Sunday, Bloody Sunday

A bloody good conversation series presented by
Omaha Community Playhouse and UNMC in conjunction with Evil Dead: The Musical.


Sunday, February 17 – Zombie Apocalypse: Are you prepared?
Join Dr. Shawn Gibbs, associate dean for Student Affairs in the College of Public Health at UNMC, as he explores the possibility of a zombie outbreak. How do we prepare? What are the rules from the Center for Disease Control that apply?

Dr. Gibbs received his B. S. in Biology from Ohio State University, followed by an M. S. in Environmental Science from University of Cincinnati and an M. B. A. in Agribusiness from University of Nebraska –Lincoln, and then received a Ph. D, in Environmental Science from the University of Cincinnati. His research area is environmental exposure assessment, including environmental microbiology. The focus is on environmental bioaerosals (bacterial, antibiotic resistant bacteria, fungal, viral) from both the indoor and ambient environments. Dr. Gibbs has previously done work and has ongoing projects in a wide range of environmental health topics from decontamination, pesticide exposure, pregnancy outcomes and health disparities.

Sunday, March 3 – Zombie-ism: It’s infectious!
Shawn Gibbs, Ph.D., associate dean for Student Affairs in the College of Public Health, discusses different types of infection and how they spread. Could a zombie outbreak occur? How fast would it spread? Can zombie-ism be contained?

Dr. Gibbs received his B. S. in Biology from Ohio State University, followed by an M. S. in Environmental Science from University of Cincinnati and an M. B. A. in Agribusiness from University of Nebraska –Lincoln, and then received a Ph. D, in Environmental Science from the University of Cincinnati. His research area is environmental exposure assessment, including environmental microbiology. The focus is on environmental bioaerosals (bacterial, antibiotic resistant bacteria, fungal, viral) from both the indoor and ambient environments.  Dr. Gibbs has previously done work and has ongoing projects in a wide range of environmental health topics from decontamination, pesticide exposure, pregnancy outcomes and health disparities.

Sunday, March 10 – Real life zombies: They do exist!
Real life is often more shocking and horrifying than the creations of our imaginations. Dr. Michael McCaskill, assistant professor in Environmental, Agricultural and Occupational Health, will discuss the toxicology of “bath salts,” designer drugs that cause “zombie-like” behavior.
Dr. McCaskill received his B.S. from the University of Florida in 1999, a M.P.H. from the University of South Carolina in 2002, and a Ph.D. from Florida A7M in 2009. Dr. McCaskill’s research interests include toxicology, metabolic pathways, zenobiotic induced reactive oxygen species, mediated protein, hormone and vitamin dysmetabolism.

The conversations will occur after the Sunday matinees of Evil Dead: The Musical and are free to those attending that day’s performance. No reservations are necessary for the conversation.
Tickets to Evil Dead: The Musical are $40 for adults, $24 for students (K – 12 and full-time undergraduates).  This conversation series is offered free and is open to the public. For tickets, visit omahaplayhouse.com, call 402-553-0800 or visit the OCP Box Office.

UNMC staff, faculty and students can take advantage of a $25 ticket by call the director of sales at
(402) 553-4890 ext. 147.

Get Dramatic at First Stage Theatre Academy


In its 16th year, First Stage Theatre Academy will examine the world of Imagination. Participants will be challenged in this two-week camp to dive deeper into the theatrical experience. Workshops and seminars will address everything from stage combat, dance and music to writing for the stage, acting styles, mask work and audition techniques. Additionally, students will prepare for an original production performed on OCP’s Hawks Mainstage for invited family and friends. Please note there is only one session this year,  space is limited so register now! $100 dollar deposit due at time of registration.

Don’t forget we have a variety of summer camps during the month of June for our younger campers; for more information, click here.
 
To register for First Stage, click here, call (402) 553-4890, ext. 131 or email dchapman@omahaplayhouse.com.

Evil Dead: The Musical - blood, gore and more!

Everyone is buzzing about Evil Dead: The Musical, the Splatter Zone and all the fun that goes along with it. But what has the cast excited about the show? They’re just dying to tell you!

Name: Amanda Rounds
Character: Annie

Were you a fan of the movies in the Evil Dead series before auditioning for this show? My older brother and I used to watch Army of Darkness all the time.  He even had a movie poster up in his bedroom, and I think, a t-shirt.  I don’t even think I understood the plot – I just thought it was so cool that funny people came out of the ground and that guy had a chainsaw for a hand. 

Why did you want to audition for Evil Dead: The Musical? I remember how excited I was when I heard about Evil Dead: The Musical off-Broadway.  And the splatter zone sounded so cool!  When I heard the Omaha Community Playhouse was doing it, I knew it would be literally off the chainsaw

What is your favorite part about this show? It’s a tight piece with so much to catch that the audience will literally have to sit on the edges of their seats in order to eat it all up.  And for those  in the splatter zone – wow.  They’re going to be catching more than quips and punch-lines, for sure!

What is your favorite part about your character? I honestly get to have so much fun.  Every moment in every scene is basically my favorite. 
Brian Zealand as Ash and Amanda Rounds as Annie

Name: Lindsey Tierney 
Character: Linda

Why did you want to audition for Evil Dead: The Musical?
It is a musical that is full of fun and energy, and I wanted to be a part of a project like this.  Also, my friends and I love zombie movies, so I was really hoping to get cast.

What is your favorite part about your character?
Linda is this goody-goody that is quite innocent in the beginning, but when she turns to the dark side, a whole new personality takes over her, and I enjoy playing with that contrast. 

Name: Brian Zealand
Character: Ash

Did you see any of the movies in the Evil Dead series before auditioning for this show?
You bet; all three! I loved them! Evil Dead 2 is my favorite.

Why did you want to audition for Evil Dead: The Musical?
The idea of having the opportunity to kill zombies or be a zombie on stage was definitely on the actor bucket list for me!
Brian Zealand as Ash

Name: Thomas Gjere
Character: Ed

Were you a fan of the movies in the Evil Dead series before auditioning for this show? Army of Darkness was a movie I've liked since I saw it as a kid.

What is your favorite part about this show?
Is it cliche to say "the splatter zone?"

What is your favorite part about your character?
He can never get a word in edgewise. Poor guy. But it makes memorizing lines a snap!

What advice would you give someone who is coming to this show?
Join us! Ha ha, oh the puns are even getting to me. But seriously, come ready to laugh and be covered in copious amounts of gore. It'll be a good time. I promise.

Evil Dead: The Musical plays in the Howard Drew Theatre Feb. 10-March 17, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $40 for adults and $24 for students. For groups of 12 or more, tickets are $29 for adults and $18 for students. For tickets, visit omahaplayhouse.com, call 402-553-0800 or visit the OCP Box Office. Indicate whether or not you want seats in the Splatter Zone! And for more bloody, good fun, join us for the Splatter Bash on Feb. 15.

21 & Over Presents 'Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake)'



Omaha Community Playhouse's 21 & Over program presents Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake).

Monday, Feb. 18, 2013
7:30 p.m.
Omaha Community Playhouse
Free and open to the public, with an opportunity for donations. No tickets or reservations are necessary.

Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake), by Sheila Callaghan
After tragedy strikes, the only refuge for eleven-year-old Janice is in the arms of celebrity crush, Justin Timberlake. Mother isn’t much help with her increasingly frequent panic attacks and fantasies of Harrison Ford. Aunt Barbara is no help either, busy as she is with her houseful of feline companions. It seems Janice must take matters into her own hands to try to mend the chasm in their lives. Meanwhile, their dilapidated apartment is forming murderous plots of its own…
The 21 & Over productions are intended for a mature audience and discretion is advised. For more information on 21 & Over and other OCP alternative programs, contact Amy Lane, Resident Director, at alane@omahaplayhouse.com or (402) 553-4890, ext. 164.

21 & Over is sponsored by Omaha Steaks and media sponsored by Omahype.

Thank you Producing Partners!

Ticket sales alone do not cover the costs of producing the high-quality entertainment and educational opportunities for which the Omaha Community Playhouse is so well known. Generous donors help make up the difference by sponsoring productions. These Producing Partners help us bring the gift of live theatre to the Omaha community.

Please join us in recognizing the sponsors of our upcoming productions. Thank these generous donors if you see them and patronize their businesses. Their support is pivotal to the success of the Omaha Community Playhouse!

Deathtrap
Sponsored by: “Friends of the Playhouse”
Guest Director Sponsor: John A. Gentelman Mortuaries
Stage Manager Sponsor: Mr. and Mrs. Hal Daub
Set Sponsor: Anne Thorne Weaver
Media Sponsor: FOX 42/CW 15

Evil Dead, The Musical
Sponsored in part by: “Friend of the Playhouse” and Whitmore Charitable Trust
Orchestra Sponsor: Security National Bank
Multimedia Sponsor: Delinea Design

All Night Strut! A Jumpin' Jivin' Jam
Sponsored by: TD Ameritrade
Orchestra Sponsor: The Paul and Oscar Giger Foundation
Costume Sponsor: Alegent Creighton Health
Set Sponsor: Gordon and Joy Watanabe Family Charitable Trust
Media Sponsor: KETV

A Night with the Family
Sponsored by: University of Nebraska Medical Center
Stage Manager Sponsor: Renze Display
Media Sponsor: Big O 101.9

Recommended Reading for Girls
Sponsored in part by: Becky Bischof, Chippins, Kate Dodge, Dr. Kristen Engdahl Hoffman, “Friend of the Playhouse,” Candi Kirkwood, Kathy Lewis, Sandy Maass, Karen Olson, Anne Rismiller, Dianne Seeman Lozier, Carol Smith Gail Yanney
Stage Manager Sponsor: Alegent Creighton Health
Media Sponsor: Cox

Wizard of Oz
Sponsored by: Mutual of Omaha
Orchestra Sponsor: Children’s Hospital & Medical Center
Costume Sponsor: Leo A. Daly
Set Sponsor: Great Western Bank
Choreographer Sponsor: Omaha Orthopaedic Hospital
Media Sponsor: WOWT

Late Nite Catechism 3: “Til Death Do Us Part”
Sponsored by: Woodmen of the World

The Splatter Bash

Come cozy up in the splatter zone of Evil Dead: The Musical. Then enjoy drinks, bar snacks and music from 31st Productions with DJ Josh Mullady that will have your limbs flying around the room. Nothing says, “Happy Valentine’s Day” better than Evil Dead: The Musical!


Splatter Bash
Friday, February 15
Performance: 7:30 p.m.
Post Show Event: 9:30ish – 11:30 p.m.

Rising Star and Backstage Pass: $25 (includes show ticket, splatter bash and 1 drink ticket)
General: $40 (includes show ticket, splatter bash and 1 drink ticket)
Splatter Bash only: $15

For tickets call the director of sales at (402) 553-4890, ext. 147 by Wednesday, February 6.

This event is for people ages 21 and older.

Deathtrap Director is Ready for a Fight

Deathtrap may be the perfect show for Matthew Pyle’s Omaha Community Playhouse directing debut. This murder thriller is full of plot twists and turns in which every character is engaged in on-stage combat at some point during the two acts. As a fight choreographer who studied stage combat under some of the nation’s most accomplished teachers, Matthew clearly has the credentials for this directing challenge.

Prior to moving to Omaha, Matthew worked as an actor, director, fight choreographer and teacher at many schools and theatres around the country. He studied stage combat at Carnegie-Mellon University and later studied with K. Jenny Jones, the first woman Fight Master – the highest rank granted by the Society of American Fight Directors.

So, how does his expertise assist him in directing this play?

“The violence in Deathtrap is explosive,” said Matthew. “[Playwright] Ira Levin uses the violence to great effect in furthering the twists and turns that make the play the great thriller it is.  Choreographed violence is usually given to actors to learn in the same way they are to memorize their lines. With this show we’ve been able to work in a much more organic way with the actors ‘finding’ the fights and creating the physicality to match their intentions.”

Although Deathtrap is Matthew’s first directing gig at OCP, he has shared his acting and fight choreography talents at OCP for the past few years. He has choreographed violence in OCP’s productions of A Streetcar Named Desire, Steel Magnolias, Flyin’ West, Boom, The Fantasticks and August, Osage County,as well as Neighborhood 3 and Mauritius for the 21 and Over series. Onstage, Matthew has been seen as Steve in Becky’s New Car, a doctor in A Streetcar Named Desire, Kyle (the UPS guy) in Legally Blonde and Steve in the 21 and Over reading of Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom.

Experience the thrill of Deathtrap Jan. 18-Feb. 10 in the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Mainstage Theatre. Show times are Wednesday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults and $21 for students. For groups of 12 or more, tickets are $23 for adults and $15 for students. On Wednesday, Jan. 23, tickets for that night’s show are $10 at the Box Office after 4 p.m. (cash or check only).

January Metro Arts and Culture Pass Deal


Enjoy the arts with a Metro Arts and Culture Pass! If you are a season subscriber to the Omaha Community Playhouse, in the month of January, you can receive $4.50 tickets and 20% off concessions at Film Streams (for all regular screenings) . You can also buy one ticket and get one ticket free to the Harlem Gospel Choir or "Mayberry" at The Arts Center.

The Metro Arts and Culture Pass is sponsored by The Reader and features various nonprofit arts organizations around Omaha. In order to be a Metro Arts and Culture Pass member, you only must be a member or subscriber to one of the participating organizations. Every month, OCP members can enjoy a discount at a different featured Omaha arts organization.

Other participating organizations include:
Omaha Children's Museum
Omaha Performing Arts
Bemis Center
Durham Museum
Opera Omaha
El Museo Latino
The Rose
Film Streams
Nebraska Shakespeare
Joslyn Art Museum
Fontenelle Nature Association
The Arts Center
Ballet Nebraska
Love's Jazz and Arts Center
Lauritzen Gardens
Bluffs Arts Council
Strategic Air and Space Museum
Nebraskans for the Arts
BlueBarn Theatre
Kaneko
For more information about the Metro Arts Pass, contact the director of sales at lkaup@omahaplayhouse.com or (402) 553-4890, ext. 147.