Meet the 2023/24 Directing Fellows
The Omaha Community Playhouse is excited to announce the recipients of the 2023/24 OCP Directing Fellowship.
This year’s OCP Directing Fellowship Class includes:
- Hannah Barnes: Clyde's - Assistant Director
- Shannon Chinn: Beautiful The Carole King Musical - Assistant Director
- Jackson Newman: Pipeline - Assistant Director
- Justin Parsley: The Play That Goes Wrong - Assistant Director
- Madison Roman: Cabaret - Assistant Director-Choreographer
- Charles Wilke: Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery - Assistant Director
- Allana Pommier: Chicken & Biscuits - Assistant Director
- Beth Leona King: Hello, Dolly! - Assistant Director
Hannah Barnes (She/her)
Hannah is thrilled to be working with Omaha Community Playhouse for the first time! Raised in Omaha, she is a graduate of Bethel University, Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance. Hannah has been on both sides of the curtain starring as “Cherubino” in Le nozze di Figaro and assistant directing Next to Normal. Hannah would like to thank her family and Alex Rodriguez for all their support, wisdom, and encouragement.
Shannon Chinn (She/her)
Shannon has previously participated in OCP’s 2022/2023 Directing Fellowship as the Assistant Director for Pretty Fire. She has also directed STUPID F##KING BIRD and Spoon River Anthology both at Nebraska Wesleyan University and the 146th Point Flame at Raymond Central High School, which placed runner-up at the NSAA Class B Capitol Conference. Shannon has also helped create various immersive productions inspired by classical works such as In Sorrow’s Guise: An Immersive Medea and Lest Faith Turn: An Immersive Romeo and Juliet. She currently works as one of the theatre program directors at Raymond Central High School. You can find Shannon anytime by listening closely for her signature goose-like laugh.
Jackson Newman (He/him)
Jackson is excited to be a 2023/24 Directing Fellow at the Omaha Community Playhouse. An Omaha-based artist, his directing work has included classic, contemporary, new works, and everything in between. Previous directing credits include Mother Night, Transportations, Twelve Angry Jurors, and Tartufe. Most recently, he helped create and co-directed Perdido en Mi Cabeza last summer at the BlueBarn Theatre and Meet Me in St. Louis at the Bellevue Little Theatre last fall.
Justin Parsley (He/they)
Justin Parsley (he/they) – Justin is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join OCP’s Directing Fellowship during its 2023-2024 season. He is an aspiring director and can’t wait to learn from, and collaborate with, the amazing talent that Omaha has to offer. This will be his first time jumping “behind the table” and he looks forward to working as an Assistant Director for The Play That Goes Wrong. Justin has had a passion for theater since a young age and has spent most of his time working on shows as an actor/performer. He was last seen on the OCP Stage as Mr. Spencer/Mr. Wagner in School of Rock. Other recent productions include PLVCT’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Vice Principal Panch*), Chanticleer’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Inspector/Ensemble) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Asher), and Ralston Community Theater’s Something Rotten!** (Brother Jeremiah). He has also performed with the Omaha Symphony as part of the vocal ensemble, Résonance. Outside of theater, Justin spends his time directing healthcare providers as a leader and educator. A registered nurse by background, he holds a Doctorate in Nursing Administration and Leadership (Creighton ’22). Much love to his husband James for the constant love and support, and a “pspspsps” to his cats Miss Honey and Georgie.
Justin Parsley (he/they) – Justin is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join OCP’s Directing Fellowship during its 2023-2024 season. He is an aspiring director and can’t wait to learn from, and collaborate with, the amazing talent that Omaha has to offer. This will be his first time jumping “behind the table” and he looks forward to working as an Assistant Director for The Play That Goes Wrong. Justin has had a passion for theater since a young age and has spent most of his time working on shows as an actor/performer. He was last seen on the OCP Stage as Mr. Spencer/Mr. Wagner in School of Rock. Other recent productions include PLVCT’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Vice Principal Panch*), Chanticleer’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Inspector/Ensemble) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Asher), and Ralston Community Theater’s Something Rotten!** (Brother Jeremiah). He has also performed with the Omaha Symphony as part of the vocal ensemble, Résonance. Outside of theater, Justin spends his time directing healthcare providers as a leader and educator. A registered nurse by background, he holds a Doctorate in Nursing Administration and Leadership (Creighton ’22). Much love to his husband James for the constant love and support, and a “pspspsps” to his cats Miss Honey and Georgie.
Madison Roman (She/her)
Madison is ecstatic to be a directing fellow and assistant director-choreographer for Cabaret at the Omaha Community Playhouse. As a professional actor of 12 years she is delighted to be able to expand her artistry through directing. Madison has performed across the Midwest and was previously based out of New York City before the pandemic brought her back to Omaha. She holds a Bachelor's of Music in Musical Theatre with specific training in Vocal Pedagogy. Some of her favorite credits include: Gingy in Shrek the Musical at both Black Hills Playhouse, and Crane River Theatre, Urleen in Footloose at Crane River Theatre, Sally in Cabaret at Chanticleer Theatre (OEA nominee), and Hope in Urinetown at UNK (Irene Ryan Award Winner). Madison now can be found choreographing at Elkhorn North High School, auditioning, and giving music lessons in her spare time. I would like to thank my family for all their help, God for his blessings, and OCP for this opportunity. Finally, to my husband and daughter, thank you for sharing me with the theatre and supporting my passion. You two are the loves of my life.
Madison is ecstatic to be a directing fellow and assistant director-choreographer for Cabaret at the Omaha Community Playhouse. As a professional actor of 12 years she is delighted to be able to expand her artistry through directing. Madison has performed across the Midwest and was previously based out of New York City before the pandemic brought her back to Omaha. She holds a Bachelor's of Music in Musical Theatre with specific training in Vocal Pedagogy. Some of her favorite credits include: Gingy in Shrek the Musical at both Black Hills Playhouse, and Crane River Theatre, Urleen in Footloose at Crane River Theatre, Sally in Cabaret at Chanticleer Theatre (OEA nominee), and Hope in Urinetown at UNK (Irene Ryan Award Winner). Madison now can be found choreographing at Elkhorn North High School, auditioning, and giving music lessons in her spare time. I would like to thank my family for all their help, God for his blessings, and OCP for this opportunity. Finally, to my husband and daughter, thank you for sharing me with the theatre and supporting my passion. You two are the loves of my life.
Charles Wilke (He/him)
Charles, originally from Chicago, now calls Omaha home. An alumnus of Northern Illinois University, he's known for his diverse directing background, from short films to video game motion capture performance. While attending the Groundlings School for Improv in Los Angeles, Charles collaborated with many talented rising stars. His 2017 short film French Kitty stars Chloe Fineman and is distributed by Troma Entertainment. At the Omaha Community Playhouse, Charles plans to use his keen attention to detail and empathetic approach to enrich the local theatre scene. When he's not directing, you might find Charles practicing his juggling skills.
Allana Pommier (She/they)
Allana is a Black creative from Omaha, Nebraska who has been passionate about performing arts for as long as she can remember. Some of her favorite roles as an actor have been Agent Smith in Dinner with the MacGuffins, the Narrator, and STD student in She Kills Monsters, and Danielle in Language of Angels. Allana had her directorial debut with Creighton’s student production Riot, Repeat written by Viv Parr. Allana directed a play she wrote titled I Am a Black Woman for the 2022 Omaha Fringe Festival in August and again at Benson Theatre in November 2022. Allana also completed her first year with Omaha Performing Arts as a Disney Musical in School Teaching Artist where she helped King Science put on Lion King as their very first production at the school. Allana performed in a radio theatre production titled Black Women Rebel where she read Kim Louise’s play Alexa, Cortana, and Siri Walk Into a Juke Joint and Riot, Repeat. Allana did readings for three plays in the Great Plains Theatre Conference (Clytemnestra in Without a Formal Declaration of War by Anya Pearson, Aisha in What a Time to Be Alive [You Say That Every Time] by Paul Michel Thomson, and In the Basement by Bailey Williams). Additionally, Allana performed in a production of Significant Other as Vanessa with Voices in Alliance. Currently, Allana is working towards her Master's in Fine Arts for Playwriting as well as a certification in Dramaturgy at Hollins University. Additionally, Allana is the director of a play called Text Me Tomorrow by Shelby Love. Whether it is through writing, performance, or directing, Allana hopes to continue on this path of artistic endeavors and live out loud with the world around her as she works to amplify the visions of Black women in theatrical spaces.
Beth Leona King (She/her)
Beth is overjoyed to join the Omaha Community Playhouse Directing Fellowship Class of 23/24! Beth has a B.A. in Vocal Music Education from Dana College, M.M. in Vocal Performance and M.F.A. in Theatre Arts from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Beth has spent 7 years working as an actor/singer/director in the Twin Cities and is fortunate enough to have worked with the following companies: Skylark Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, Bloomington Civic, The Guthrie, Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company, The Day Tippers, SOAR Arts, Lyric Arts Anoka and The Seasons Dinner Theater. Some of Beth’s favorite roles include: Reggie Fluty in The Laramie Project, Dolly Levi in Hello Dolly! The Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Sibella in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Some of Beth’s favorite directing credits include: Beauty and the Beast Jr, Elf Jr and 101 Dalmatians Jr. Beth is currently a member of the Voice/Acting/Directing Faculty at SNJ Studio in Omaha. Beth would like to thank her husband Travis for encouraging her to follow her dreams.
Congratulations to the 2023/24 OCP Directing Fellows!
