Footlighters celebrate nearly three decades of student-led musical theater at CWRU
Homecoming reunion will honor group's legacy of creativity and connection
For generations of Case Western Reserve University students, Footlighters has been more than a musical theater group—it has been a creative home, a community and a shared passion that continues long after graduation.
That enduring bond will bring alumni and current members together this fall for a Footlighters reunion on Saturday, Oct. 10, during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend.
Founded in 1998, Footlighters was created as a student-run musical theater group and has continuously grown into one of the university’s largest student organizations. For Jeffery Verespej (CWR ‘07, MGT ‘11), who became involved as a freshman in 2003, the group offered something meaningful beyond coursework and career preparation.
“I think for many, getting involved with Footlighters was a way to pursue joy outside of career and academic paths,” Verespej said. “Few participants were music or theatre majors. Most were engineers or pre-meds and nursing—but like how the theater has a history of bringing people together, Footlighters has done the same thing on campus.”
Attend the Footlighters reunion: Saturday, Oct. 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. in Eldred Hall, as part of Homecoming and Reunion Weekend.
Originally based in Harkness Chapel, the group later moved to Carlton Commons, then Thwing Center and now Eldred Hall—a progression that mirrors Footlighters’ own evolution from a modest campus arts outlet into a prominent creative force at CWRU. Its first production was A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and over the years, it has staged shows ranging from Chicago, Legally Blonde and Sweeney Todd to Heathers, Spring Awakening and Evil Dead: The Musical.
Today, Footlighters remains dedicated to bringing the arts to campus and giving students a place to explore creativity outside the classroom. Under the University Media Board, the group produces one fully student-run musical each semester, with students taking the lead in every aspect of production: directing, choreographing, performing, building sets, managing technical elements and playing in the pit orchestra.
Verespej, who has helped organize the reunion, said the group’s legacy is rooted not only in its productions, but in the community it has created.
“Most alumni I know who participated smile when talking about being involved with Footlighters,” he said. “That joy is worth celebrating—and so are the students who are doing this nearly 30 years later at such a higher level than anyone dreamt before.”
The reunion will include a tour of Eldred Hall and a small mixer—an opportunity to revisit old memories, reconnect with fellow Footlighters and celebrate 28 years of student creativity at CWRU.
