Grayslake Resident Choreographer for A Chorus Line

This weekend is opening weekend for A Chorus Line, a musical about 17 dancers vying for only eight spots in a Broadway musical.

For Alana Stephens of Grayslake, it is a personal achievement to see the show come to life. She is the choreographer for the popular musical, presented by Real Clear Productions, a not-for-profit community theater group.

Stephens helps share the story of the musical not only by developing the dance numbers, but also through sign language interpretation.

"I am the choreographer for the show, and also all of our performances are interpreted in sign language," Stephens said. "I will be interpreting the show in sign language for any audience members who are deaf or hard of hearing."

Originally from Wheeling, Stephens moved to Grayslake last year. "I really hope that people that live in Grayslake come out to see our show and to help support the arts," she said.

"I graduated from Harper College's Sign Language Interpreting Program in 2005 and now I am currently a sign language interpreter for the school systems," Stephens said. "I am also a freelance interpreter as well."

She is excited for the performance to open this weekend and to see the finished product after all of the rehearsals.

"I think what I love most about choreography is actually watching everything come together when you see the end result of your show," Stephens said. "It starts off as puzzle pieces, and then once all of the hard work is done, you have a masterpiece. It is truly amazing to see your work come to life."

She encouraged people to attend the performance and enjoy a break from daily stresses.

"Coming to see a show is a great way to escape from reality and everyday life," Stephens said. "The director Joe Marabotti has been a pleasure to work with, and I am thrilled with the all of the hard work that this cast has put into this show."

A Chorus Line presents four performances this weekend and next in Rolling Meadows. It is directed by Joe Marabotti, with choreography by Alana M. Stephens. Jill Matel stars as Cassie, with Ean Kryska as Zach, David Dimas as Paul, Jess Iovinelli as DiAna Morales and Christopher Smith as Larry.

Performances are scheduled for:

Saturday, March 26 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, March 27 at 2 p.m.
Friday, April 1 (no joke) at 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 3 at 2 p.m.

Visit www.realclearproductions.org for tickets or more information.