Each year, Oak Park High School’s theater program holds the fall play and spring musical, as well as their student-directed shows: The 24-hour play and the Spotlight play.

“This year we did four shows: ‘Puffs,’ ‘Our Place,’ ‘Mean Girls’ and ‘Outsiders,’” sophomore set lead and mic wrangler Kylie Vo wrote to the Talon. “I am so beyond proud of the quality of the shows. I have put my heart and soul into my work and I hope everyone came to see the shows and enjoyed them.”

The International Thespian Society troupe 6074 has been working throughout the entire school year to help bring the community together through their performances. All the effort, from choosing the pieces they will be producing in the summer to coordinating any and all logistics with the school, comes to fruition when they are performing. 

“Because we feed off of the audience’s energy, rehearsals can be a bit rough, since there’s no laughs or applause,” junior cast member Max Fybel wrote to the Talon. “Opening night is always awesome because it’s the first time we ever have an audience, and closing night because it’s the last time we ever have an audience, so everyone makes that show the most unforgettable.” 

With respect to all they have done this year, they were also invited to attend The Jerry Herman High School Musical Theater Awards. 

“I think what makes our shows so unique is that they are very student-driven, meaning the students are involved in just about every aspect of the show and take on a lot of responsibility for the shows’ success,” Theater teacher and Director Ellyn Schneider wrote to the Talon. “Our students are very invested and learn so much about the process of putting on a live production. And in my opinion, we have the most talented kids around. In general, the best part of theatre is that it is live and no two performances are exactly the same.”