P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525
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P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525 |
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Frank C. Oberhausen, Jr. - Highlands Little Theatre's Mr. Showbiz By: Roy Riedy |
Since April 11, 1974, when Frank Oberhausen's picture appeared dancing at a HLT fund raising sock hop that was captioned "Twinkle Toes" in the then Sebring News, Mr. Oberhausen's name has been synonymous with Highlands Little Theatre. His name was first mentioned at HLT in the program of Night Watch, the third play put on by the fledgling group in March, 1975, as the play's light designer. Since that date, he has been credited with lighting 80 other plays done by the acting group and 18 of which have won Zenons for his skillful illumination.
To date, Mr. Oberhausen has been associated with 137 of the 151 plays put on by Highlands Little Theatre which is now well into its thirty-third year of existence. Out of the 29 plays he directed, seven of them have been given Zenons for the Best Show of the Season. They include Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, and The King and I, all three which have won twice, and the historical musical 1776.
He has also shown that he can perform on stage as well by acting in 23 parts, four of which were awarded Zenons for their excellence: The roles of Sakini in The Teahouse of the August Moon, and the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz won him Best Actor Awards for the Season, and the role of Hysterium in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum won him Best Supporting Actor, twice!
Another skill that Frank has perfected is Stage Design. Over the decades he has been responsible for 71 set designs at the Lakeside Playhouse and 12 of them have received Zenons for the Best Designs of the Season; the merry-go-round in the musical Carousel and the precise reproduction of Independence Hall in 1776 come to mind immediately.
In 1999 Mr. Oberhausen received a Board Service Zenon for his overwhelming contribution to the Gourmet Division of HLT that he established in 1979 when the organization presented Neil Simon's Plaza Suite and its first dinner theatre program at the Sebring Elks Club. Over the years there accumulated 85 references to Frank's association with the Gourmet Division in the programs of HLT's playbills. Mr. Oberhausen was recognized for his stagecraft by a Production/Technical Zenon that he and Larry Wollangk received for their Construction Coordination in the 2004 presentation of Jesus Christ, Superstar.
Mr. Oberhausen has also been the recepient of two Gracie Awards in appreciation of his generous volunteering spirit. By the end of the 21st Season, 176 members of HLT had been awarded 505 Zenons for their outstanding theatrical contributions, Mr. Oberhausen heads this list by having received 51 of those awards, roughly 10%.
Other well deserved honors accorded him include The Janelou Buck Significant Achievement Award presented to Mr. Oberhausen in 1988, and the exclusive recognition of Life Membership, the highest honor given by Highlands Little Theatre.
The latest recognition of the crucial and productive role played by Mr. Oberhausen in his ongoing promotion of theatre in Highlands County is the dedication of the second volume of The History of Highlands Little Theatre, the dedication speaks for itself:
Volume Two, A Short History of Highlands Little Theatre, The Early Years (1985-1995) is dedicated to Frank C. Oberhausen, Jr.in recognition of his untiring quest to realize the enviable physical and aesthetic edifice that is known as Highlands Little Theatre. Since the birth of the organization, Mr. Oberhausen has never wavered in his enthusiasm to supply ideas, energy and time to make theater in Highlands County a marvel of cultural significance and enjoyment.
