Gallery • 6 Photos

The full All-State company poses for a group shot on their completed set.

This year, 300 talented theatre students from across Illinois auditioned to be in the All-State musical cast of RENT. The production staff struggled to narrow the cast list down to 44 people. Between the cast, crew, pit orchestra, and staff, the entire company is well over 100 people.

I was fortunate enough to be cast in my second All-State production this year. Both experiences were incredibly inspiring and eye-opening for me.

My favorite part about being in All-State is working with some of the most talented people I have ever met. The atmosphere is so professional. Everyone shares the same passion for theatre and the focus to succeed.

Junior year I was still fairly new to theatre. I felt like I was thrown into the deep end and completely out of my league. Looking back on my first All-State, I credit my growth as an artist to the knowledge I picked up from the seasoned performers in my cast.

All-State companies meet for about one long weekend a month. They usually last three days 9:00am-9:00pm, 9:00am-9:00pm, and 9:00am-5:00pm for a total of a 32 hour rehearsal weekend. Exhausting? Yes. Worth it? Yes.

You have to really love theatre to be in All-State. Every day off of school first semester becomes rehearsal. Passion and dedication are crucial to producing a quality show.

The All-State show is performed at the Illinois High School Theater Festival (IHSTF) held at ISU or U of I each year in January. Unfortunately, for Vernon Hills kids and students from many other schools, Theatre Fest is the week before our finals.

Theatre Fest starts on Thursday for the schools attending the festival. The All-State cast goes up on Monday morning for a final week of rehearsals and teching the show on stage.

Throughout the rigorous rehearsals, I have made friendships with the other cast and crew members that will last a lifetime. Of course, there are your share of drama queens, but I have met some of the best friends that I have ever made during my two years in All-State.

Creating and experiencing something as magical and unique as RENT is something I will never forget. Our directors and each and every cast member worked so hard on the show, and resulted in a product I could not be more proud of.

Check out the hashtag #EverythingisRent and #IHSTF2016 for more photos and videos!