YAMO is back in full swing this year for the 65th-anniversary edition of the classic Evanston tradition. The completely student-run comedy sketch show/musical extravaganza never fails to knock the socks off its audience, and after talking to some of the 2022 YAMO Board, I’m confident that this Fall’s show is going to be one you won’t want to miss.

Since last year’s YAMO was shut down mid-way through due to a COVID outbreak, and YAMO 2020 was completely online, I think it’s safe to say that everyone— from the student body to the YAMO cast— is eager to get the show fully back on its feet. The YAMO board has been hard at work since May getting the show ready for the cast and then—in late September—for the audience. Let’s take a look behind the curtain of YAMO because—what really happens before the show meets our eyes?

“We’ve spent our entire summer working on this,” says General Director and senior, Eleanor Hutchinson. “That’s months of preparation we’re putting in.”

From writing scripts to choreographing dances to composing music and so much more, the board has a lot to do before the cast even comes into the picture. 

“Our goal for working over the summer is to have everything as prepared as it can be before the actors come in, because we have such a short timeline for putting the entire show together,” Hutchinson explains. After the actors do join, it’s only a mere month before the show takes to the stage. 

The board consists of nearly 20 upperclassmen, each with their own specialized position (writers, directors, composers, etc.) and each with a commitment to making the show great and keeping the longstanding tradition alive. 

“It’s almost like the New Trier vs Evanston game,” board member, Heath Grossman, compares. “Everybody goes.” 

But it’s not just the laughs that keep people coming back for more; it’s the community. “There’s just something special about YAMO,” Hutchinson describes. “You’re with all these different people, and they all have different passions and different interests, but you come together to create one cohesive show. It’s magical.” 

“I mean, there’s a reason why this show is known for what it is,” says Grossman, “it’s because people count on it every year.”

That’s a lot of pressure, but the board is enthusiastically up to the task. 

“YAMO is a really awesome way for students to be able to express themselves and write things that they’re excited about,” senior and board member Casey Bond explains. “It’s a huge tradition in Evanston. It’s been around forever and has always allowed students to have a voice.”

While they can’t reveal too much yet, the board wants everyone to know that they’re really excited about how this year’s theme and overall show is turning out. “It’s gonna be really fun,” predicts Grossman. “We have a lot of pop culture references. We have a lot of jokes about the school. We have a big theme. We’re excited.”

Keep an eye out for tickets for the September and October shows, because they sell out fast!