PlayMakers Laboratory's CELEBRATION OF AUTHORS GALA Set For Next Month

PlayMakers Laboratory will present Celebration of Authors Gala: A Family Friendly FUNdraiser, the company’s annual gala and a family-friendly, interactive festival all wrapped into one fun-filled evening on Friday, June 14 from 6:30 – 10:30 pm at the National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. 

The festive evening will feature food and drink (open bar for adults), games, silent auction, a 360-photo booth and, of course, live performances of stories written by Chicago students throughout the 2023/24 school year, adapted and performed by PML company members. All proceeds support PML’s continued arts education programming in Chicago elementary schools.

PML will also present its second annual “PlayMaker of the Year Award” to emeritus company member Carly Ciarrocchi, for her work in supporting youth voices through her national platform. Ciarrocchi is an Emmy-nominated performer, writer, musician and producer. She has spent most of her career in children's media, hosting TV shows like Sunny Side Up (Sprout), Snug's House and The Big Fun Crafty Show (Universal Kids), and Weird But True (Disney+). All four shows earned Daytime Emmy nominations. As a producer and writer, she's worked with Nick Jr, Amazon Kids, PBS Kids, and Sesame Workshop. She's written music for Sprout/Universal Kids and is a vocalist/songwriter on two Grammy Award-winning children’s albums. Carly hosts multiple kids' podcasts including Tinkercasts' Who When Wow: Mystery Edition and Pinna's Hey Story Go! She also serves as co-creator/producer on the latter. Carly is also a speaker and emcee, working often with the LEGO Foundation and other organizations that advocate for creativity and play. Whether she's talking to preschoolers or policymakers, her work invites all ages to create, imagine, explore, fail, connect, bounce, wonder, feel and play more - together. 

Comments PML Executive Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd, “Our gala is unique in that it is family-friendly and FUN for all ages! So instead of hiring a babysitter, get your child a ticket and bring them out to support PlayMakers Lab and the creativity of students across Chicago.” 

Early bird tickets ($35 for youth 15 and under, $50 for adults) are currently available through Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at playmakerslab.org/events/celebration-of-authors. Regular prices tickets are $50 for youth 15 and under, $75 for adults.

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