What students are saying about me in their own words.
Mr. Rotrekl with the cast and crew of his Masters Thesis production, Frankenstein.
“Theatre has never had a more dedicated or passionate person involved in the theatre department, like Mr. Rotrekl. While he has been in charge, Morton East Theatre has thrived and has acquired so much more attention than ever before. Being able to be taught by a talented man like him is truly an honor. He is loved by his cast and crew, respected for his beautiful shows and admired for the non-stop effort he puts into every minute of every day.”
“Time and time again, the extreme improvements and quality of our productions are noticed by teachers, peers and others within the community. Everything Rotrekl provides is the foundation of my entire high school experience. Coming to rehearsals and being surrounded by professionals and hard working students is the primary reason why I get out of bed in the morning.”
Mr. Rotrekl with the cast and crew of Beauty and the Beast.
“Mr. Rotrekl is a great theatre teacher who sees potential in his students that they would never believe that they have, he inspires them to perform to their fullest and leave their hearts on stage (or backstage, for techies like myself). Theatre has always meant the world to me, but Mr. Rotrekl provided a much greater depth, endearment and complexity to the meaning theatre for me.”
“Mr. Rotrekl continually exhibits his amazing talents. He offers the students a challenge; a challenge we are always willing to take. I don’t just gain a theatrical experience, but a personal experience that I will hold closely to my heart. No one has placed so much care in the program as much as Mr. Rotrekl has and it is truly something amazing.”
“From the first day we met Mr. Rotrekl he gave us so many ideas to help our theatre program grow. This excited me because it was amazing to see someone care so deeply for a place they have just started working. I am truly thankful to be part of his first year at Reavis. He has made our program even more well known among the Reavis students and community. Because of Mr. Rotrekl and his ideas we had three nearly sold out performances for our fall musical SHREK THE MUSICAL.”
Mr. Rotrekl helps interpret a scene with his cast.
Mr. Rotrekl with Nicki Del Valle who played "The Creature" in his Masters Thesis production Frankenstein.
“Coming into a well established program is a feat in itself, but Mr. Rotrekl’s drive to establish himself as a director onstage and backstage is one worth applauding. On his first project at Reavis, SHREK THE MUSICAL, he was the Technical Director and Scenic Designer behind our show’s concept, easily one of the most dazzling sets I have ever seen anywhere, let alone for a high school production. Moreover, his suggestions to actors in bettering their performance has been a refreshing perspective and breath of fresh air, which definitely assisted in the cast’s growth as a whole.”
“If it wasn’t for Mr. Rotrekl I wouldn’t be who I am today and I wouldn’t have what I have today. I was lucky to have him a teacher and director for two years. Upcoming students, actors and actresses deserve to have him as a teacher and director.”
“Mr. Rotrekl showed me what a real actor needs: Courage, knowledge, and a heart filled with passion. I found my place where I can express my emotions and be myself. That place is the stage, and I couldn’t have done this without him.”
“When I walked into the room as a sixth grader to audition for the play at my school, Jefferson Middle School, I didn’t know what would happen. Little did I know I was starting a three year journey with a truly remarkable individual. I have had previous drama experiences, but I would have never dreamed that one person could teach and enrich me to the outstanding level that my drama teacher Mr. Rotrekl has done. He has made it possible for me and other students to find our niche. His powerful words in his speeches have helped me and numerous other students build confidence, and learn how to be prepared to overcome anything. This has helped me believe in myself that I can do anything. This has not only helped me in drama, but has helped me in all aspects of life.”
Mr. Rotrekl seeing a former Jefferson Middle School student in professional production of The Wizard of Oz at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
“Mr. Rotrekl has given me a second home, and gave me a chance to get to know myself and others as well.”
“Mr. Ro is an amazing teacher and I have so much fun in his class”
“Mr. Rotrekl makes theatre come alive! He is dedicated day and night, always putting everything he has into making sure his productions are the best. He sacrifices so much for us and makes sure all our productions turn out to be the amazing for our community. It’s not only the quality of the productions we are grateful for, but he gives us motivation and faith when we don’t have it in ourselves. He makes us believe in ourselves and that gift is one that every teacher should give their students.”
“Mr. Rotrekl has revived theatre. He’s just an incredible teacher, director, artist, and person all around. He unearths the potential within us all and helps us thrive to be the best we can and put the best shows we possibly can.”
“Mr. Rotrekl has impacted my life dramatically. I never thought I would love a place more than my own home. Theatre is my home. If it wasn’t because of Mr. Ro I would have never confronted my stage fright. Mr. Ro gave me and a lot of people hope when we didn’t have any.”
Mr. Rotrekl gets a surprise visit from some of his students at his graduation from Roosevelt University.
“Mr. Rotrekl is an amazing and inspiring teacher and director. In the three years that I have known him, I have seen him push dozens of students to new levels and instill in them a desire to learn and create, myself included. I have never met anyone else that brings the same levels of enthusiasm and passion that he does. Mr. Rotrekl creates an environment in which students strive to achieve their maximum potential. He uses all of the resources he has in order to give his students, actors and technicians every opportunity possible. The time and effort that he puts into his work is plain to see, and the way he engages with his students is like no other.”
Mr. Rotrekl celebrates construction progress for his Masters Thesis production Frankenstein with students.
“Passion. This is the quality that resonates from Mr. Rotrekl. His passion for live Theatre is expressed through the amount of dedication and effort he puts into his work. When he was directing at Morton East High School, Mr. Rotrekl would have all of his students in the Theatre Club stay for long hours, including himself. He would use his weekends not for relaxation, but to spend more hours working on projects for the set with the tech or hold a rehearsal with the actors. That dedication and passion passed on to all of the students because they too wanted nothing more than to stay in the auditorium and keep working. Mr. Rotrekl brought a level of professionalism to the club by introducing the technicians and actors to professionals from different fields, allowing our knowledge to expand more because of their experience. Along with that professionalism, Mr. Rotrekl balances his personality with a great sense of humor, making him fun to be around, and is also very caring. I am and will always be proud to have had him as a mentor.”
“I attended Morton East High school where I was under direction of Mr. Rotrekl. I am currently employed as an actor at the Jedlicka Performing Arts Center. Mr. Rotrekl is a great teacher and director. I was an absolute beginner when it came to acting when I met him, but he went out of his way to facilitate the process of learning about theatre performance. I worked on three shows with him, all three for which he was director. He is a passionate man with a vision, and he really works to make his vision happen. His work is some of the best that I’ve ever experienced and I feel fortunate to have worked with him at such a young age. He has taught me to have great work ethic, to always give my very best and to never get discouraged by what doesn’t come naturally. Practice and persistence is what makes perfect. Every achievement in performance and theatre has been all thanks to him. He believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and that helped me grow as a performer and a person.”
“Mr. Rotrekl is an astounding teacher. He genuinely cares for all of his students while giving them a professional environment, whether it be acting or theatre tech. I have worked with Mr. Rotrekl in several of his shows and group interpretations as his student, and can say that it is amazing working with someone as creative as him. His ideas are very unique, he always goes for the best and not average, and he has 110% assurance in his cast and would never in his life say, “This isn’t going how it should be going.” He has authority over students while maintaining a special connection with their hearts. His set designs are amazing and it is a joy to build and to perform on them. Mr. Rotrekl was my former director at Morton East High School and if it was not for him, I would not have continued to pursue a career in theatre, and for that I thank him.”
Thousands of students from local feeder schools wait patiently to see a special matinee performance.
“Mr. Rotrekl is my English teacher. To me, Mr. Rotrekl is a very cool, funny, but smart teacher. I like how he teaches us, my favorite subject has always been English, but often it is boring, with Mr. Rotrekl English seems fun and he inspires me to do my best. He really makes me think about my future and knowing how Mr. Rotrekl made it makes me want to be an English teacher when I get older. He’s an inspiration to me.”
Mr. Rotrekl addresses the audience after The Wizard of Oz.
“I appreciate Mr. Rotrekl as my Theatre Arts teacher and theatre director. Last year I picked theatre as my elective because I really wanted to learn the basics of acting. Mr. Ro has taught me about improvisation, ensemble acting, voice, articulation, and many more skills. He is always willing to work with me and my scene partners to make our scenes better for class performances. I enjoy most when Mr. Ro smiles because I know that means he is truly proud of our work, and sees the improvements we have been learning about in class.”
“Mr. Rotrekl is one of the hardest teachers I know. He wants his students to succeed in school and just do our best. He knows how to simply explain all our assignments that he is given to us for the day. I know that if I ever had a question or even a concern I can always count on him to answer and help me out.”
“Having the title of a teacher doesn’t mean you’re a good one. But in the case of Mr. Rotrekl he is a man with goals, dreams, and passion for theatre from what I’ve seen. I admire the hard work, time, and dedication he has so lovingly put into our theatre class and shows. Doing the show EVITA with Mr. Rotrekl has never made me feel so alive, satisfied, and welcomed.”
Actors walk the halls of the school in costume to promote Romeo and Juliet.
“Welcoming a new director into our program was a daunting task, but the positivity and the creativity Mr. Rotrekl brings with him adds a new level to our theatre program. From crew calls to rehearsals he inspires his students to stay positive and believe in accomplishing their goals. Having him as my director has pushed me to surpass my limits, push through difficulties and to never give up on my dreams. Mr. Rotrekl has shown me what it truly means to try your hardest and believe in myself and others around me. I consider him a necessary piece of the puzzle of theatre and I could not imagine our program without him.”
Mr. Rotrekl on the bus with the Reavis High School IHSA Group Interpretation team.