Bring Your Mama to the Drama!

Give your mother the perfect Mother's Day gift: an afternoon at the theatre! Now you can celebrate Mother's Day without breaking the bank. On Sunday, May 8, 2011, enjoy either Steel Magnolias or Tuesdays with Morrie for only $20 per ticket! Mention the Mother's Day discount in person at the Box Office or via phone at (402) 553-0800 to purchase tickets. Tickets are subject to availability and not valid for previously purchased tickets.

Steel Magnolias is playing in the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Mainstage Theatre through May 8, Wednesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tuesdays with Morrie is playing in the Howard Drew Theatre through May 29, Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Regular priced tickets are $35 for adults and $21 for students. For groups of 15 or more, adult tickets are $23 and student tickets are $15. To purchase tickets or for more information, call (402) 553-0800 or visit the Box Office.

Life’s Greatest Lessons…in Reality and on Stage

Some of life’s greatest lessons arrive in the most unusual forms, occasionally even on stage. In the Omaha Community Playhouse’s production of Tuesdays with Morrie, what once was a relationship between student and teacher becomes a life-changing friendship as the dying professor imparts profound wisdom on his former student.

Chris Shonka, an Omaha native, plays the role of Mitch Albom, a successful sports journalist and Morrie’s former student. Though he has lived in New York, Boulder and Houston, Shonka has returned to Omaha theatre, and he is no stranger to the discipline. Shonka has acted in various roles since high school, including the 1993 OCP show A Few Good Men. He has also received an M.F.A. in acting and a Ph.D. in theatre history. One of Chris’s most recent accomplishments was co-directing a production of The Good Doctor at Creighton University with two guest alumni directors and Bill Hutson, the actor who plays Morrie Schwartz. In the show, Morrie is Mitch’s former sociology professor affected by ALS (also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

In fact, not only do the actors share a stage during the play, but they also share a special bond, similar to that of Mitch and Morrie. As an undergraduate student at Creighton, Shonka was mentored by Hutson, a professor and active member of the theatre department. Shonka majored in theatre at Creighton, starring in several productions and working closely with Hutson. When asked about his relationship with Hutson, Shonka described him as a “terrific” teacher and mentor, one who created “a culture and work ethic related to the arts that naturally extended to everyday life.”

A life-long actor, Hutson first graced the OCP stage in Richard III in 1974 and Shakespeare in Hollywood in 2008. When he is not at OCP, Hutson performs in and directs other shows, travels, reads and inspires students like Shonka through his teaching. When asked about the source(s) of his inspiration, he credits professors both at the University of North Texas and Michigan State but, “In Omaha, I’ll always think of Nancy Duncan as one of the most inspirational people/directors I’ve known. She was my first director at the Playhouse.” These two are inseparable, it seems…from student and teacher to co-directors and cast mates. “I have had a terrific time in rehearsals watching him create this character…”, remarks Shonka.

Come cherish the inspiring story of Tuesdays with Morrie in the Howard Drew Theatre, April 29–May 29, Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults and $21 for students. For groups of 15 or more, adult tickets are $23 and student tickets are $15. To purchase tickets or for more information, call (402) 553-0800, visit the Box Office or click here.

Article by Kristin Winfrey

Which Came First?

With our 86th season underway, I can't help but notice a trend in this season's productions. Many of the plays we are doing are not only for the stage; they are also movies, books and television series. So it got me thinking...which came first? I didn't know the answer to most of these. In fact, I didn't know some of the plays were also movies at all. Did you?

Here's a run down of some of this season's shows and if the play was the original or was inspired by a different medium. I put the answers further down in the post so you can test your knowledge.

Footloose, The Musical: Everyone knows Kevin Bacon for his iconic role as Ren in the movie Footloose, but did Ren dance into our hearts first on the big screen or on the stage?

A Thousand Clowns: Murray and Nick captured audiences with their rendition of Yes Sir, That's My Baby, but where did they perform it first? In the play or the movie?

The Odd Couple: Where did Felix and Oscar have their first lovers' quarrel? Was in the play, the film or the television series?

Steel Magnolias: Ouiser! The film is loaded with a superstar cast including Julia Roberts, Sally Field and Dolly Parton, among others, but did were those superstars inspired by the stage production or vice versa?

Tuesdays with Morrie: This touching story of Morrie and Mitch is tough to even think about without getting inspired and a little choked up, but who was weeping first? Book readers, movie goers or play patrons?

Guys & Dolls: A classic no doubt, but did these guys and dolls make their debut in the play or the movie?



Which Came First? Answer Key
Footloose, The Musical: The movie. The 1984 hit movie was adapted for the stage in 1998.

A Thousand Clowns: The play. Herb Gardner wrote the play in 1962 and then adapted it for film in 1965.

The Odd Couple: The play. Neil Simon's play hit Broadway in 1965, the movie followed in 1968 and the television series ran from 1970 to 1975.

Steel Magnolias: The play. Surprised? I was. The 1989 film was based off the 1987 off-Broadway production by Robert Harling.

Tuesdays with Morrie: The book. This Mitch Albom bestseller was published in 1997, followed by the 1999 movie, followed by the 2002 stage production.

Guys & Dolls: The play. This Tony Award-winning musical debuted in 1950 on stage and 1955 on the big screen.

Now that you know which came first, be sure not to miss any of these hits at the Playhouse this season!