Hinsdale South Theater Department Announces Spring Production

Submitted by Hinsdale Township High School District 86.

Darien, IL - Hinsdale South High School’s Theater Department announced that its spring production will include a group interpretation piece called “Bobby Wilson Can Eat His Own Face” by Don Zolidis and a contest play piece called “Spring’s Awakening” by Frank Wedekind.

Performances will be held in the auditorium at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, through Saturday, March 12. Each evening includes both performances. Tickets are $5.

“We chose to do this as our spring main stage production because it provides many students the opportunity to showcase their talents here at our high school certainly, but offers them the chance to expand beyond our campus with the many other talented students who compete in IHSA Group Interpretation and Contest Play,” said Danny Yuska, Hinsdale South theater director, English teacher and head speech team coach. “We tried the contest play last year for the first time and really enjoyed the experience. I wanted to do both categories this year to offer this awesome experience to as many students as possible.”

Group interpretation is a term that describes an adaption of literature for performance that uses on-stage pictures, gestures, facial expressions and body language to suggest characterization and setting without props or costumes. Set design is minimal. A central narrator tells the story and the rest of the cast act as an ensemble. Typically, the focus shifts between on-stage and off-stage activity as a mechanism to advance dialogue and action. A group interpretation performance can be up to 30 minutes in length.

A contest play is a cutting of a full-length or one-act play. Set, props, costumes, hair and make-up are used to enhance the story. In this performance, a crew is used to put together and take apart the set, and to operate lights and sound. A contest play performance can be up to 40 minutes in length.

Both the group interpretation and the contest play are eligible categories for the IHSA Drama/Group Interpretation State Final.