At this summer’s edition of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival (ISF), running June 23-August 5, two of the 11 members of the acting company are Illinois State University acting majors. Triniti Cruz and Matt Tenny ’23 will have intern duties and will be understudies and members of the ensemble casts.
This year’s production includes The Comedy of Errors and The Book of Will. In keeping with tradition, the schedule also incorporates youth-focused activities, including the Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) production of Toss Me a Tempest, a shortened version of The Tempest.
Like the professional actors in the company with many more years of experience, Cruz and Tenny had to audition. Tenny said it was a stress-inducing process.
“I auditioned back in October with other ISU students and didn’t hear back until January,” he said. “I felt grief about not getting it, but in January I got an email from John Stark (artistic director) about an internship.”
In his email, Stark asked Tenny to read a scene from The Book of Will, videotape it, and send it to him.
“My roommate read the other part in the scene, and we taped my cell phone to a tripod,” Tenny said.
“I cannot wait for the fest to open and to be at Ewing every night. To be in that theater with the sun setting every night, you can feel it. It’s genuinely magical.”
Matt Tenny
He got the good news that he’d passed the audition while he was at his parents’ house in Gilberts over winter break. This will be Tenny’s second time participating in the festival after being an understudy and production assistant last year. He thinks this season will be even better.
“It’s very exciting,” he said. “Last summer I did not go up on stage, so this summer is a definite step up. I’m very excited for the opportunity.”
This will be Cruz’s first time performing at the festival. Her audition experience was similar to Tenny’s but only took a few weeks of anxious waiting.
“I was so nervous,” she said. “When I’m waiting, I move around, so I can give the nervous energy somewhere to go. I was studying for a test and got an email from John Stark, and I was sweating, just freaking out, calling out to roommates. I called my family and friends.”
Cruz, a senior from La Grange Park, got an early start in acting because of her father’s job.
“My dad works in the movie industry in special effects for IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees),” she said. “I was in my first movie when I was in second grade. I screamed in a scene, but because it was a horror movie, I wasn’t allowed to see it.”
Tenny found his way to acting growing up as a fan.
“My parents weren’t actors, but I consumed so much TV and media that I just loved it,” he said. “I was not much into sports, and I loved Batman, Rocky, and James Bond. I wanted to go into it, plus we had a great theater director at Hampshire High School in Daniel Napper (’08). He’s an ISU alum, and he put ISU on my radar.”
Their days at Ewing Theatre can be long since they’re part of both main shows in addition to the TYA production.
“A longer day starts at 10 a.m. with TYA rehearsal until 11:30, then it’s rehearsal for one of the main plays from noon to 4,” Tenny said. “We get a two-hour break before the other main play rehearsal from 6-10 p.m. I bring lots of snacks.”
Of the seven interns from around the country, Tenny and Cruz only knew each other, but Tenny said the group has formed a bond.
“I’m lucky to be living with three of the other interns in ISF housing,” Tenny said. “We come home tired, but we end up staying up to talk about the day.”
Cruz agreed that the days are long but also enjoyable.
“Something that I really like is watching other people act because I learn so much,” she said. “It’s fun because I love the new friendships we’re making with other interns and actors.”
Both plan to pursue acting careers and are grateful for their time at Illinois State. As a first-generation college student, Cruz said she felt welcomed and at home right from the start. She said she was well-coached and supported by faculty, which helped her grow.
“I can’t even explain how much I’ve learned about maintaining my mental health and my physical health while keeping up with school,” she said. “I’ve learned the importance of balance. It’s been a complete journey.”
Tenny agreed, noting that his years on campus have been happy ones, and that he also feels prepared for the future.
“ISU has been a great experience filled with great people throughout,” he said. “I have made lifelong friends, and I have had great training in my field.”
Both actors are looking forward to performing in front of family and friends on the Ewing stage under the stars. Cruz is enthused about the venue and for a couple of other reasons.
“Well, I’m looking forward to the TYA show because it will be my first youth show,” she said. “Plus, the space at Ewing is so gorgeous. It’ll be cool to perform on that stage for both shows, and I’m excited because my character opens the show for The Book of Will.”
“I cannot wait for the fest to open and to be at Ewing every night,” Tenny said. “To be in that theater with the sun setting every night, you can feel it. It’s genuinely magical.”
