A TREASURE TO BEHOLD
Project Limelight is a theatre program that pairs kids in the Downtown Eastside with theatre professionals. Each year, students, staff and volunteers put on a show to raise funds for the program.
This year, Project Limelight presents Off the Hook, a panto version of the Peter Pan story. We talked to Maureen Webb, co-founder of the five-year-old program, about introducing theatre to young people and what to expect from this year’s show: Q Besides running Project Limelight, you’re also a casting director. How does this affect Limelight?
A We’re clear that it’s a free theatre program for kids that live in the Downtown Eastside and surrounding areas. It’s much different from the film and TV business because there are no auditions. It’s not about becoming an actor professionally. But, because of the nature of Limelight, a lot of kids interested in performing may want to go on and do other things. A few kids have gone on to pursue this professionally, usually against my better judgment.
Quite often our volunteers come from the world of movies and TV, and a lot of our supporters do. We definitely have some great volunteers that work with us, actors and directors and choreographers. Me having a toe in the industry helps people hear about Limelight, and once they discover it they’re very enthusiastic about supporting it.
This season we have Elysia Rotaru, who was on Arrow, and Stephanie Bennett, who is in a series (21 Thunder) coming out on CBC. We have a lot of actors who come out twice a week just to hang out with the kids and work on what they need to work on. Q It seems like a lot of work goes into each one of these productions. Is that the case?
A It’s huge. It takes about 35-40 volunteers. For the show on June 11, we do two performances in one day, and the goal is to sell it out. It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year. And we give out tickets to the community as well, for people who may not be able to afford to take their children to theatre. Q What can you tell us about the show?
A It’s silly, there’s songs, there’s dancing, we try to write jokes adults will get on a level different than the kids. We even infuse a little fun political humour.
When you inspire kids and try to boost their self-confidence, it’s amazing the things they can do. When they come in at first a lot of them are really shy and not sure they can go onstage. By the time of the show, they’re onstage in front of 300 or 400 people per show, and they’re doing it. It’s almost like confidence is contagious.
When they walk into their first workshop, with the other 24 kids, the other kid is dying to show what they can do. So there’s not really an option to be self-conscious or shy.