Local Generosity Brings Improvements to OCP

The Omaha Community Playhouse may be 90 years old, but it is anything but dated. Examples can be found in the constant change and innovation to our facility. If you visited recently for A Christmas Carol or Yesterday & Today, you may have noticed there is a new entrance/exit between our Scott Lobby outside the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Mainstage Theatre and the Drew Foundation Plaza.

OCP's Scott Lobby with the new doors to the Drew Foundation Plaza

In 2004, OCP opened the beautiful Drew Foundation Plaza, and to date, the most frequent comment when patrons see the Plaza is, “Wow, I had no idea this was here.” While the Plaza was designed to intentionally provide shelter from the noise and traffic of Cass Street, its lack of visibility both from outside and within OCP has served as a barrier to its use. Not only have we created a more visible doorway but this project has also transformed the Drew Foundation Plaza into a place for our patrons and our community to gather and connect with one another, provide a space for pre- and post-show events and act as an additional exit for patrons in case of emergency.

OCP is thankful for the generosity of Marshall and Mona Faith, who made this project possible. Enjoy the Plaza!

Little Women, the musical cast and crew relate to the characters

Little Women is a classic tale that has impacted many including the cast and production members of the Omaha Community Playhouse’s upcoming musical production. Those involved with the production discovered similarities with the characters, found friends in the novel and felt the bond of sisterhood as strongly as the March sisters.

“I read ‘Little Women’ growing up and have always loved it! It is such a classic story, and I continue to be inspired by it. I have always related to Amy (the character that I am playing) because I am the youngest in my family (I have two older brothers). I definitely understand her feelings of being left out and always following in the footsteps of her older siblings. I wanted to be a part of this production because I am thrilled to FINALLY have some "on-stage" sisters.” – Jen Morris (Amy March)
 

Back row: Leanne Hill Carlson as Meg and Hilary Williams as Jo (stand in); Front row: Jen Morris as Amy, Camille Metoyer Moten as Marmee and Carly Schneider as Beth

“I read the book as a child, followed by reading ‘Little Men.’ I loved the book. It was very endearing and at the time, seemed like a young girl’s best friend. I did watch the movie, the 1949 version. It made those wonderful characters seem like real sisters, real friends, filling my teenage mind at the time with long lasting friendships. It’s a lovely production that takes you back to your childhood: a life of innocence and the dreams of being an adult, let alone taking you back to a romantic time period that most of us wish we could visit." – Lara Marsh (Nebraska Theatre Caravan company manager)

L-R: Jen Morris as Amy, Hilary Williams as Jo (stand in), Tim Abou-Nasr as Laurie, Leanne Hill Carlson as Meg and Carly Schneider as Beth

 “I have been a voracious reader since I first began to string together sentences with ‘Dick and Jane.’ ‘Little Women’ was a beloved stop on my journey with books. I've read it dozens of times over the years identifying with a different character as I grew, but never falling less in love with the words. I had the paper dolls; I watched the old film version with my grandmother; and my love affair with the book will never end. My favorite connection to Little Women, however, is the relationship I have with my own little sister. We are extremely close; not your ordinary loving sister relationship. When people ask me about my sister, for years the only way I've been able to give justice to the way I feel about our special bond is to say, ‘We are the March sisters. Courtney is my Beth!’ The first time I listened to the musical soundtrack, I came across the song ‘Some Things are Meant to Be.’ It instantly became one of my favorite musical theatre songs, always ending in a tearful, 'I love you so much!' call with my Courtney. I was so tickled to be cast as Beth in the OCP production; I have the best inspiration a girl could ask for in my baby sister!” – Carly Schneider (Beth March)

“I tried to read ['Little Women'} when I was young, but got impatient. About a year later, I saw part of the movie on cable - the really sad part. My best friend growing up had died of Leukemia just a few months earlier, and watching the sisters grieve like that was just too much for a fifth grader. It was years before I was even vaguely interested in the story again, but I've always loved historical fiction. And I'd had a thing for Christian Bale ever since Newsies, so some time in high school, I gave it a second chance, and I loved it! I'm so looking forward to another opportunity to engage with this great story of love, family, independence, and of course, passion of language.” – Suzanne Withem (stage manager)

See the musical Little Women at the Omaha Community Playhouse Jan. 23-Feb.22, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $40 for adults and $25 for students. For groups of 12 or more, tickets for adults are $30 and tickets for students are $20. To purchase tickets or for more information, call (402) 553-0800, click here or visit the Box Office located in the southeast corner of the Omaha Community Playhouse at 6915 Cass St.

Story by Madison Denkinger