Six Lemont High School Drama Students Named to All-State Cast

The  competitive drama program had its best showing ever last weekend at the 2012 IHSA Drama and Group Interpretation State Finals at the University of Illinois-Springfield.

Making its third-straight appearance, Lemont finished fifth of 18 participants, and six students were named to the Group Interpretation All-State Cast. Additionally, Lemont was named the recipient of the activity’s Sportsmanship Award.

In Group Interpretation, groups of three or more students interpretively present literature by creating an ensemble performance showcasing their interpretive skills without the aid of costumes, make-up, set or props. Selections can be from literary forms ranging from prose to speeches to original material.

Lemont's entry this year — "The Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin — is directed by David Linley and Roy Nees.

Lemont finished second to eventual state champion Marian Catholic in Preliminary A on March 23. The top three teams from Preliminaries A and B advanced to the final round on March 24.

In the final round, Lemont finished with 15 points, ranking fifth of six finalists. Marian Catholic’s championship entry, “The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio," received three first-place votes and was first overall with four points. Thornwood (“The Lion King”) was second with seven points, edging third-place Homewood-Flossmoor (“Mother Hicks”) and its eight points. Oak Lawn (“A League of Their Own”) was fourth with 12 points.

Earning All-State Cast accolades for their performances were Lemont seniors Kevin Driscoll (William Barfee) and Rhiannon Lindgren (Rona Lisa Peretti), junior
Aubree Tally (Olive Ostrovsky), and sophomores Anne Marie Alwan (Marcy Park), Robert Rigler (Leaf Coneybear) and Sara Van Hecke (Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre).

Only Marian Catholic, with 12 honorees, had more students named to the All-State Cast.

The cast also included seniors Steve Henson and Alex Vjestica, junior Zack Taylor, sophomores Michelle Awad, Ryan Luzzo and Liam Purtle, and freshmen Meghan Kaminski and Becca Zagorski. Senior Kathy Machaj served as a student director, sophomore Matt Hackiewicz was the stage manager, and senior Rachel Hunter, sophomore Kevin Lindgren and freshman Nick Lambrakis all contributed on the crew.

The winner of the Sportsmanship Award is determined based on the input
of staff and judges from the tournament site. It recognizes professionalism and the recipient’s commitment to supporting healthy competition. This is the first time Lemont has won the Sportsmanship Award at the IHSA Drama & Group Interpretation State Finals.

Lemont advanced to the state finals by winning the Group Interpretation competition at the IHSA Lake Park Sectional on March 17, edging Metea Valley and Lake Park for the title. This was the second time in as many years that it won a sectional championship in Group Interpretation.