Their hard work seemed lost. After two months spent rehearsing lines, designing costumes and creating delicate aerial choreography for "The Sparrow," the teenagers were angry and confused when they learned the play was going to be canceled.
Their drama coach at Lake Zurich High School had resigned one day, and he was charged with criminal sexual assault of a student shortly after he left.
So when school officials told the cast and crew on Tuesday that they could not perform "The Sparrow" as scheduled, the students came up with their own plan -- a variety show that they whipped together and performed today before a full house.
They called it, aptly, "The Phoenix," for the mythical bird that rises from the ashes for rebirth.
"We are so proud of what we pulled together, even though it's not the show we started with," said Sami Turner, 17, a senior. "We put a lot of us into this show."
Few wanted to talk about the drama teacher, Ronald Culver, 51, of Inverness, who had taught in the school district since 1994. While many spent last week speculating about what happened, sharing their disbelief and horror, they had also poured a lot of hours and creativity into their show and needed closure, said Janet Putbress, a longtime community volunteer.
"This is a home for them," Putbress said. "This is like we have suffered a death in the family."
On Sunday, a supportive community nearly filled the performing arts center, which seats about 675.
A youth pastor, his wife and young child sat among the audience. A fifth-grade teacher whose former students were onstage brought her baby, who chortled through renditions of Lady Gaga tunes. Dozens of alumni, family members and students whooped and applauded in appreciation.
"The whole experience has brought us closer together," said Keely Banach, 17, a senior who was able to perform a part of her aerial role from "The Sparrow."
She opened the show as emcee with a statement that acknowledged the students' emotions, saying, "Some -- most -- of us are still angry." But added: "Our department will be reborn with idealism and hope because we know our drama department is not one but many."
"There are a lot of students who say, 'We don't believe it,'" said Kirk Truex, youth pastor for Northwest Family Church in Lake Zurich. "Denial. Hurt. Anger. There's a lot of shock."
Before the show, the students gathered for "circle" as they do before every performance, ending with a chant they borrowed from a "Saturday Night Live" character: "I am smart enough, I am good enough and, gosh darn it, people like me."
They performed skits and songs that ranged from a humorous debate over whether "milk" is pronounced "malk" to Broadway favorites, such as a duet of "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables".
What made the show unusual, besides its speedy organization, was that nearly all 60 members of cast and crew appeared onstage -- even those whose work usually remains behind the scenes, students said.
"It's been a hard week," said Kait Wood, 17, a senior and stage manager. "I've done a lot of crying. This is giving us an opportunity to be together and be part of the community."
-- Lisa Black
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