Nazareth Academy Production Selected for State Theatre Festival

Nazareth Academy is proud to announce that the cast and crew of Godspell are State Champions. The fall production has been selected to perform at the Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF) at the University of Illinois-Urbana, January 11-13, 2013.

Produced by the Illinois Theatre Association, IHSTF is the largest and oldest non-competitive high school theatre festival in the world. “We are so honored to be part of this festival,” says Kimberly White, the play’s director and head of Nazareth’s Drama Department. Godspell marks Nazareth’s seventh selection to IHSTF, having last performed in 2008 with Wait Until Dark.

The three-day festival takes place every year in early January, and switches locations between the University of Illinois and Illinois State University. Over 4,000 students, teachers, university representatives, exhibitors, and volunteers come together to put on over 25 different high school productions and over 150 workshops.

Other highlights include college/university auditions for high school seniors, professional development for teachers and the All-State Production, featuring student cast and crew members from across the state.  

“Not only will our students have the chance to mount two performances of Godspell in front of their peers, but they will then be able to take advantage of a terrific variety of craft-oriented workshops,” says White.

In the meantime, both actors and the skeletal stage crew traveling to Urbana have to rehearse not just the show, but also the unloading of the entire set and tech for the musical production. “We have just two hours to unload, assemble and light the entire show (which travels in a 24-foot truck) before our first Saturday performance,” explains White, “so right now we’re assigning specific jobs and timing it to the minute.”

More information about IHSTF can be found by visiting their website at www.illinoistheatrefest.org.