Eight Addison Trail students and two staff members selected for 2018 Illinois High School Theatre Festival All-State production

Pictured are the eight Addison Trail students who have been selected to participate in the 2018 Illinois High School Theatre Festival All-State production of “Big Fish.” They are (from left to right, top row to bottom row) Connor White, Maddie Danhouser, Isaac Etheridge, Ethan Macaraeg, Burke Parent, Nina Caliendo, Kris Kusnierz and Alejandro Salazar.

Pictured are Addison Trail Theatre Director Anna Louise Jakubka and Addison Trail Theatre Tech Assistant Alex Holod. Jakubka has been named as one of two producers for the 2018 Illinois High School Theatre Festival All-State production of “Big Fish,” and Holod (who graduated from Addison Trail in 2009) has been selected as Props Designer for the show.

Addison Trail will be well-represented during the 2018 Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF), as eight students have been selected to participate in the festival’s All-State production of “Big Fish.” Addison Trail Theatre Director Anna Louise Jakubka also has been named as one of two producers for the show, and Addison Trail Theatre Tech Assistant Alex Holod (who graduated from Addison Trail in 2009) has been selected as Props Designer. The performance will take place from Jan. 11 to 13, 2018, at Illinois State University. The event is for participants of the IHSTF and is not open to the public.

According to StageAgent.com (http://stageagent.com/shows/musical/3393/big-fish), “‘Big Fish’ tells the story of Edward Bloom, who has lived a full and fantastical life – populated by witches, giants and mermaids, marked by true love that stops time in its tracks and framed by heroics that push the limits of believability. His adult son, Will, is no longer amused by his father’s fantastical tales, insisting on a rational rather than a fantastical account of one’s life. When Edward’s health declines, and Will learns he and his wife, Josephine, will have a son of their own, Will decides to find out his father’s true life story, once and for all. ‘Big Fish’ is a heartfelt, powerful and truly magical musical about fathers, sons and the stories we use to define our identities. With spine-tinglingly beautiful music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, and a funny, heartwarming book by John August, ‘Big Fish’ is a magnificent ‘big fish’ of a tale itself – spectacular, fantastical and overflowing with love.”

The IHSTF All-State cast, crew and pit orchestra are comprised of top student performers, technicians and musicians from throughout Illinois. Nearly 350 students auditioned/interviewed for this year’s production, and below are the Addison Trail students who were named to the company.

Cast/Ensemble
Connor White

Technical Crew
Maddie Danhouser, Isaac Etheridge, Ethan Macaraeg, Burke Parent

Orchestra Pit
Nina Caliendo, Kris Kusnierz, Alejandro Salazar

About the Illinois High School Theatre Festival
Now in its 43rd consecutive year, the Illinois High School Theatre Festival (produced by the Illinois Theatre Association) is the largest and oldest noncompetitive high school theatre festival in the world. The three-day festival takes place every year in early January and switches locations between University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Illinois State University. More than 4,000 students, teachers, university representatives, exhibitors and volunteers come together to put on more than 25 different high school productions and more than 150 workshops. This year’s festival is themed “The Power of Transformation.” For more information about the festival, go to www.illinoistheatrefest.org.