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Scott Lynch THEATER scene Scott Lynch has been involved in local community theater for over 10 years and has performed with SVCT & Limelight. He lives in Gil- roy, attended Gilroy schools, and graduated from Stanford University with BS and MS degrees in Industrial Engineering. He is currently the president of South Valley Civic Theatre. Limelight Actors Theater SHARING THE LIMELIGHT There has been a wonderful light in Gilroy for almost a decade—ema- nating from a small building at the southern tip of downtown—a lime- light for actors and a beacon for theater-goers from far and wide. I n spite of the theater’s success, Limelight Actors Theater owners Kevin Heath and Alan Obata recently announced their intention to close the intimate venue. Located at Seventh and Monterey Streets, within Gilroy’s Center for the Arts, this special jewel has, since its inception, delighted audiences with drama, comedy, and even a couple of musical revues. Hopefully, you caught one of the performances of their last show, Hallelujah Girls, which ran the month of November. Limelight has been a featured attraction at the Arts Center, but originally it was more of a means to an end. In 2011, with Kevin Heath serving as an Arts Alliance Board member, the Board’s brainstorming resulted in the proposal for a theater as a way to draw a larger audience to the newly-opened Gilroy Center for the Arts. Founded and run by Kevin and Alan, Limelight has successfully provided entertain- 74 ment to its patrons while giving greater exposure to the beautiful art being created within our community. Their first production, The Outrageous Adventures of Sheldon and Mrs. Levine, opened in January 2011 and was followed by a combination of dramas, boutique musicals, and more comedies. Over the years, Kevin and Alan found three elements to be key to their success: presenting a mixture of shows that included audience favorites as well as works new to South County residents, hand-picking actors from the pool of local talent, and carefully selecting scripts and directors. Patrons found the intimate, cabaret-style venue with the bring-your-own dinner-and- wine option an enjoyable aspect. Of course, the personal greeting by Kevin and Alan when patrons walked through the door was simply icing on the cake. Audience reactions and return visits by patrons have been highlights for Kevin and Alan, along with working GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN WINTER 2020 with some of the strongest actors in South County and San Jose. Among their favorite shows have been The Outgoing Tide, Other Desert Cities, Always…Patsy Cline, The Velocity of Autumn and The 39 Steps. So after nine seasons marked by consistently sold-out shows, why close the doors? Kevin said: “We always said we would know when the time was right to exit while we were on top. We talked about closing at the end of 2020 (we even planned the season), but the universe has a way of telling you when it is time. A number of positive things lined up in our family and we realized the time was now. So, like the TV show Seinfeld, we chose to end on top, at the end of season nine, while ticket sales are strong and audiences are loving what we do.” According to Kevin, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing since they first made their announcement. People have called and shown up at their home to wish gmhtoday.com