Mount Vernon High School’s theatre department has been invited to perform its full-length production of “Lend Me A Tenor” on the main stage of this year’s International Thespian Festival (ITF), to be held June 19-23 on the campus of Indiana University. Mount Vernon is one of only seven schools to receive this honor. The International Thespian Festival is an annual, weeklong celebration of educational theatre. Approximately 4500 students from 47 states/territories and five countries will attend the event. The last time an Iowa school had a mainstage production at ITF was Pleasant Valley with Sweeney Todd in 2017.
Although it will be Mount Vernon’s first time on the ITF main stage, MVHS is no stranger to the Festival, having performed a 45 minute cutting of “Once on This Island” in the 2019 Chapter Select program. Additionally, students from Mount Vernon performed Individual Events at ITF in 2012 and 2017.
The journey to the International stage began last November. The fall play, “Lend Me A Tenor,” was filmed and submitted electronically to the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) for adjudication. In early March, feedback and mainstage invitations were sent to schools.
Separately last fall, “Lend Me A Tenor” was also selected as one of three mainstage performances for the Iowa Thespian Festival, November 11 through 12 at the University of Northern Iowa. Mount Vernon has performed full-length productions on the state main stage four times: “Things My Mother Taught Me” (2015), “A Piece of My Heart” (2017), “Eurydice” (2019), and “Lend Me A Tenor” (2022).
Anyone who is interested in financially supporting this student experience should contact director Tom Stephens at [email protected]. The cos to attend the festival is roughly $14,500, with more than 85 percent of the costs being paid for by the students themselves.
A special t-shirt design is available for purchase at Cause Team as well.
Cast:
Lydia Benesh – Maggie
Natalie Clark – Diana
Cyrus Johnson – Frank the bellhop
Charlie Krob – Maria
Milo Olinger – Tito Morelli
Tyler Panos – Saunders
Margaret Player – Julia
Luke Stephens – Max
Crew:
Jayce Pendegrass – lighting
Megan Teague – AD/SM
Natalie Thuerauf – sound
directed by Tom Stephens
set design and technical direction by Brad Goetz
costumes by Barb Shepley
Lend Me a Tenor cast and crew Cast: Lydia Benesh — Maggie Natalie Clark — Diana Cyrus Johnson — Frank the bellhop Charlie Krob — Maria Milo Olinger — Tito Morelli Tyler Panos — Saunders Margaret Player — Julia Luke Stephens — Max Crew: Jayce Pendegrass — lighting Megan Teague — AD/SM Natalie Thuerauf — sound directed by Tom Stephens set design and technical direction by Brad Goetz costumes by Barb Shepley
Ty Panos and Luke Stephens act in Lend Me A Tenor this past fall.