Stage Rats attend Illinois High School Theatre Festival
Goldie Rapp
Every year in January, Academy drama director Fr. Dominic and the Stage Rats head to the Illinois High School Theatre Festival, which this year was held at ISU. Over three thousand theatre students and teachers assemble for two days of workshops, performances, and theatre games. This year our students attended workshops on makeup, dance, stage combat, tech theatre and improv, as well as seeing shows like Mean Girls, Pippin, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Almost Maine, and the All-State Production of She Kills Monsters.
In addition to the value of advancing their skills and knowledge of theatre arts, students derive other benefits from the experience: the confidence and courage to navigate a college campus, time management in prioritizing and scheduling their activities and growing closer as a crew. “They inevitably come back from Fest completely energized about the spring musical,” said Fr. Dominic, “often with creative ideas and skills they received from workshops and shows.”
A large portion of the cost of our students’ attendance at Theatre Fest was covered by financial assistance from alumni and friends who contributed to the Academy Special Gifts Program. Fr. Dominic affirms the importance of their generosity.
“Every year we have kids who wouldn’t be able to attend without our generous donors,” he said. “and I can say that in over 30 years of attending Fest, we have never had to turn a student away. They truly demonstrate the Spirit of St. Bede.”