With only two weeks of rehearsals, WeGo Drama is preparing for the IHSA showcase with performances Friday and Saturday.  

WeGo Drama is required by the administration to perform several plays, but any extracurricular activities, like IHSA,  were suspended by the West Chicago Teachers’ Association during contract negotiation. The clubs were resumed Feb. 15, when a tentative contract agreement was reached.

They will be performing the 40-minute play “Doctor Cerberus” and a group interpretation “Life, Animated.”

“(A) group interpretation is a cutting-edge way of storytelling where it is a minimal set, no specific costume, and no specific set,” director Mark Begovich said. “Everything is done by the actors interpreting some story.”

The audience will have an opportunity to critique the performance of the competition play, “Doctor Cerberus,” as feedback for drama before the competition.

“(This) gives our regular audience a chance to see it and to see something cool and different because they are different types of shows that we do throughout the season,” Begovich said.

According to Begovich, the play follows this year’s theme of transformation as well as touch upon serious topics.

“Our competition play is a story about a young man who is in high school and he loves horror films. It is his way of escaping because he does not have a great home life, he is (also) dealing with some body issues, so he escapes into the horror films but he uses that as an outlet for his creativity, and ultimately transforms himself into a very successful person,” Begovich said. “The other one tells the true story of a man living with autism and how he finds his own way of dealing with the world. (These) are all about who you want to be.”

Begovich said the theme focuses on both this year’s theme and social issues.

“The cool thing about why I love theater so much is because we can reflect on so many aspects of our lives,” Begovich said.

According to Begovich, the IHSA competition is an event the students look forward to.

“It is a tremendous experience. I’ve done surveys and over the past few years this is been their favorite activity of the year, mostly because we get to meet new friends in other schools, and we get to travel,” he said.

Tickets are sold for $10 during lunch hours.

“The only reason why we charge admission is to help pay for our production cost,” Begovich said.

All performances start at 7 p.m.

WeGo Drama will compete March 17 at Lake Park High School.