Six EPCHS Drama Students Part of IL HS Musical Theatre Awards

Six Drama Club students from the Evergreen Park Community High School were chosen to participate in the Broadway in Chicago 2019 Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards (IHSMTA), sponsored by NBC 5. As part of the application process, these EPCHS students wrote about their role in the school’s recent production of “The Addams Family.”

Ashley Hoefferle played Morticia Addams. Ashley described her last performance as a senior at EPCHS to IHSMTA saying, “I hate to admit it, but during the last scene, before the curtains closed, I may have shed a tear or two. Okay, maybe 6 or 7, but who’s counting? It was as if everything had hit me all at once. I would never perform on this stage again. I had held it all in for so long that during one of the most emotional scenes of the show, I had finally cracked. I looked into the eyes of my best friend and realized this was Gomez and Morticia’s final moments in this auditorium. It was a bittersweet moment when I saw the whole auditorium rise from their seats to applaud the final number.”

Brian Gutrich played Gomez Addams. Brian told IHSMTA, “Gomez and I share many qualities: kindness, dedication to our family, the struggle of trying to do right by everyone in the family, and a clever sense of humor that amuses us much more than the others around us. To me, it was extremely important to do this complexity justice. Gomez is more than a loveable goofball, he’s a dedicated father and a loving husband caught in a situation where those characteristics put him at odds with the two most important people in his life. My top priority was to ensure the audience understood and saw this complexity and the man behind the jokes and quips.”

Liam Duffy played Uncle Fester. He compared Fester’s likeness to his own personality saying, “Being in ‘The Addams Family’ with such a kind, talented, and loveable cast was an amazing experience! Especially since I see a lot of Fester in myself; we’re both just big, lovable goofballs. I love the way playing Fester felt. He may have been a man who is or close to middle-aged but he is still a young soul, especially whenever he talks about his love with the Moon. To me, Fester’s love with the Moon seems like when you have a crush in elementary school or middle school: kind of shy about it but at the same time no shame at all.”

Isabella Villamil played Wednesday. Isabella spoke to IHSMTA about character development. “I thought, What does a 17 year old know about heartbreak? Wednesday wasn’t much older than I was. And that’s when I realized what people don’t mention about character development. Within the character, you find yourself. Yes, it’s important to distinguish the two, I do realize I am not the tough, dark, brave and scary Wednesday Addams that she is. But under it all she is a scared, young adult finding her way, learning new things, making mistakes – just like I am. Connecting to Wednesday on this level, made it personal. It taught me things about myself, it showed me a new perspective about love, family and finding your way.”

Hope Michalek played Pugsley. Hope spoke about the challenge of learning her role saying, “Learning the character of Pugsley was a challenging, yet exciting task. Oftentimes I would get frustrated on not knowing how to change my manner. The more the show went on, however, I started to get more comfortable with my lines. I allowed myself to get out of my head and really understand the character I was portraying. I started connecting real life experiences and brought my appreciation of acting to another level.”

Kallista Elwood played the role of Alice Beineke. Kallista shared her experience of the final scene, “Crawling across the table in my yellow dress at the height of the breakdown scene felt like it was no longer me pretending to be Alice, I was Alice. As I stood in my spot during the final scene of the final rehearsal I found myself nodding along to the lyrics, ‘lose your inhibitions, love what once was vile, move toward the darkness and smile.’ I realized how wise and applicable those words actually were. With the cast who had become my family both in and out of the show at my side, I realized that I needed to let go of any leftover anxiety, embrace what scared me, and face my fears. So that’s exactly what I did, a genuine smile on my face all the while.”

Drama Director Mrs. Amy Kazin explained the process for applying for the IHSMTA, “The applications that students submit include an essay, a resume, a head shot, three production photos, and a video highlight reel from the show. This qualifies them for the Best Actor or Best Actress category. I then submit a separate application for the show itself which includes a post-show form, production photos, and a video highlight reel. That combined with the IHSMTA judges’ evaluation from the live performance, are considered for all of the other categories listed. The top 24 finalists are then chosen (12 actors and 12 actresses) from across the state.”

The Broadway In Chicago Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards celebrate excellence in high school theatre throughout the State of Illinois. This year, 72 Illinois schools are participating. The 24 award recipients for Best Actor and Best Actress will receive tickets to a Broadway In Chicago show, perform on stage at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, and compete in front of Chicago casting agents and theater professionals. The awards banquet will take place on May 6, 2019.

From the 24 nominees, two Illinois award recipients (one Best Actor, one Best Actress) will go on an all-expense paid trip to New York City to represent the State of Illinois at The Jimmy Awards® and participate in a week-long theatre intensive of coaching and rehearsals with industry professionals in preparation for a one-night-only showcase on Broadway, where a panel of judges crowns the nation’s top performers. The Jimmy Awards®, which take place June 24, 2019, are named for legendary Broadway theater owner and producer James M. Nederlander.

Congratulations and best of luck to our EPCHS students!