49th Annual Illinois High School Theater Festival In University of Illinois.

Schedule Of Events

Opening Ceremony 6:00pm - 7:10pm - KCPA Foellinger Great Hall

This year‘s opening ceremony is meant to celebrate the collaborative nature of Theatre. From the moment you walk into the great hall, you’ll be entertained by one of the premier high school performance groups in the state, the St Francis High School Music Ensemble. They will be joined on stage with Broadway star and former IHSTF All-State cast member, John Clay III. Additional performances will be by the combined casts of the musical SIX, an All-Star group of performers to announce the 2026 Allstate show, and performance pieces by the nationally acclaimed and award winning group, the Q Brothers.

All State-The Prom 7:30pm - 10:00pm - KCPA Tryon Festival Theatre Level 5

The careers of four eccentric Broadway stars are struggling and they desperately need a new stage upon which to shine bright once more. Seeking out a cause, they head straight to small-town Indiana. Through social media, they have heard of trouble brewing around a school prom. Local girl, Emma Nolan, wants to take her girlfriend to prom but the homophobic PTA are on a mission to keep the high school dance on the straight and narrow. Determined to transform lives and put themselves back in the limelight, the Broadway celebrities muscle in to change the town and give Emma the prom she deserves.

Opening Ceremony 8:00pm - 9:10pm - KCPA Foellinger Great Hall

This year‘s opening ceremony is meant to celebrate the collaborative nature of Theatre. From the moment you walk into the great hall, you’ll be entertained by one of the premier high school performance groups in the state, the St Francis High School Music Ensemble. They will be joined on stage with Broadway star and former IHSTF All-State cast member, John Clay III. Additional performances will be by the combined casts of the musical SIX, an All-Star group of performers to announce the 2026 Allstate show, and performance pieces by the nationally acclaimed and award winning group, the Q Brothers.