District 207 students, staff selected for All-State musical

Ten students and three faculty members from Maine Township High School District 207 will be part of the Illinois Theatre Association's 2011 All-State Production, “Into the Woods.”

“Into the Woods” is a Tony Award-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. Inspired by the timeless tales of the Brothers Grimm, Sondheim's fractured fairy tale weaves together the stories of a menagerie of characters, whose stories become entangled in unexpected ways.

The All-State production is one of the many events at the 36th annual Illinois High School Theatre Festival, the largest high school festival in the United States. The show will be performed Friday, Jan. 7 and Saturday, Jan. 8, at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign for registered participants only.

The All-State brings together a company of students and staff from all areas of Illinois. The cast, crew, and orchestra of 71 students are comprised of the brightest stars in the State! District 207 students selected to participate are cast members Benjamin Brissette and Catherine Bustos of Maine West and Noel Konken of Maine South; crew members Kevin Ehlers of Maine West, Bryan Golenia of Maine East and Danielle Soldat of Maine South; and pit orchestra members Angie Gallagher, Ania Holubecki, Lucas Jackson and Amy Ksandr, all of Maine West.

It is quite an honor for the schools' theater and music program, as this amazing group of students and staff put together the entire production in less than 20 rehearsals.

Chris Jensen from Maine West High School is the production's technical director. Fine Arts teachers Bernie Gerstmayr, of Maine West, and Lauri McCleneghan, of Maine South, are also working on the production.