Mundelein Theatre senior, Matthew Callas, auditioned and was selected as part of the of the All-State cast of the  2021 Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF).  Audiences may recognize Callas from his various roles on the Mundelein Theatre stage, such as Marius in Les Miserables, Eddie in Sister Act, John Merrick in The Elephant Man and most recently as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing.

Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the 2021 IHSTF was canceled. “Though the in-person festival was called off, the festival committee worked diligently to bring many of the elements of the event virtually to the high school students and teachers of Illinois,” said Jonathan Meier, Mundelein Theatre Director. The IHSTF is proud to announce a special streaming performance featuring a select ensemble of the top high school actors, technicians, and musicians from the 2021 graduating seniors throughout the state of Illinois.

Rehearsals for the Virtual Cabaret have taken place online over several long weekends during this fall, culminating in the first of two performances on Saturday, November 28 at 7 pm. The second performance will be on January 9, 2021. Admission is free, and the performance link is posted on both the IHSTF and the ITA websites: www.illinoistheatrefest.org and www.illinoistheatre.org.

All-State Director Kevin Long (Harper College) said, “I have truly enjoyed working with these talented young artists from across the state of Illinois.  As Hamlet says, ‘The time is out of joint.’ These young artists have not let anything stop them from creating meaningful theatre. Their energetic spirit and positive attitude have made this unique project very special. I am incredibly proud of them and I thank them for being kind, brave, safe and for being themselves. It’s been an honor.”

Now in its 46th consecutive year, the Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF) is the largest and oldest non-competitive high school theatre festival in the nation, and is produced by the Illinois Theatre Association. Over 4,500 students, teachers, university representatives, exhibitors, and volunteers come together to put on theatrical workshops and various high school productions.