Limelight Theater Reopens in Morgan Hill
By Elizabeth Mandel
Limelight Theatre first opened 11 years ago in the Gilroy Center for the Arts, establishing itself as a venue for small, artistic theatrical productions. South Valley Civic Theatre( SVCT), resident theater company of the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse, purchased Limelight in 2020 as a second performance venue, reimagining Limelight’ s performance space in innovative ways. SVCT lost its Gilroy lease a year ago but is now delighted to announce that they will be reopening Limelight in a new theater space in Morgan Hill. As with the previous Gilroy location, Limelight will offer small plays in an intimate space and encourages patrons to bring( or order in) their own dinner. It will also offer concessions and a full bar, as well as the opportunity for supporters to mingle in a cozy, welcoming space with friends and to-be-friends before the show.
Emily Shem-Tov, Limelight Managing Director observed,“ There’ s something truly special about a space like ours, where you’ re just a few feet from the actors and can feel the energy and emotion of the performance. It’ s a perfect setting to bring a group of friends and share in a memorable, one-of-a-kind theater experience. SVCT intends to offer two plays a year at this new Limelight Theater, located at 16300 Condit Road, Morgan Hill. This will be in addition to the five shows( one play and four musicals) presented annually at the larger Morgan Hill Community Playhouse.
Andrew Cummings, designer of Limelight’ s innovative and creative sets and director of several past Limelight productions, said,“ A typical theater space can really restrict the kinds of performances an audience might experience. This new venue offers the magic of a blank slate, where the creative team has full reign within these four walls to imagine endless possibilities. What a thrilling, luxurious prospect: we can deliver up a regular theater auditorium, an underground speakeasy, a mysterious maze, or any other creative configuration that allows a play to blossom in the up-close-and-personal style Limelight audiences love.”
stage since she was a teen performer( Zaneeta Shinnin in The Music Man). Audiences may particularly remember Griffin in Guys and Dolls( Sarah Brown) or The 1940’ s Radio Hour( Ginger Brooks).
SVCT is also delighted to welcome Robert Sean Campbell back to the Limelight stage, where he was previously seen in Becky’ s New Car. Campbell is a graduate of The London Academy of Musical and Dramatic Art( LAMDA) and received his BA in Theatre Arts from Santa Clara University. He has received numerous awards and recognition in live performance and film.
Shem-Tov urges the community to come enjoy the Limelight experience.“ Theater at Limelight is all about connection, and our unique space allows audiences to feel every moment up close. This close-knit setting brings people together, letting them share in the powerful emotions of live storytelling.”
Megan Griffin and Robert Sean Campbell star in the newly relocated Limelight Theater ' s inaguaral play " Dear Jack, Dear Louise " beginning Jan 17, 2025.( below) Artist rendering of the new Limelight Theater on Condit Road in Morgan Hill.
Tickets are now available for the Limelight Theater’ s inaugural show, opening January 17 and running for three weeks at their new location. Dear Jack, Dear Louise is a delightful romantic comedy, following the written correspondence between a US Army Captain and an aspiring actress and dancer during World War II. For details and tickets, go to https:// www. svct. org / 2025 _ dearjack /.
Megan Griffin, one of the two actors featured in Dear Jack, Dear Louise, has been a director and a favorite on the SVCT
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