When the 45th Annual Illinois High School Theatre Festival kicks off at Illinois State University in January, students from Mundelein Theatre will be front and center. Their fall production, The Elephant Man, was selected to perform at the festival. Additionally, two students, Colin Nacion and Becca Panos, were selected as part of the company of the All-State production of the musical Aida.
The Illinois High School Theatre Festival is the largest and oldest non-competitive high school theatre festival in the nation, and is produced by the Illinois Theatre Association. More than 4,500 students, teachers, university representatives, exhibitors, and volunteers come together to put on theatrical workshops and various high school productions that are selected to perform each year. The All-State cast, crew, and pit orchestra are comprised of top student performers, musicians, and technicians from Illinois.
Nacion was selected for the cast of Aida, performing in the ensemble and understudying the role of Mereb. Panos was selected as part of the costume crew. “It is a huge honor to be chosen for both the cast and crew for the All-State show,” said Jonathan Meier, theatre director at MHS. “A couple of hundred kids from throughout the state audition and interview for a coveted spot in the company.”
Three representatives from the Illinois Theatre Association attended the opening night performance of The Elephant Man back in November. They met with the company after the performance to offer them feedback. “We are thrilled to be able to perform our show at the festival,” Meier continued. “Performing a show in a different location is a challenge, but we designed the show to tour, in hopes that we would be selected.”