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Footlighters look back at 10 years

‘‘Moon Over Buffalo’’ is one play that stands out for some members.

Staf photo by Richard O Jones The production of "Moon Over Buffalo" is one that stands out among Fairfield Footlighters' performers. In this file photo, Kevin Noll as Howard, and Michael Watson as George Hay are shown rehearsing for Fairfield Footlighters’ “Moon Over Buffalo.”

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By Eric Robinette, Staff Writer 6:48 PM Saturday, February 11, 2012

FAIRFIELD — Now that the Fairfield Footlighters have turned 10, they have gained a foothold in the community — and only wish that more people knew about them.

The group got together in 2001 when Sterling Uhler and Ray Sullivan approached City Council about putting on a Civil War play they had written called “Duty.”

They needed a venue to present the play, said Jim Davis, one of the founding members of the company, who remains involved today.

“We performed it at the Village Green amphitheater, and it just kind of snowballed from there,” Davis said.

When the Community Arts Center opened in 2005, the group started performing shows there. The first, “The Nerd” was presented as a gift to the city, with free admission.

Since then, the Fairfield Footlighters have performed about four or five shows a year, with their newest production being a female edition of “The Odd Couple,” which opens Feb. 17 at the center.

Heidi Schiller, a member of the cast, is the manager of the center and a regular member of the Footlighters, having appeared in or directed several shows.

“I think the show that stands out most in my mind is ‘Moon Over Buffalo.’ We had a revolving set that was built up a foot higher off the stage. Seeing that monstrous set on our very intimate stage was quite something,” Schiller said.

Yet for all the group’s success, Davis is still surprised to find that a lot of people don’t know about the Footlighters.

When the group appeared at a recent chamber expo, a number of people asked “Where are you located?”

“Like most theaters, we’ve had some good and some not so good years ... attendance goes down because of the economy and people stay at home and watch the tube,” Davis said.

Still, the Fairfield Footlighters keep going and are always looking for new people. Dana Berry, the president of the company, said group strives to maintain a reputation of being “open” so that the same faces don’t always appear in every show.

“They have an amazing talent pool to draw from. It’s incredibly open and friendly for anyone who wants to roll their sleeves up and get busy,” she said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5073 or eric.robinette@coxinc.com.

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