Please read through all of the information below before you begin the registration process!  School registration is OPEN!

1. School Registration Online Form: complete and submit online
2. Medical/Media Release Forms (PDF): one for each student and chaperone - complete, sign, and submit by email, mail, or fax
3. Principal Acknowledgment Form (PDF): complete, sign, and submit by email, mail or fax
4. List of All Student & Sponsor Attendees (Excel): fill in all names of those attending from your school, save, and email to Meg at mdrhoa1@ilstu.edu.  This must be done within 2 business days of submitting the online form.  These names must match all the medical/media release forms and match the numbers you provided when you submitted the online form.
5. Full Payment: submit full payment via a single check or a copy of a purchase order (PO numbers will not be accepted).

Checks for payment can be made out to Illinois State University and mailed to the address below:
Illinois State University Conference Services
C.B. 8610
Normal, IL 61790-8610

PLEASE NOTE: It is the primary sponsors’ responsibility to make sure that all medical/media release forms are completely filled out, signed, and are legible before you send them in. Any incomplete forms or forms that cannot be read will not be allowed. Please make sure your students are NOT using a pencil but are using a black pen to fill out the form.

Schools will be registered in a first-come, first-served basis. Due to safety, quality, and space concerns, the number of participants is determined by the capacity of the facilities. Once registration is full, schools will be placed on a waiting list. We often reach capacity several days, if not weeks, before the deadline.

TEACHER / SPONSOR CHECKLIST

View the Teacher/Sponsor Checklist to make sure you have all the due dates and timeline for Festival items!

IS THERE A SCHOOL REGISTRATION FEE?
There is a $100.00 registration fee per school. This fee is waived if there is a current ITA member on your staff at your school or if your school is an organization member. You will be asked to provide the member name or organization name during the registration process.

WHAT IS THE COST FOR EACH STUDENT AND SPONSOR?

Students (excluding All-State): $75.00 each
Sponsors/Chaperones: $75.00 each
Meal Ticket (optional): $24.20 each

The meal ticket is for lunch on both Friday and Saturday.

If space is still available, schools that don’t complete their registration by October 31, 2025 will be assessed a $15.00 per person late fee. Late registrations and payments for these schools must be received by November 15, 2025. No registrations will be accepted after this date.

WHAT IS THE DUE DATE TO COMPLETE THE SCHOOL REGISTRATION PROCESS?
The due dates below are for all online forms and documents listed above.

DUE – October 17, 2025: for schools submitting a Full-Length or Showcase production

DUE – October 31, 2025: for schools not submitting a production

November 15, 2025: If space is still available, late registrations will be accepted until this date.

If space allows, all late registrations (after October 31, 2025) will be assessed a $15.00 per person late fee.

Please be aware, once we reach capacity we will only accept wait list registrations. We normally will reach our first cut off capacity number a week prior to the deadline. 

HOW MANY STUDENTS CAN I REGISTER? 

Each high school is allowed to register up to 40 total participants, including students and sponsors/chaperones.  The most you can bring is 36 students with 4 chaperones.  All sponsors/chaperones must be at least 21 years of age. Students must currently be enrolled in 9th–12th grades. We enforce a 10:1 student-to-sponsor ratio or fraction thereof. For example, if you have 13 registered students than you will be required to have 2 sponsors/chaperones. Please check with your high school to see if they have a higher student-to-sponsor ratio.

Exceptions to the 40 total participants limit will be considered for schools that are chosen to perform at the Festival. If your school is selected, you will be able to add more students and sponsors/chaperones when filling out the Director’s Response Form after your production has been viewed. More information will be given to you on that form about adding participants.  All-State company members from your school should NOT be included in your registration numbers. Home schools should contact the IHSTF 2026 Executive Director, Allan Kimball, via email at executivedirector@ihstf.org.

WHAT IS THE REFUND / CANCELLATION POLICY?
A full refund, less a $15.00 per person processing fee, will be provided for cancellation requests received prior to November 1, 2025.  All requests must be made in writing via email to Meg at mdrhoa1@ilstu.edu.  No refunds will be provided after November 1, 2025.  Substitutions are allowed up until December 10, 2025.

HOW DO MY STUDENTS SIGN UP FOR COLLEGE AUDITIONS?
In order for your students to sign up for college/university auditions and presentations, you must complete your school registration (i.e., Online Application, Principal Acknowledgement Form, Medical/Media Release Forms, List of Students/Sponsors Form, Full Payment). Once everything has been completed and submitted, you will receive a link by email allowing students to sign up for college auditions. Students must turn in applications, resumes, and payment by November 19, 2025.  We will not accept any college auditions submissions after November 19, 2025.

WHEN WILL I KNOW THE ALL-STATE AND OPENING PERFORMANCE MY SCHOOL WILL ATTEND?
Each school will be assigned to an All-State Performance and Opening Performance on a first-come, first served basis. We will do our best to honor preference requests. All-State performance will have assigned seating.

PLEASE NOTE: Even though schools meet the registration deadline, they are not guaranteed tickets to the All-State Performance or Opening Performance. Schools will be notified via email the week of December 8, 2025 as to which performances they are assigned.

SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

All schools are welcome to apply for the IHSTF School Scholarship Fund through the school registration form.  The Illinois Theatre Association is pleased to offer a limited number of scholarships to high schools requesting financial assistance for attendance at the IHSTF>  Scholarship monies are for all or part of IHSTF registration, housing, and/or travel expenses.

The Illinois Theatre Association (ITA) will determine what scholarship amounts will be made available in connection with the previous year's Festival solicitation(s) toward the IHSTF School Scholarship Fund and any Festival surplus. 

To apply for this, you need to complete the School registration first before applying for the scholarship.  The due date to apply for this is September 15, 2025.

REGISTRATION QUESTIONS?

Contact ISU Conference Services

Meg Rhoades:  mdrhoa1@ilstu.edu

Main Line:  309-438-2160