Brian Fauth was directing musicals at Sandwich High School in Sandwich, Ill., and teaching in School District 308 when an Oswegoland Park District employee approached him to create a theater company in the spring of 2000. Together with students and faculty from Sandwich, Fauth created the Limelight Theatre Company in Oswego. Since Limelight’s inception, the organization has maintained a solid relationship with Community Unit School District 308.
“Most of our company was pretty young, and so I wanted to emphasize teaching first, theater second,” Fauth said. “I tried, in many ways, to get everyone to think of Limelight as a family, as a place where you could come and be accepted right away.”
Fauth believes the feeling of family attracts students to Limelight.
“They see their older brothers and sisters coming home from rehearsal, excited about this or that, and that is hopefully contagious,” he said. “There are plenty of parents who have caught the theater bug as well and who went on to become set designers, painters, costume coordinators, and even performers themselves.”
Once students become involved, they begin to recognize and develop their talents. Ryan Adorjan, a 2010 graduate of Oswego High School, and a member of Limelight from 2001-10, said Limelight helped him realize his talent for being in front of others, ultimately helping him decide to enter the seminary.
“We come together to work and create something beautiful, something totally beyond us, and at the end of the day, your biggest fans are the ones performing right alongside you,” Adorjan said.
Limelight is more than just acting. Another district alumnus, Artistic Director Cori Ververka, said that opportunities exist within the company for students with a wide range of interests.
“We try to carry on the tradition of having opportunities for actors, writers, designers, and people who are interested in the tech aspect of theater, and really make sure it is an educational process,” Ververka said. “It is not just about one thing. You could be a great actor, you could be a musician, you could be a cool technician, or you could be somebody who is really organized—all of these talents and more have a place in theater.”
Limelight will continue its fall season of radio plays Sept. 13, with “Meet John Doe” at the Little White School Museum in downtown Oswego.
The fall play, written and directed by district alumni, “Turning Thirteen” is 7 p.m. Oct. 2 and 3 at Traughber Junior High School. For more information on Limelight and their upcoming shows, please visit www.limelighttheatrecompany.org.
Source: Oswego High School
