Addison Trail students to participate in All-State production

Addison Trail High School will be well-represented during the 2018 Illinois High School Theatre Festival.

Eight students from Addison Trail have been selected to participate in the festival's All-State production of "Big Fish."

Theatre Director Anna Louise Jakubka also has been named as one of two producers for the show, and Theatre Tech Assistant Alex Holod (who graduated from Addison Trail in 2009) has been selected as props designer.

The performance will take place Jan. 11 to 13 at Illinois State University. The event is for participants of the Illinois High School Theatre Festival and is not open to the public.

According to StageAgent.com, "'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."

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 the production.

Addison Trail students who were named to the company are:

• Cast/ensemble: Connor White.

• Technical crew: Maddie Danhouser, Isaac Etheridge, Ethan Macaraeg and Burke Parent

• Orchestra pit: Nina Caliendo, Kris Kusnierz and Alejandro Salazar

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 theater festival in the world.

The three-day celebration 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 details about the festival, visit www.illinoistheatrefest.org.