Spotlight Fact Page

  1. Spotlight Acting School is a private performing arts school for students ages 4 to 18.
  2. Most students and families seeking to join Spotlight with limited resources choose to work as volunteers to help the organization.
  3. Spotlight Acting School operates a Not-For-Profit company, Spotlight Performing Arts, Inc. a registered 501c3.
  4. Spotlight Acting School maintains a goal of never seeing a student turned away due to an inability to pay tuition.
  5. Chad and Letha Hembree are the owners of Spotlight Acting School.
  6. Chad Hembree is the Executive Director of Spotlight Acting School.
  7. Chad Hembree is the Executive Director of Spotlight Performing Art, Inc.
  8. Chad Hembree is the Executive Director of The Spotlight Playhouse.
  9. Spotlight Performing Arts, Inc. has a board of directors. Anyone interested in serving on the board should contact Executive Director Chad Hembree
  10. The Spotlight Playhouse is located at 214 Richmond Road in Berea, KY.
  11. Spotlight Acting School’s campus is located inside The Spotlight Playhouse.
  12. The mailing address for Spotlight Performing Arts, Inc. is
    Spotlight Performing Arts, Inc.
    C/O Hembree Haus
    510 HWY 1016
    Berea, KY 40403  
  13. The mailing address for Spotlight Acting School, LLC. is
    Spotlight Acting School, LLC.
    C/O Hembree Haus
    510 HWY 1016
    Berea, KY 40403  
  14. The mailing address for The Spotlight Playhouse is
    The Spotlight Playhouse
    C/O Hembree Haus
    510 HWY 1016
    Berea, KY 40403  
  15. Kathie JR Bettler Founded the Spotlight Acting School in 2004.
  16. Kathie JR Bettler died in 2013 while directing Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Kids with Musical Director Letha Hembree.
  17. Letha and Chad Hembree took over Spotlight Acting School in 2013 and incorporated Spotlight Acting School, LLC. in 2014.
  18. The first season of Spotlight started in the Spring of 2004. Now seasons run from the Fall (August) to the Early Summer (June). The 2023/2024 season is Spotlight’s 20th season.
  19. Spotlight Acting School produces over 100 student performances each year. 
  20. The Spotlight Playhouse produces over 200 performances each year.
  21. The Bluegrass Players are a community acting troupe partially funded by The Spotlight Playhouse, Spotlight Acting School, Spotlight Performing Arts, and Hembree Haus (Chad and Letha Hembree).
  22. Chad Hembree is the Executive Director of The Bluegrass Players.
  23. The Bluegrass Players auditions are open and competitive. Each audition will have specific requirements for participation.
  24. There is no cost to join The Bluegrass Players.
  25. Base tuition to Spotlight Acting School is $85 per month.
  26. Sibling discounts are available for tuition.
  27. Financial assistance is available for Spotlight Acting School.
  28. No student is turned away from Spotlight Acting School. Every student who auditions for Spotlight Acting School is cast.
  29. Hembree Haus is the home office for The Spotlight Playhouse, Spotlight Acting School, and Spotlight Performing Arts.
  30. The Spotlight Playhouse has 13,000 square feet of performance space.
  31. The Spotlight Playhouse has two theaters. The “Theatre” can seat 149. The “Hall” can seat 106.
  32. The Spotlight Playhouse has a dance studio with a wooden floor and a mirrored wall. 
  33. Ticket prices for non-dinner shows start at $13 for Adults, $11 for Seniors (65+), $9 for Students.
  34. The Spotlight Playhouse has “Pay What You Can” performances on most Fridays.
  35. “Pay What You Can” tickets are available 2 hours before the show starts and are available online or at the Box Office. 
  36. The website for the Spotlight Acting School is https://www.spotlightactingschool.com
  37. The website for The Spotlight Playhouse is https://www.thespotlightplayhouse.com
  38. Tickets may be purchased at the Spotlight Playhouse website. This includes the Spotlight Acting School and The Bluegrass Players shows.
  39. Ticket purchases are non-refundable.
  40. Parent Pass Discounts are automatically applied to ticket purchases for three or more performances. Be sure to add three or more performances to your online shopping cart to trigger the automatic discount.
  41. Spotlight Acting School students learn through production.
  42. Spotlight Acting School teaches self-confidence, focus, acting, singing, dancing, public speaking, leadership, and memory skills.
  43. Spotlight Acting School students typically score higher on standardized tests. We think this is due to increased focus and memory skills.
  44. Spotlight Acting School has students working in nearly every performing arts sector. Former students hold positions as actors, private studio acting/music/dance coaches, public school drama and music teachers, composers, musicians, directors, and producers. Spotlight Acting School students have won national competitions, numerous pageants, millions in college scholarships, and have been featured on several television shows including Americal Idol.
  45.  Chad Hembree goes by Mr. Chad. This name was given to him by the 4 to 11-year-olds in 2014 and has stuck. 
  46. Mr. Chad loves technology just as much as performing. Mr. Chad’s family owned a computer company in the 1990s and he grew up with access to all the latest in tech. Mr. Chad is a Certified Network Engineer and an A+ Computer Tech. 
  47. Mr. Chad was the host of Tech Talk for 18 years. Tech Talk was a nationally syndicated radio show that talked about the use of modern technology in all aspects of life. At its height and before the internet was popular, Tech Talk was heard on over 100 radio stations each Saturday. TechTalk’s last show was in 2010 and by that time had become a podcast. Mr. Chad was not an initial fan of podcasting and preferred live radio and immediate audience feedback.
  48. Mr. Chad has been involved in some capacity with Spotlight Acting School since it was started by his dear friend and mentor, Kathie JR Bettler.
  49. Mr. Chad studied Performance at Berea College.
  50. Letha Hembree or Miss Hembree as the students call her is the Music Director and CFO of Spotlight.
  51. Miss Hembree is an accomplished performer and clinician. Miss Hembree has been a distinguished member of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR), the American Guild of Organists (AGO),  the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and its local affiliate the Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA).
  52. Spotlight Acting School is a member of The Berea Chamber of Commerce, The Berea Arts Council, the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT), and the Kentucky Theater Association (KTA).
  53. The Spotlight Playhouse is supported in part by The Berea Tourism Commission and The Kentucky Department of Tourism.
  54. Spotlight Acting School took a group cruise in 2023 to Honduras, Belize, and Mexico. A 2024 cruise is being planned and will be open to all Spotlight students, families, patrons, and fans.
  55. Spotlight always needs volunteers. To learn more contact Mr. Chad.
  56. Mr. Chad’s email is [email protected]
  57. The Box Office contact information for The Spotlight Playhouse is
    Phone: 859-756-0011
    Website: https://www.thespotlightplayhouse.com
    Email: [email protected]