Midsummer's Night Fantasy Lewis gala celebrates the arts

Fantastical trees lined the walk leading up to the 21st annual Lewis University Arts Gala on March 8.

As guests left the Philip Lynch Theatre, where each Arts Gala started, they were met by branches dripping in crystals as they walked to the campus dining hall. This was a last-minute maneuver to properly introduce 180 guests to "A Midsummer Night's Fantasy."

The Lewis Arts Gala is all about art and this commitment to art is strongly portrayed by the decorations.

A hardy crew captained by Mohra Gavankar spent spring break week at the university's student and faculty dining halls transforming the everyday into the fabulous with a lot of cardboard, fabric and imagination. Every event has elicited hearty appreciation guests, whether the theme was "Passage to India" (1994), "A Salute to Big Bands" (2002) or even this year's Midsummer evening, replete with tiny fairies,

"I love this event," said James V. Smith, a commercial real estate appraiser who has attended for at least 12 years. "There is nothing like it. My wife Jan and I look forward to it every year. It's an enjoyable, first-class event."

All decorating is done at no cost to the university. The committee buys what is needed, begs or borrows other items and even raids Gavankar's basement that's filled with box after box of décor collected through the past 21 years.

"This year's theme reflects the whimsical nature of children's theater and also reminds us of Shakespeare's marvelous comedy, which is appropriate as the Arts Gala benefits the arts," Gavankar said.

All the money raised (nearly $500,000 so far) goes to fund a special outreach at Lewis.

"The funds benefit the Arts and Ideas Series at Lewis University, which presents plays, concerts, performing companies, lectures, music and more throughout the year both for Lewis students and the community," said long-time Lewis employee Carol Wassberg, also a committee member. Each Arts and Ideas Series event is either free or charges a small admission for such things as touring groups.

"By focusing on the arts, Lewis University promotes the development of the complete person - a key element of our Catholic and LaSallian mission," said Brother James Gaffney, president of the university.

The Arts Gala committee does more than decorate two rooms each year.

The 24-member Cultural Advisory Board meets throughout the year to plan all aspects of the gala, from selecting the dinner menu to hiring the entertainment, finding raffle and auction prizes and selling the tickets.

This year Nova Soul and Paula Camp Schorp, a Lewis alum, entertained, and then talented Lewis theater majors performed a medley of Broadway musicals.

"This board is an amazing group of volunteers who are extraordinary in their support of the arts," Wassberg said.

Serving longest on the committee with Gavankar, Brother James Gaffney (honorary chair) and Wassberg are professor emeritus Chet Kondratowicz, Sue Turk, Elaine Ruettiger, Kim Roolf, Jean Hatzis, Sherri Reardon, Lynne Lichtenauer and Lorin Lynch. Other members include Joy Alexander, Barb Eberhard, Brian Giegerich, Barbara Gutierrez, Rita Matichak, Susan Perry Peyla, Sandy Prodehl, Joan Rogers, Rosemary Stephen, Renee Tonelli, Karen Tyler, Michele Vana, Keith White and Mary Jane Whiteside.

In addition to planning, the group selects a recipient of the St. Genesius Award, named after the patron saint of actors. Each year the Arts Gala honors a person or group who has changed the face of the arts in the Will County area.

This year the recipient was AlphaBet Soup Productions, a troupe headed by founders/honorees Mark A. Pence and Susan Holm. The troupe has presented 60 hilariously modified children's classics to more than 500,000 people for more than 20 years.