About 550 people turned out last weekend for Spotlight Community Theatre-JeffCo’s first large-scale production, said Courtney Wisely, the theater company’s founder.
The group performed the musical comedy, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in Jefferson College’s 300-seat Fine Arts Theatre in Hillsboro.
Wisely said the audience grew throughout the weekend, with 130 attending on Aug. 12, 150 on Aug. 13 and 270 on Aug. 14.
“It was amazing,” she said. “The house was pretty well packed for Sunday’s performance. The cast deserved that because they were phenomenal.”
The group, which mainly is made up of Jefferson County residents, had its first public performance in May on the outdoor stage at Sunset Park in Festus. That production featured three one-act plays and no admission was charged.
Wisely said the group stepped up its game for the production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”
“The level of professionalism and creativity from this cast and crew was phenomenal,” she said. “It was professional-level theater. They all came together and made magic happen.”
Wisely said she was particularly thrilled with the reaction that Dan Hewitt, 69, of Festus received for his portrayal of Erronius, a befuddled, old man who spends most of the play bemoaning the fact that pirates kidnapped his two children 20 years ago.
“Every time he was on stage, the crowd went wild,” Wisely said. “He had never been in a musical before, and it was amazing to see.”
The group has plans in the works for an acting troupe showcase and a murder-mystery dinner, both expected to be held this fall, Wisely said.
The group will hold a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, at its office at 108 Walnut St. in Festus to discuss fall plans.
For more information, go to the theater company’s Facebook page.