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Two students were chosen to participate in the All-State Illinois Theatre Fest in January.
Taylor Ross
The first play senior Taylor Ross saw at LFHS was She Kills Monsters when she was in 8th grade. It’s only fitting that she will be performing in that very same play at the 2024 All-State Theatre Festival.
Since its inception in 1976, the Illinois High School Theatre Festival has become a yearly tradition where students and teachers share and participate in their art. The festival is filled with elite workshops and impressive performances, including the coveted All-State production.
Only 26 Illinois high school students were selected to perform in this professional-level production. “I had always wanted to be a part of an All-State production, but they are often musicals, and I am not really a musical person, “ said Ross.
She Kills Monsters” by Qui Nguyen follows the tale of Agnes Evans as she deals with the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. In an attempt to understand her recently deceased sister, Agnes embarks on an adventure in the world of Dungeons and Dragons.
Ross plays Farrah, a small, but feisty faerie who serves as an obstacle for Agnes and her team to finish their journey. Ross is also the understudy for Tilly.
So how does a production come together with students all over Illinois?
“The audition process was weird,” said Ross. “I drove down to Bolingbrook High School and just did a two minute monologue and left.”
After the auditions, Ross participated in Michigan University’s summer theatre program, which was inconveniently during She Kills Monsters callbacks. She had to leave the two-week prestigious program early in order to make it back.
“My mom was awesome and came to get me so I could go to the callbacks,” said Ross. “I was so excited when I got in!”
Rehearsals are only once a month, but they are usually during long weekends and very busy.
“I’m basically doing something every second, whether it’s fight choreo, trying on costumes, learning blocking, or working scenes,” said Ross. “Rehearsals are packed but so much fun.”
Ross has learned even with the rehearsals, she can still “stay in the flow of the weekend” and she is always excited to see her new friends.
“It’s usually been a whole month or longer since I’ve seen them!” said Ross.
Ross also appreciates the environment of the rehearsals.
“The entire production staff is incredible, and we work with all of them closely,” said Ross. “Everyone is there to support us and treat us maturely.”
The show is January 11-13th at Illinois State University during the Theatre Festival- an event that LFHS theater students will attend.
Little by little, She Kills Monsters is working to live up to the previous productions and Ross is excited to see it all come together.
“It’s so much fun to hear and see what everyone else has been working on,” said Ross. “It really shows you that you are just a small piece in an incredibly huge production, and everyone has their role to fill.”
Ross says the beauty of the show is its ability to resonate with all audiences.
“It covers the ordinary to the extraordinary,” said Ross. “I think everyone can find a little piece of themselves in the show.”
Lucy Mulloy
Although she’s never performed on the stage at LFHS, Lucy Mulloy plays just as important of a part to any show’s production. Behind the scenes, Mulloy is usually in the theater’s light booth controlling the overhead stage lights.
She’s continuing her work with the lighting crew at this year’s Illinois Theater Fest’s All-State production of She Kills Monsters, saying, “I’ve worked on different lighting jobs such as making lighting plots, programming lights into the board, and taking apart and changing different aspects of the lights,” said Mulloy.
Mulloy has had a passion for the tech department throughout high school, saying, “Tech has been one of the main parts of my life. I wouldn’t be me without it and it’s something I’d like to pursue as a career.”
Her commitment, although, goes beyond those three days. Throughout the months leading up to it, Mulloy is going to be travelling to Bolingbrook High School for rehearsals and setup.
The All-State Theater prodcution allows for her to get a more in-depth experience than the high school productions. “I was able to see inside a moving light and change out different parts which was something I have never done before,” Mulloy said.
And the differences between All-State and LFHS theater don’t stop there. All-State brings together many people who share the same lighting passion and experience as Mulloy which helps to teach Mulloy specific things that she won’t be able to get solely at LFHS.
Mulloy plans to use her experience working on the All-State production in the future with some practical benefits. “I’m hoping that this will give me a better shot at my college applications as well as spark scholarship opportunities.”
The application itself provided useful experience as it was similar to a college portfolio. Mulloy had to create a website showcasing her work at the high school and then set up an interview with the technical theater board for the All-State production.
Mulloy can’t wait to showcase the production because “It shows how dedicated, talented, and passionate high schoolers can be to theater, tech, and music.”
Mulloy, talking about the importance of the show, said it was because “of the power to the underdogs and to the ones who are overcoming experiences.” She said that the theme of overcoming grief is brought up throughout while sending a message of being true to yourself.
“No matter what comes out of this,” Mulloy says, “I hope to find people who share the same passion that I do as well as create friendships and memories that are irreplaceable.”
