Brandon Cloyd News

PlayMakers Laboratory will present its annual CELEBRATION OF AUTHORS GALA at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, honoring special effects makeup designer Isabella Wilhemy Sanchez with the Storyteller of the Year Award.

PlayMakers Laboratory will present THAT'S WEIRD, GRANDMA's 25th Birthday at Chicago's Neo-Futurist Theater, featuring current company members alongside emeritus cast in the long-running sketch comedy show written by kids.

PlayMakers Laboratory will welcome back its original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma: A Holiday Spectacular! This family-friendly comedy extravaganza returns for one weekend only.

PlayMakers Laboratory will welcome back its original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma: A Holiday Spectacular from December 12 – 15, 2024 at the Neo-Futurist Theater.

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.

For the first time in two years, PlayMakers Laboratory’s original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma is back on stage – and just in time for the holidays! See photos from the production. 

 For the first time in two years, PlayMakers Laboratory’s original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma is back on stage – and just in time for the holidays! The family-friendly extravaganza returns December 8 – 17, 2023 at the Neo-Futurist Theater,.

For the first time in two years, PlayMakers Laboratory's original sketch show That's Weird, Grandma is back on stage – and just in time for the holidays!

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 16.

PlayMakers Laboratory will celebrate its 25th anniversary of arts education in Chicago schools with 25 Years of Students’ Stories, two public performances featuring stories written by Chicago youth on Monday, December 5 at 6:30 pm & 8:30 pm at the Neo-Futurist Theater.

PlayMakers Laboratory will celebrate its 25th anniversary of arts education in Chicago schools with 25 Years of Students’ Stories, two public performances featuring stories written by Chicago youth on Monday, December 5 at 6:30 pm & 8:30 pm at the Neo-Futurist Theater.

PlayMakers Laboratory, one of Chicago's leading arts-education organizations for more than 25 years, has launched an emergency GoFundMe campaign after facing a near shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PlayMakers Laboratory will welcome back live audiences this winter with That's Weird, Grandma: Comes Home for the Holidays, directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd, playing December 10 – 19, 2021 at the Neo-Futurist Theater, 5153 N. Ashland Ave. in Chicago.

PlayMakers Laboratory will present Summer of Stories, a series of free theater performances for children and families presented July 26 – 28, 2021 in parks on Chicago’s South and West sides. The shows feature stories written by Chicago students during creative writing workshops conducted by PlayMakers Laboratory this summer.

PlayMakers Laboratory will present Stories Under the Sun, a series of free, family-friendly performances presented across the city this summer through the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks initiative.

Now in its 20th year, That's Weird, Grandma features adaptations of stories written during PlayMakers Laboratory's creative writing residencies.

PlayMakers Laboratory has announce the March 2021 line-up for its popular online revue That's Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay, celebrating Women's History Month, St. Patrick's Day and Easter, plus a special Poetry Slam edition.

PlayMakers Laboratory will welcome 2021 with all new performances of its popular online revue That’s Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay, celebrating Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day, and more.

PlayMakers Laboratory has announced the appointment of Raven Stubbs as the company's new Program Director. Stubbs is responsible for overseeing all of PML's educational activities, including in-school programming, after-school programming, professional development and training new teaching artists. Stubbs succeeds Shá Norman, who has served in the position since 2017.

From Christmas to Hanukkah to New Year's, PlayMakers Laboratory rings in the holidays with all new performances of its popular online revue That's Weird, Grandma: House Par-Tay, a creative series of stories written by elementary school students, adapted and performed by PML's professional actors and directed by Artistic Director Brandon Cloyd.