“Juli(us) Caesar” is the first DGS production to be selected to perform at The Illinois High School Theater Fest. This annual three-day event is a festival honoring drama programs throughout the state, consisting of several productions and workshops and concluding with an All-State performance, this year being “In the Heights.”

According to senior Janella Guzman, “Juli(us) Caesar,” this year’s fall play directed by Tiffany Rubin, was shown as a full-length showcase at Theater Fest.

“After one of the [speech] tournaments, Ms. Rubin sent out a remind talking about good or bad news she wants us all together to share the results. We found out, and were really happy,” Guzman said

“Juli(us) Caesar’s” audition for Theater Fest consisted of submitting an application and then having multiple respondents come to watch one of the performances of the show. The cast and crew had the opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback from the respondents. Those respondents filled out an evaluation form, which was then given to a committee, which ultimately selects which productions will be shown at the festival.

According to director Nathaniel Haywood, Theater Fest is an opportunity for high schoolers interested in the performing arts.

‘Theatre Fest is the only place in America where you can experience over a hundred professionally led theatre workshops, two dozen plays, speak to dozens of colleges, and engage with over 4,000 of your peers in a non-competitive setting … It is a fantastic opportunity for further education as well as a place where you can be immersed in a supportive environment where there are thousands of your peers who share the same passion as you, “Haywood said.

Guzman, who plays the role of Julius Caesar, has never attended the festival due to conflicts with speech. Rubin sees a large overlap at DGS between the students who are both involved in the theater department and speech.

“We have such an amazing speech program, and we’re known as a speech school, but a lot of our students [who are involved in speech] are involved in our productions as well, so it’s nice to have the face of DGS theater also emerge along with that. It shows that we’re a strong school in all areas of communication and creativity,” Rubin said.

Students involved in drama, though not in Juli(us) Caesar, also had the opportunity to attend. Sophomore Grace Puumula is one of the nearly 30 DGS students who chose to go.

“I didn’t get to go last year and a bunch of my friends really enjoyed going, and they told me to join, so I decided I was going to go,” Puumula said.

“Juli(us) Caesar” was performed for an audience upwards of 2,000 people. Before the performance Guzman described her feelings towards performing.

“I’m more excited than nervous. Someone told me once that you have to be a little nervous to care…I’m more excited to show what we’ve done so far,” Guzman said.

The DGS theater department brought 36 people, plus sponsors, to Theater Fest; only 24 of the attendees were involved with the performance of Juli(us) Caesar.

Theater Fest and the performance took place at the University of Illinois on Jan. 10-12, 2019.