Oswego Student Cast in All-State Production of 'Rent'

Submitted by Oswego School District 308

OSWEGO, IL — Oswego East High School (OEHS) senior Emily Straughn is the school’s first-ever student to be selected for an All-State production in the Illinois Theatre Festival. Straughn auditioned alongside more than 300 fellow high school thespians from across the state to earn her featured role in the festival’s production of “Rent.”

Straughn, who is a part of OEHS’s theatre program, has had roles in school productions of “Scapin” and “Figments,” and she played Belle in “Beauty and the Beast.”

“Athletically speaking, the end goal of a high school season is the idea of ‘going to state.’ Athletes study plays, watch game tapes, and condition themselves to earn a spot in state competition,” says Nicole Schremp, Fine Arts teacher at OEHS and a director at the school’s Oswego East Theatre.

The Illinois High School Theatre Festival is the equivalent of making it to the state conference. Straughn will make her “all-state” festival debut on the stage of Braden Auditorium on the campus of Illinois State University, Normal, on January 8-10.

“Often, we don’t always associate this state-bound mentality with the theatre, but in the eyes of the Illinois High School Theatre Festival, ‘going to state’ is a significant accomplishment,” Schremp said. “Actors analyze their scripts, develop their characters, rehearse and perfect their craft in the hopes of earning a coveted role in the All-State production—the equivalent of the big game in the world of Illinois high school theatre.”

The Illinois High School Theatre Festival features student actors and technicians from across the state, while providing them with educational opportunities. The three-day annual festival showcases productions of high school theatre from across Illinois along with workshops that include professionals in their theatrical fields.

“As the first Oswego East Theatre student to perform at this level, we wait in excited anticipation and pride to see Emily in her All-State performance,” said Katie Belovsky, Oswego East Theatre director and OEHS English teacher.