Cast of Fun Home

Cast:                                     

CHARACTER                                       ACTOR                                 

Small Alison                                       Sasha Denenberg           

Medium Alison                                 Analisa Peyton

Adult Alison                                        Angie Heim        

Bruce Bechdel                                   Michael Trutna

Helen  Bechdel                                  Jennifer Gilg

Joan                                                     Julia Ervin           

John Bechdel                                     Tyson Bentley

Christian Bechdel                             Ryan Laughlin

Male Ensemble                                 Josh Peyton

Designer Spotlight: Aja Jackson

60 second life story: How did you come to be a lighting designer?

I started theatre in grade school and joined the Omaha Community Playhouse Technical Apprenticeship Program majoring in electrics while I was in high school. After seeing more and more shows, I found that lighting was the most articulate way for me to join the theatrical conversation. I enjoy the ephemerality and complexity of lighting and the technology to make it all happen.

As a guest lighting designer, how did you become involved with this production?

Last season I was invited to design Superior Donuts with Susan Bear Collins. I met Susan as an apprentice at OCP. We had a great collaboration together. This season, Jim Othuse, Resident Lighting and Scenic Designer at OCP, invited me to join the creative team for Shakespeare In Love.

Overhead view of Shakespeare in Love lighting plot

What inspired or influenced your design for Shakespeare in Love?

The text. The play is very fast moving and dynamic. I wanted to create a light plot that was flexible so we would be able to go from the bright comedic moments of a pup scurrying across the stage to the sensual and intimate moments between William Shakespeare and Viola De Lesseps.

What was the biggest challenge you encountered while designing this production?

The second level of the set. We have limits to how high we can fly the electrics out. This is one of the tallest sets that the Hawks Mainstage has had. We needed to light the balcony from many positions to make sure that the actors could utilize the entirety of the playing space.

What do you love about Shakespeare in Love?

I found a lot of joy in lighting a play within a play, intimate scenes, and the big company fight scenes. I think the beauty of this play is that there is a moment that can resonate with most people. From work frustrations, financial woes, to love and love lost, Shakespeare In Love is a romantic, action-packed comedy for all hearts.

See Aja's amazing work in Shakespeare in Love playing through May 6th in the Hawks Mainstage Theatre.

A Pre-Rehearsal Chat with Alissa Hanish of Shakespeare in Love

It’s an exciting week in the life cycle of an Omaha Community Playhouse production. Actors are moving out of the rehearsal hall they’ve spent over a month in and moving to their set on the mainstage. They only get about a week to get situated before an audience arrives, so everything has to come together quickly. This is the point where actress Alissa Hanish has a moment to share her experience with Shakespeare in Love.

Alissa is making her OCP mainstage debut in this production as Viola, but she’s no stranger to the Playhouse. Immediately after moving from Chicago to Omaha, Alissa auditioned for the 2015 production of Mauritius “on a whim” and landed a lead role. She followed that up with performances as Rose in the Alternative Programming staged reading of Dogfight, and most recently, Nina in this season’s Stupid F@#%ing Bird.

Moving into the Hawks Mainstage Theatre is an exciting milestone for Alissa. Having done many performances in black-box style theatres, she feels that this stage is the right space for this story. “It’s back to the time of Shakespeare where everything was presentational and everything was for the audience.”

When asked about how she describes the show, her go-to explanation is “it’s Shakespeare, but it’s accessible.” Those who never quite fell in love with the Bard or worry that everything will go over their heads have nothing to fear. “It’s half Shakespeare, half modern speech that you can completely understand,” she says, “and very, very similar to the movie.”

In regards to Gwyneth Paltrow’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Viola in that film, Alissa didn’t feel pressure to copy or compete. The biggest thing she took away was the actress’s approach to playing a man. Those familiar with the story know that while Viola longs to be an actress, it is a forbidden profession for women at the time, so she assumes a male identity­–Thomas Kent–in order to audition. “I was very scared that spending half of this show as a man, it would come across as doing too much,” says Alissa, but just as Paltrow did in the film, a subtle change in voice pitch (aided by Lindsay Pape’s gorgeous costumes) does enough without becoming distractingly comical.

Her biggest challenge of the show? Keeping the character’s secret identity path in check. “I’m Alissa playing Viola playing Thomas Kent playing Romeo…and then playing Juliet,” she says, so it’s crucial for her to differentiate all those layers throughout the show; something she’s still working on. She loves that Viola “completely goes after what she wants,” an approach Alissa clearly also takes as she continues to impress Omaha with her talents on stage.




Shakespeare in Love is playing in the Hawks Mainstage Theatre April 13-May 6, 2018. More info can be found here: http://www.omahaplayhouse.com/tickets/view/shakespeare-in-love/

Cast of Singin' in the Rain

Cast

Nate Wasson* - Don Lockwood

J. Isaiah Smith - Cosmo
Tayler Lempke Plank - Kathy

Cathy Hirsch - Lina

Andrew Karolski - Young Don

Brohdi McClymont - Young Cosmo

Rob Baker - RF Simpson

Don Harris - Roscoe

Payton Alber - Ensemble

Marcus Benzel - Ensemble

Karin Berg - Ensemble

Brendan Brown - Ensemble

Lillian Cohen - Ensemble

Brianna Davis - Ensemble

Jason DeLong - Ensemble

Julia Ervin - Ensemble

Jude Glaser - Ensemble

Joseph Mokrycki - Ensemble

Kara Penniston - Ensemble

Hannah Ramsgard - Ensemble

Boston Reid - Ensemble

Nora Shelton - Ensemble

Mia Sherlock - Ensemble

Becky Trecek - Ensemble

Carrie Trecek - Ensemble

Mary Trecek - Ensemble

Debbie Trecek Volkens - Ensemble

*Guest artist

Production

Kimberly Faith Hickman – Director

Jeanne Shelton – Stage Manager

Jim Boggess – Music Director

Jim Othuse  – Scenic and Lighting Designer

Lindsay Pape – Costume Designer

Roxanne Nielson – Choreographer

Tim Burkhart – Sound Designer

John Gibilisco – Resident Sound Designer/Production Electrician

Darin Kuehler - Properties

Greg Scheer – Production Coordinator 

Cast of The Mountaintop

Cast

Donte Plunkett - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Catie Zaleski - Camae

Production

Denise Chapman - Director
Gabi Rima - Stage Manager
Alfonso Lee Jones - Composer
Darin Kuehler - Properties
John Gibilisco - Sound Designer
Herman Montero - Lighting Designer
Amanda Fehlner - Costume Designer
Jim Othuse - Scenic Designer
Greg Scheer - Production Coordinator

Cast of Shakespeare in Love

Cast

Jacob J. Roman​ - Will

Alissa Hanish - Viola

Christopher Scott​ - Henslowe

Kevin Barratt - Burbage

Ron Boschult - Fennyman

Sydney Readman​ - Wessex

Alex Nilius​ - Ensemble

Bradley Alexander - Wabash

Caitlin Mabon - Sir Robert

Catherine Ann Vazquez - Ensemble

Chloe Irwin - Webster

Craig Bond - Ralph

Danielle Smith - Tilney

Dennis Stessman​ - Ensemble

Janet Macklin - Queen

Jenna Hager - Ensemble

Jeremy Earl - Marlowe

Julie Fitzgerald Ryan​ - Nurse

Michael Leamen - Ned

Olivia Howard - Ensemble

Pamela Scott - Ensemble

Samantha Johnston - Ensemble

Sean Johnson​ - Ensemble

Will Rodgers - Sam
Apollo - Spot the dog

Production

Jeff Horder - Director

Suzanne Withem - Assistant Director

Wes Houston - Stage Manager

Courtney Stein - Choreographer

Erik Diaz - Scenic Designer

Lindsay Pape - Costume Designer
John Gibilisco - Resident Sound Designer/Production Electrician
Aja M. Jackson - Light Designer
Darin Kuehler - Properties
Greg Scheer - Production Coordinator

Parade Costumes: From Sketches to the Stage

Costume designer Lindsay Pape officially join the Omaha Community Playhouse staff as resident costume designer in the Fall of 2017 and hit the ground running with Stupid F@#%ing Bird. She now takes on a completely different production, the historical musical Parade. Set in Georgia in 1913, Parade dramatizes the real trial of Jewish businessman Leo Frank for the alleged murder of young Mary Phagan.

The most important thing to remember when working on costumes for a show like this? Lindsay says they will be inspired by the time period, but not exact historical recreations. They must suggest the time of the show but be flexible for the needs of performers.

Lindsay was kind enough to offer some additional commentary on the designing process for this show: 

Timeline

November 2017

• Director Jeff Horger begins research and creates a costume plot detailing all characters, what scenes they’re in and what costumes they require
• Lindsay tests out various patterns for items to be built.

December 2017

• Lindsay and Jeff meet to discuss costume concepts. Lindsay creates small, general renderings (sketches).
• Casting is finalized on December 13th, allowing Lindsay to create more specific renderings for each character.
• Actors come in to have measurements taken.
• Shoes, suits, dress shirts, etc. are pulled from OCP costume storage.
• Construction begins on pieces built in-house.

January 2018

• Specialty fabric and uniforms ordered online.
• Actors come in for fittings.
• Construction continues on built pieces as pulled/purchased pieces are altered.
• Costumes finalized for actors involved in the promotional photo shoot.

February 2018

• Final touches and alterations on all costumes.
• Costumes integrated into production during tech week.
• Parade opens February 9th.

Highlights

• Actors: 24
• Total costumes: 39 + a contemporary outfit for each actor
• Uniforms for guards and civil war soldiers were ordered from C&C Sutlery out of Idaho.
• Though authentic, vintage clothing exists from the early 1900's, theatrical productions rarely use these items because they are too fragile to survive multiple weeks of performances.
• The exception in this production is the robe Judge Roan wears that is from 1911.
• Lindsay’s favorite piece in the show that was purchased is Luther Rosser’s seer sucker suit.
• She could not pick a favorite piece that was constructed for this show, but adores all of Lucille Frank's pieces.
• Biggest challenge with the costumes for Parade: Getting the uniforms from the manufacturer. Thank goodness for rush ordering and great customer service!

See these phenomenal costumes in person at Parade playing February 9-March 11 in OCP's Howard Drew Theatre. Ticket information here. 

Dr. King Depicted in Theatre

From 1776 to Evita to Hamilton, historical figures have inspired many theatrical works over the years. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is no exception. In addition to many depictions on television and film, play wrights and composers have attempted to give us additional insight into this influential leader. The following list of stage works featuring Dr. King is not at all comprehensive, so please comment on the post if you have additional titles to add!

The Mountaintop

This fictional play imagines the final night of Dr. King’s life. It premiered in London in 2009 and opened on Broadway in 2011 starring Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett. The Omaha Community Playhouse production goes on sale March 27and will run May 4-27, 2018.

I Dream

This “rhythm and blues opera” by librettist, lyricist and composer Douglas Tappin premiered at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia in 2010. A full concept recording is available on iTunes and Spotify.

I Have a Dream

This production originated on Broadway in 1976 and starred Billy Dee Williams as Dr. King. Subsequent iterations have expanded the inclusion of music.

Selma: A Musical Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Originally written in 1978 by Tommy Butler, this show’s complete cast recording is also available on iTunes and Spotify. One of the show’s tracks, “Prison Song” was recently sampled by rapper Future in his 2017 song “Mask Off.”

Skin Deep: The story of Martin Luther King

This 30 minute play was originally produced in 1985 by a church in Ontario. The simple script is approachable for school groups and organizations who aren’t looking for a lengthy, full-scale production. 

Cast of James and the Giant Peach

Cast

James - Maddie Smith
Spiker - Jodi Vaccaro
Sponge - Sara Mattix
Spider - Samantha Zarders
Grasshopper - Kyle Avery
Ladybug - Sarah Ebke
Earthworm - Zhomontee Watson
Centipede - Steve Krambeck
Ladahlord - Aaron Mann
Ensemble: Tyson Bentley, Carmen Butler, Lillian Cohen, Justin Eller, Brandon Fisher, Aubrey Fleming, Cody Girouex, Jamie Gould, Eliot Gray, Mark Haufle, Ryan Laughlin, April Neidig, Tayler Lempke Plank, Isabelle Rangel, Aidan Schmidtke, Joshua Shapiro, Isabella Smith, Cleo Washington

Production

Kimberly Faith Hickman - Director
Steve Priesman - Stage Manager
Chris Ebke - Music Director
Jennifer Novak Haar - Music Rehearsal Assistant
Nicole Mason Lazenby - Choreographer
Darin Kuehler - Properties
Greg Scheer - Production Coordinator
Tim Burkhart - Resident Sound Designer
Chris Wood - Lighting Designer
Amanda Fehlner - Costume Designer
Anha Packard - Scene Designer

Cast of Ripcord

January 19-February 11, 2018
Hawks Mainstage Theatre

Cast

Charleen Willoughby - Abby Binder
Judy Radcliff - Marilyn Dunne
Sahil Khullar - Scotty
Kevin Goshorn - Benjamin/Lewis/Clown
Kaitlyn McClincy - Colleen/Woman in White
Matt Tarr - Derek/Zombie Butler/Masked Man

Production

Kimberly Faith Hickman - Director
Gabi Rima - Stage Manager
Paul Pape - Scenic Designer
Jim Othuse - Lighting Designer
Amanda Fehlner - Costume Designer
John Gibilisco - Sound Designer
Darin Kuehler - Properties
Greg Scheer - Production Coordinator

Cast of Eminent Domain

Cast

Bill Hutson - Rob MacLeod
Erika Hall Sieff - Adair MacLeod
Jeremy Estill - Bart MacLeod
Christina Rohling - Theresa MacLeod
Cork Ramer - Cam MacLeod
Judy Radcliff - Jane MacLeod
Eric Salonis - Evan MacLeod
Chris Shonka - Trent Nichols
Thomas Becker - Mat Salinas

Production

Amy Lane - Director
Steve Priesman - Stage Manager
Jim Othuse - Scenic and Lighting Designer
Megan Kuehler - Costume Designer
John Gibilisco - Sound Designer
Darin Kuehler - Properties
Greg Scheer - Production Coordinator