Illinois Theatre Association to honor 2024 Award of Excellence recipients

CHICAGO - The Illinois Theatre Association will recognize eight theatre professionals and educators as the recipients of the 2024 Award of Excellence. The awards will be presented at a brunch during the association's annual meeting on August 3, 2024, at the Copley Theatre in Aurora.

The keynote speaker is actor Gene Weygandt. He has appeared in a host of films, television shows, and on Broadway. His acting credits on screen include The Birdcage, Babe, and Mea Culpa. He has appeared in televised episodes of Home Improvement, Cybil, Murphy Brown, Chicago Fire, Empire, and Chicago Med.

The Chicago-based actor also had roles in Broadway productions, including BIG: The Musical, Wicked, and Come From Away.

This year's 2024 Awards of Excellence include:

Creative Drama/Theatre for Young Audiences:
The Children's Theatre of Elgin and Fox Valley Theatre Company Accepting the Award is Veronica Comings, President

Secondary School Theatre:
J.R. Willard-Rose (Homewood- Flossmoor HS)

College/University Theatre:
Kevin Long (Harper College, Chicago Shakespeare Theater)

Community Theatre:
Joseph Ennenbach (Stage 212, Morris Theater Guild, Streator Engle Lane, and Princeton's Festival 56)

Professional Theatre:
James Calitri (Artistic Director, Festival 56)

2024 Awards of Honor, ITA Non-Member:
John Collins (Executive Director, Goodman Theatre)

2024 Awards of Honor, ITA Member:
Richard Arnold, Jr. (Production Coordinator, College of DuPage)

Anne Thurman Mentorship Award:
Patricia Haynes, 1950-2024
Mother McAuley HS, founder of 99th Street Summer Theatre
Accepting the Award is Erin Fitzpatrick

For more information and registration to this year's event go to https://illinoistheatre.org/event-4897079.

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Warrior dance team places 2nd at state

Mya Bills and the Lincoln-Way West dance team perform their competitive dance routine on Friday at the IHSA state finals on Friday. The Warriors advanced to Day 2 competition in fourth place on their way to the 2024 runner-up title. See more photos below.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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BLOOMINGTON - After finishing the first day of competition in fourth place, Lincoln-Way West's 24-member strong dance turned up the heat on Day 2 at Grossinger Motor Arena to finish second in the Class 2A division at the Illinois High School Association's Competitive State Dance Finals on Saturday. Receiving a 93.26 and qualifying for the championship round on Friday, the orange and black-cladded Warriors improved their score by nearly one point to 94.12.

The runner-up Warrior team includes Kaylee Towson Aldridge, Amber Graves, Ava Swidergal, Candise Battin, Ella Stahulak, McKenna Redican, Elena Ciabattari, Elora Maletich, Keira Loranger, Sadie Smith, Mackenna Woltman, Liky Grude, Lindsey Dust, Kylie Smith, Chloe Sall, Isabel Kostecki, Jenna Cronk, Mya Bills, Leah Young, Aubree McElree, Kiera Grimmett, Sadie Lazzari, Ryan Borrelli, and Amanda Garbaciak. Lincoln-Way West is coached by Melissa Sweeney with assistants Ashely Hon and Kelly Sabo at her side.

The Warriors' routine finished behind the lyrical performance by this year's championship team from Lake Forest. The Scouts tallied the best score across all three classes finishing with an impressive 98.02 from judges.

Rounding out the top three places, Geneva captured their 11th consecutive state trophy with a third-place finish. The Vikings, who earned a 92.72 score on Saturday, have consistently finished in the 2A top three since 2014.

Advancing to the finals third after the first round of performances, Lake Zurich (91.88) closed out the IHSA season in fourth place. The Bears dance squad was less than a point from capturing the program's seventh state dance trophy.

Vernon Hills (90.77) was fifth in the final standings, followed by Burlington Central (90.32), St. Charles North (90.12) in sixth place, and Deerfield (88.18), who finished as the 8th-best team in the state after both days of competition.

Meanwhile, Chicago Jones finished in ninth place with an 87.12. Grant High School (86.06) was tenth, Lincoln-Way Central earned an 84.68, good for 11th place, and Crystal Lake Central was awarded an 84.34 by judges in the season finale.

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Lake Forest delivers impressive performance for Class 2A dance title

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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BLOOMINGTON - Lake Forest's moving interpretive presentation was the 18th of 24 performances on Saturday. Like every year, the field of competition was tremendous, and the Scouts Dance Team overwhelmingly impressed the judging crew, earning the Class 2A division's top score of 98.02.

This year's Scouts include Bianca Storino, Rachel Silvers, Alana Tennett, Ellery Newman, Maddie Van Nuys, Hadleigh Deegan, Lyla Carney, Kate Westerman, Blakely Rice, Reese Harper, Amelia Hansen, Finley Karr, Grace Clark, Josie Irvin, Sophia Brincat, Mia Konkel, Camille Brincat, and Madeleine Axus. Lake Forest was led to the finals by head coach Angela McNicholas with the help of assistant Ashley Nash.

Nearly four points behind this year's state champions, Lincoln-Way West (94.12), who finished fourth with their hip-hop routine after Friday's preliminary round, was crowned this year's runner-up squad. Making their fifth consecutive state appearance, the Warrior's dynamic performance and precise execution yielded a second-place finish.

Geneva took home their 11th consecutive state trophy after finishing third with a score of 92.72. The Vikings program has consistently finished in the top three since 2014.

Placing third after the first round of performances, Lake Zurich (91.88) closed out the IHSA season in fourth place. The Bears dance squad was less than a point from capturing the program's seventh state dance trophy.

Vernon Hills (90.77) was fifth in the final standings, followed by Burlington Central (90.32), St. Charles North (90.12) in sixth place, and Deerfield (88.18), who finished as the 8th best team in the state after both days of competition.

Meanwhile, Chicago Jones finished in ninth place with an 87.12. Grant High School (86.06) was tenth, Lincoln-Way Central earned an 84.68, good for 11th place, and Crystal Lake Central was awarded an 84.34 by judges in the season finale.

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Editor's Note: Our original story stated, "The Warriors, making their fifth consecutive state appearance, were last year's class 2A champions." This was incorrect. LWW qualified for state last year but missed the cut for the second day of competition as the story now states. We apologize for the error.

Jacksonville J'ettes win back-to-back state titles

Members of the Jacksonville High School dance team perform at the IHSA Competitive Dance State Finals on Friday. The J'ettes went on to win this year's state title beating squads from Morris, Highland and nine other teams that advanced to Day 2 competition.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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BLOOMINGTON - Jacksonville dance head coach Tiffany Hickox and her dance team have done it again. Outscoring the perennial small school dance powerhouse Morris by a mere five-hundredths of a point, the J'ettes took home their second-consecutive state dance title on Saturday after two days of competition at Grossinger Motor Arena.

Members of this year's championship troupe include Lauren Deen, Greta Bryson-Adams, Lily Hickox, Charlotte Brockhouse, Emma Wolters, Kylie Chumley, Hailey Weeks, Elizabeth Stremming, Samantha Lawson, Lindsey Hautala, Jacey Evans, and Kimmy Davis. The team is managed by Lily Rohlk and Marley VanAken.

Morris, who has finished runner-up six times and won one title in the past eight years prior to this weekend, could not sway the judges, earning yet another second-place state trophy, finishing with a score of 92.35.

Representing downstate Illinois, Highland, another top-tier program, was third (90.91), followed by Marion (90.25) in fourth place. Also finishing in the top 12 were Mundelein with a score of 89.28, and Evergreen Park, earning an 85.54 mark from the judges. Glen Ellyn Glenbard South finished seventh, with Lombard Montini in eighth, Troy Triad in ninth, Clinton in 10th, Murphysboro in 11th, and Morton in 12th.

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