Homewood-Flossmoor High School will be reimbursing seven students the $600 fee they paid to participate in the Illinois High School Theater Festival’s All-State Production.
The school board instructed administrators to review past policy after parent Meghan Hoyt asked at the Sept. 17 board meeting why the school was covering fees for student participation in sports, but only for select fine arts programs.
Hoyt told the Chronicle on Sept. 30 she is happy with the policy change and hopes this means theater program expenses will be covered in the future.
“I am very happy that our parents and students are advocating for themselves, our program, and the arts to our administration and the board,” said theater teacher J.R. Willard-Rose who is serving as co-producer for the Illinois Theater Festival. “I am thankful that after Mrs. Hoyt’s remarks, and our parental presence at the meeting, the board directed the administration to reconsider their decision.
Willard-Rose said after the board meeting “Dr. Alexander wrote to all of the parents stating they were very proud of the students for this prestigious (All-State) honor and after reconsideration the administration has decided to financially support their experience as they represent H-F in the All-State production.”
Hundreds of students across Illinois auditioned in spring to be selected for the all-state production of the musical comedy “The Prom.” H-F seniors Stella Hoyt has the lead role as Emma and Bryce Stewart stars as Sheldon. Both have previously been all-star cast members.
They are joined by Robert Wakefield and Sawyer Horcher, both sophomores, who are in the ensemble. H-F junior Ash Komorowski, and seniors Tessa O’Keefe and Chloe Pease are on the production’s crew.
The $600 fee covers their meals, hotel and transportation for monthly practices and the presentation at the 49th annual Illinois High School Theater Festival Jan. 9, 10 and 11 on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana.
H-F, with seven students, has the highest number of students selected from any Illinois high school. But the registration fee was paid by parents, which Hoyt believed was unfair.
She inquired why theater students weren’t being reimbursed, and H-F Principal Clinton Alexander told her the theater festival isn’t an Illinois High School Association (IHSA) sanctioned event, like sports are.
Hoyt told the school board she, along with everyone in the community, cheered when the H-F boys basketball team won the state championship in March. She recalled how H-F had busloads of students travel to the Final 4 competition, and then organized a parade and celebratory events for the team.
Contrast that with the lack of school recognition in May, she said, when H-F theater’s spring production of “Urinetown” was named best Illinois high school production in the Broadway in Chicago Illinois High School Musical Theatre Awards program.
Four students – Jazmin Rhodes, Stella Hoyt, Bryce Stewart and Gabriel McKinney – were nominated for best actor and best actress honors. Rhodes took home the best actress prize.
The students won state titles, but there was no recognition of these outstanding honors by the school or the school board, Hoyt said. She told the board members the theater students’ efforts and outstanding wins deserved more than a photo in a promotional brochure.