The Art of Stagecraft: Jim Othuse and 40 Years at the Omaha Community Playhouse

Jim Othuse, Charles Jones and Steve Wheeldon

Shakespeare said that “all the world’s a stage,” but just how does the outside world come to be represented and imagined in a theatre setting? For the last 40 years, it has been the task of Omaha Community Playhouse’s resident scenic and lighting designer, Jim Othuse, to figure that out. As a member of the OCP staff since 1974, Othuse has designed literally hundreds of sets for the enjoyment of Omaha audiences.

This exhibition will feature more than 30 one-half inch scale set models and accompanying photographs, dating from 1974 to recent productions, including recent musicals, such as Fiddler on the Roof and Young Frankenstein. The models on display are only a small, representative number of sets that Othuse has designed for OCP.

The exhibit will open July 12, 2014 and feature "Act I," 15 set models; on Sept. 13, 2014, "Act II" will display 15 different set models that will replace the first group and run through Nov. 9, 2014.

April 2014 marked Othuse’s 40th anniversary at OCP. Othuse came to OCP in 1974 from the historic Springer Opera House in Columbus, GA with the newly hired Artistic Director Charles Jones. Since 1974, Othuse has designed hundreds of sets for OCP including shows such as Dracula, The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz and Les Misérables.

The exhibit will be open during the Durham’s hours of operation: Sunday, 1-5 p.m., Monday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission to the Durham is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, $6 for children (ages 3-12) and free for members and children 2 years and younger.