Spotlight Community Theatre has two holiday productions coming up this month.
First will be “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at One Assembly Church, 561 St. Joseph St., in Herculaneum.
Tickets cost $15 and are available for purchase at spotlightjeffco.ludus.com.
Courtney Wisely, Spotlight’s founder and executive director, said seating is limited for the shows.
“There are about 100 seats,” she said.
The second production will be the troupe’s “Holiday Showcase,” a variety show set for 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14-15, at Radiant Life Church, 11533 Gamel Cemetery Road, in Festus.
Tickets are $10 and are available for purchase at spotlightjeffco.ludus.com. “Holiday Showcase” performances will take place in the Youth Annex behind the church with seating for about 200, Wisely said.
Both productions are appropriate for people of all ages, Wisely said.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” is set in the 1940s and tells a story about a man who considers throwing his life away before a would-be angel teaches him the value of life.
Samantah Roberson and Lucky Perry, both of Festus, direct the production.
“‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is a classic Christmas story ingrained in the holiday traditions of so many people,” Roberson said. “Getting the opportunity to see it as a live radio play only heightens the sense of nostalgia and gives the audience the opportunity to see amazing acting skills.”
Perry said the show sets the mood for the Christmas season.
“(‘It’s a Wonderful Life’) is one of those timeless stories that is wonderful for the whole family to come enjoy in this holiday season,” he said.
Attendees will feel like they are in the middle of a radio production, Wisely said.
“It’s like you’re watching a radio show performance,” she said.
The cast includes Chloe Schackmann, Leslie Hoff and Zane Moore of Festus; Chris Vancil of Hillsboro; Alex Vancil of University City; and Jennifer Baker and Brian Womack of Pevely.
‘Holiday Showcase’
Wisely, who will direct the theater troupe’s “Holiday Showcase,” said the production will feature holiday-themed singing, dancing and skits in a variety show format, she said.
“This showcase includes performances by the most talented folks in our area and will highlight all the holiday favorites,” Wisely said. “We will also have multiple vocal and dance performance throughout our program for all ages to enjoy.”
The cast includes Samantha Roberson, June Pinkley, Phoenix Vernaci, Kailynne Brooke, Emma Ali, Noelle Donathan, Stella Drury, Taylor Swain, Savannah Swain, Alex Perry, Amy Perry, Landon Sandford, Maci Mueller, Teuila Adam, Hazel James, Suzanne Seek, Mackenzie Fieweger, Bill Seek and Wisely, all from Festus; Brandon Dougherty, Matthew Crow, Maxwell Crow, O Silva-Noah and Mary Jo Bacon from Crystal City; Vivienne Hilligoss, Elisabeth Pierce, Meghan Brown, Angee Ferris and Brian Ferris of Hillsboro; Linda Potter and Tyler Potter of De Soto; Destiny Bauer of Herculaneum; Myah Meyer, Kyley Gartner and Anna Fischer of Barnhart; Liam Maya of Imperial; and Eric Haynes of Arnold.
“With a mixture of comedy, charm and sentimental moments, it’s such a beautiful display of our community,” Wisely said of the production.
Spotlight Community Theatre, a nonprofit organization Wisely founded in 2022, is based in Festus but has members from around the county and beyond.
For more information about the group or its productions, visit Spotlight Community Theatre – Jeffco on Facebook or the organization’s website at spotlightjeffco.org.