BEREA, Ky. — When The Spotlight Playhouse stages Shakespeare this spring and summer, it is not just because his work is a benchmark for actors. It is because inside this particular theater, Shakespeare is quite literally considered family.
In the Spotlight lobby sits a bust of the Bard that staff and regulars affectionately call “Grandpa Bill.” It is part welcome, part running joke, and—according to family research—part biological fact.
👨👩👧👦 The Family Link
The connection is more than just a love for the stage. According to recorded ancestor research completed by family historian Brenda Moss (mother of Music Director Letha Hembree) through the Williams side of her family, Executive Director Dr. Chad Hembree (Mr. Chad) and Letha Hembree share a lineage that traces back to William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway.
So when “Grandpa Bill” greets you in the lobby, he isn’t just a mascot for the English playwright; he’s a nod to the family tree.
📝 The “Modern Bard” Comparison
The family connection also draws a parallel to how the theater is run today. In the Spotlight community, Mr. Chad is sometimes compared to Shakespeare in a functional sense—not just as a writer, but as a working theater maker.
History often forgets that Shakespeare wasn’t just a poet in an ivory tower; he was an actor, a shareholder, and a manager who had to keep a company running. Similarly, Mr. Chad has written more than 50 plays, works full-time in the theater, directs productions, and manages a massive pool of performers. It is a “Shakespearean” workload: building a life around making theater happen, year after year, for a local audience.
👦 The Next Generation: Keeping the Trade Alive
The “family business” is already extending to the next generation. The Hembrees’ son, Mason Hembree, is currently studying Performing Arts at Bellarmine University in Louisville, ensuring the tradition continues. He isn’t just attending; he is working the craft, recently earning a spot on the Spring 2025 Dean’s List and delivering a phenomenal performance at his Junior Recital on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
🔄 A Season Where the Story Comes Full Circle
With The Taming of the Shrew (Teen Cast) opening in March and Macbeth (Community Cast) set for June, this is a season where Shakespeare is not just a name on a poster. He is a conversation piece in the lobby, a model for the theater’s work ethic, and a thread in the Hembree family history.