CEPA program shining brightly throughout county
Story by Eryn Ellard
Submitted Photos
When Spotlight took center stage five years ago at Pell City Center for Education and Performing Arts, it was simply an idea to nurture and grow love of theatre – in all its forms – among young people. Today, it is as its name implies – illuminating.
It casts its light on acting, set design, writing, podcasts, short film, directing, sound, lights, music and all that goes into a production as part of Spotlight’s successful script.
In addition to CEPA’s community theatre troupe, younger versions are now flourishing through Spotlight Clubs at Pell City, St. Clair County, Moody and Victory Christian high schools. A kids drama program has evolved, and the awards ceremony for all of it held each year is now an event tantamount to the Oscars.
Born in 2015 in a collaboration with Jefferson State Community College, the CEPA program was gaining popularity for those interested in performing arts but was shuttered as a result of the COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020.
Shelby Duke, Spotlight program coordinator, said that the program had to get creative in order to keep the program’s momentum moving forward. “In 2020, when the pandemic hit, we began using digital means to keep people involved in Spotlight since we could not be in the theatre for a few months,” Duke said.
In September of 2020, Duke said, the program began cultivating a digital media platform and expanding into a podcast in Spotlight Studio called The Black Box. “In October of 2020, we released our first podcast and asked our clubs to write podcasts as well,” Duke noted. “We had several podcast scripts submitted, and we made a season out of it.”
Spotlight Studio is also a place where people can find videos of the various clubs involved with the program, short films and other projects within it. Building on its successes, the program is in the midst of transforming another podcast into a short film.
Perhaps one of the most creative outlets within the program, The Black Box Podcast, is a dramatic audio theatre experience where club members write their own scripts for the podcast and record them. Subjects last year included a wide variety of subjects from comedy pieces about Christmas to more serious subject matters.
Miss Christmas Business developed by the St. Clair County High School club debuted at the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham in 2021.
“We are planning on releasing a podcast this month, Project SEM;COLON written by Pell City High School student Anna Claire Hawthorn. Project SEM;COLON is a podcast and future short film that shines light on suicide awareness,” Duke said. “Anna Claire and other PCHS students have worked so hard on this project, and I am extremely proud of them.”
A catalyst for all, regardless of age and performing arts experience, “this program brings people together who have an interest in theatre,” Duke said. “It has become a community of people who share that love or want to see what things are all about. It is open to anyone who wants to give theatre a try – on and off the stage.”
In addition to the program’s new digital platforms, Spotlight is still home to plays and musicals upon which it built its reputation. It also hosts a Summer Drama Camp for Spotlight Kids Club.
Now in its fifth year, Spotlight annually shines the light on its own through the Spotlight Awards, a way to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of the program and its members over the year. “We have categories for everything from actors awards to the best in crew awards,” Duke said. “It is also a way for us to get donations that go to the Spotlight program as well. We have food and entertainment to continue to build the Spotlight Award community and celebrate our wonderful talent.”
Another face also joined the Spotlight team this year, Nicholas Fason, who will be serving as Spotlight Studio coordinator and will be overseeing digital productions like podcasts and Spotlight Films.
“I am very excited to be stepping into the Studio coordinator role,” Fason said. “I am very passionate about giving students and community members every opportunity to express themselves.”
Fason will be coordinating between students and community members. “I am honored to be given this opportunity to make sure that we can execute the vision of the students and their creative endeavors,” Fason said.
The potential for the future is not lost on CEPA Executive Director Jeff Thompson, who along with Jefferson State’s Leslie Warren and Nicholas Kin, founded the program five years ago and carefully laid the groundwork.
In an impassioned speech at the Spotlight Awards Ceremony, Thompson discarded his notes, stepped from behind the podium and delivered a dramatic rallying cry for the program.
Five years ago, he said, he, Warren and Kin “had an idea that there would be enough of you out here to show this community that theatre was important, to keep this thing running, to keep more people coming through these doors year after year, doing play after play, growing exponentially, making people realize your art is important. And you’ve done it for five years, letting this community know that what you love is important,” he told the capacity audience of young people.
“And that’s what I love. I love that you love it. I love that you want to do it. I love that it matters to you. I love it that you chose it. I love it when you try hard and succeed, and I love it when you try hard and don’t. I love you, and I appreciate you.”
For five years, he said, “you’ve shown me, you’ve shown this board, you’ve shown everybody in here that we matter, and that’s what I want you to know tonight is that you matter. The things that you love matter. Keep doing them. Keep trying. Keep working. Be better every year. Happy five years, St. Clair County!”
