Chicago Community Trust,
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events,
The Crown Family Philanthropies,
The Field Foundation,
The Illinois Arts Council
The Mardi Gras Fund,
The Paul M. Angell Foundation,
The Polk Bros Foundation,
The Siragusa Family Foundation,
And generous Individuals like you!
The National Museum of Mexican Art has a ramp and is accessible to wheelchairs, both manual and electric. PML staff are not able to assist patrons transferring to or from a wheelchair, theatre seat or vehicle. Service animals are permitted. At this time there is not a planned usage of audio descriptions, Open Captioning, or for ASL interpreters to be in attendance. For any additional accessibility information or requests, please email admin@playmakerslab.org.
By Mathew, West Pullman Park Words@Play Program
Poems
That's Weird, Grandma
My Friend is Dead
So I’ll make him a bed
In the ground he shall stay
Covered with hay
A happy life I hope it will be
And I’ll remember the time he could see
Then he was blind
And he walked behind
He was drinking tea
And then he fell into the sea
So now I stay and dig a grave for him
Now I wish I could save him
By Kendall J., South Loop School
True Stories
That's Weird, Grandma
Once I was two years old and me and my mom went to the dollar store. I didn’t know no better but I took a bag of Doritos out the store. I put it under my bottom. When we got home she saw them and keep them.
Once I was at a store and my mom said, “Stay real close”. I wonder off I almost got lost. I saw my mom ran to her she kissed and had a long talk with her. To that day I don’t leave my mother’s side until, no, well sometimes.
By Demetra M., N/A
Holidays
Halloween
That's Weird, Grandma
Their was a girl named Mee-Mee and a boy name Mike. They as looking for a friends house on 25 street. Every one knew about 25th street their was a lot of haunted houses. They once heard a group of friends was walking on 25 street when all of a sudden some weird looking woman snatch them and took them in one of those houses. And they never heard from them again. So that’s why some people go on 25 street in the daytime and some people or kids don’t go on that street at all. That’s why Mee-Mee and Mike went on that street during the daytime. That’s when Mike said to Mee-Mee we’re only going to check two more house then I’m giving up. That’s when Mee-Mee said me too I’m sleepy so they came to a weird looking house. So Mike knock on the door and the door open by itself. So Mee-Mee walk in so did Mike. They look around. Then Mee-Mee said this house look a hundred years old. That’s when Mike said why is this house all black. That’s when Mee-Mee said I wonder what’s upstairs. That’s when Mike said I wonder too but I’m not going up there. Then they saw a witch they couldn’t believe their eyes. The door close then Mike said how could we get out of here. That’s when the witch said you can’t get out. Then Mee-Mee said Mike I’m scared! Then Mee-Mee said Mike I’m scared. Then Mike looked around. Then he saw a window open. Then Mike told Mee-Mee what he saw. Then Mee-Mee said do you want to climb the window. Mike said yes. The Mike said but we have to be careful cause the witch is watching our every move. Then they started to walk very slowly towards the window. And they hurry up and climbed out the window and both of them ran down 25 street. That’s when Mee-Mee said I am so happy to these ugly houses. Then Mike said I am happy to be alive.
By Dominique R., 3rd Grade, Cleveland School
That's Weird, Grandma
One storming night it was raining it was raining bad everybody in the house was sleep I got up to go to the kitchen to get a midnight snack and right before I put my hand on the switch I look down the hallway and saw two people I got scared they were staring at me all mad like I did something to them or they wanted us to get out there house it was a boy and a girl they was grown they face was grey and they cloths was ripped up. So I turned on the light and they disappeared and that was the day I found out I had ghost.
By Chris J., 5th Grade, Henry Suder School
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time there was an ant that was a bully. The ant would go to the gym and work out. He could lift three hundred pounds. One day the ant saw a lady bug. The Ant challenge the lady bug to a weight lifting contest he said to the lady bug to lift three hundred pounds the lady bug pick up the weights the lady bug drop the weights on the ants foot the ant said I am going to get you for that, the lady bug said I am sorry but you told me to pick it up sir. Ten years later the ant saw the lady bug and said why did you brake my leg the lady bug did not say anything and the ant ran over the lady bug.
By Octavio O., Little Village
That's Weird, Grandma
Once a upon a time there was a 4 mens in North pole. A 4 mens was name is Jason, John, James, and Chris. James found a walrus. James call to come hear. The three mens found a walrus. The walrus die because the polar bear was fighting with the walrus, and the polar bear eat the walrus. The 4 mans took the walrus with a rope and pull the walrus. He’s pull harder, harder, and harder. Then he throw to the water. The walrus was a grandpa. The water was cold to keep her warm. The walrus was too heavy. The 4 mens go home then he’s drink some hot chocolate.
By Tyler W., 3rd Grade, Cleveland School
That's Weird, Grandma
Other Venues
TOTL 2005
I had never noticed the tiny door in the back of my closet before. I opened and saw a friendly monster that was scared of me. Then in a few more weeks and he knew me well and we started to play in my room. Then my mom came in and the monster had to hide. Then my mom said that I had to clean my room then my mom closed the door. After that the monster came out and help me clean my room and we finished the room quickly then we played some more and then the monster fainted. Then he got up in an hour. Then he died.
By Michelle W., Burnham Anthony
That's Weird, Grandma
Once upon a time I walked pass this lady and her dog. And the dog was dressed like a man. I said why do you have that dog dressed like a grown man. Then the lady said why do you want to know. Then I said, I just asked dang, so the next day I was going to the store. I saw the lady again the dog was not dressed like he was yesterday. So I just walked past them. One week later I was way out west when I was by my Aunts house. I saw the lady and her dog and they was by the flowers. So I yelled are you following me! Then the dog barked at me. Then I said shut up you ugly dog.
By Chauncey H., Burnham Anthony
That's Weird, Grandma
Characters: Firefly and people who was mad at him
Setting: Jungle
Genre: Non Fiction
Chapter One
Once there was this secret firefly who lived in the jungle and he like to juggle a lot. One time he was in a juggling contest and he beat everyone and they were jealous that he had won.
Chapter Two
Then all the people who was mad that he won the contest tricked him and said it was going to be another contest and he went there and was embarrassed about what had happened and wanted revenge.
Chapter Three
Then he started his own little trick contest and then printed fake invitations and went to their house and said let bygones by bygones but before that he went to everybody else’s that lived in the jungle and said that it was going to be a funniest contest and they were really bad so they were dropping the balls and everyone was laughing and they thought that they were bad so they started crying and the firefly laughed.
Chapter Four
Then after that the president came the next day (because he was at the funniest juggler contest) and he said that he wanted him to take over as president.
Chapter Five
And then he went to the other jugglers house and said sorry (for real) and they said sorry and were friends now.
By Cortez T., 3rd Grade, Reavis School
Holidays
Winter Holidays
That's Weird, Grandma
Santa slid down the chimney but he got stuck. I said who is that? I brought a bat. he said it’s Santa. I said, you’re lieing. Santa has reindeers. Good point, he said. Come look on the roof. Okay, I said. This better not be a trick and you better not eat my cookies for santa and if you do your entering a world of pain. The end.