Meet Our 22/23 Season NOW Lab Playwrights!

The New Omaha Works Lab (NOW Lab) exists to support local playwrights in the Omaha metro area who are developing new work for the stage. 

For the inaugural 2023 NOW Lab, the OCP has selected two playwrights to provide an extended development process over the course of 8 months for their selected scripts. The goal of this process is to provide compensation, extended conversations, table reads, and workshop opportunities to help playwrights deepen their learning about their scripts.

Kim Louise | NOW Lab Playwright

Kim Louise’s love of writing started in elementary school and by the time she was in junior high school, the first of her many poems was published as part of a Black History exhibit at the Great Plains Black History Museum. A native Omahan, Kim has penned over eleven novels and five novellas, writing for Kensington Press (BET Books), Genesis Press, and Harlequin Enterprises and earned a spot on Amazon’s bestseller’s list for mass market fiction. Her poetry has been published by the Cathartic Literary Journal and Third World Press.

Ben Beck | NOW Lab Playwright

Ben is a performer and playwright based in Omaha. Last fall, his co-adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was produced by the Blue Barn Theater. Ben wrote and directed Crash! Boom Pow! (OEA Award-Best Premier of a New Script) for the Shelterbelt Theater. The Shelterbelt also produced his one-act play, Chekhov’s Gun (TAG Award-Best One Act), which was later performed by Encompass Productions in London. Ben has also written for the Witching Hour project and the Douglas County Historical Society. As performer, he most recently played Nicodemus and others in The Mystery of Irma Vep at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Previous roles at the Playhouse include Andrew in I Hate Hamlet, Actor 2 in Around the World in 80 Days and Jules in boom. Other favorite roles include Hannay in The 39 Steps at the Blue Barn Theater, Max in Bent for SNAP Productions and Booth in Assassins at the University of NE-Omaha. Ben has a BA in Theatre from the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Learn about the NOW Lab here: https://omahaplayhouse.com/education/now-lab/.

Join us for OCP's "Little Shop Of Horrors" Event Series!

Blood Drive:
Wednesday, April 12 | 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Omaha Community Playhouse 6915 Cass St.

As our community grows, so does our need for blood. In collaboration with The Nebraska Community Blood Bank, OCP will be hosting a blood drive this month. Come donate and meet Little Shop of Horrors’ Audrey II in person! By giving blood you can literally save a life! Reserve your spot for the blood drive here.

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Film Screening
Tuesday, April 18 | 6:00 p.m.
Film Streams' Ruth Sokolof Theater 1340 Mike Fahey St.

We're hosting a Little Shop of Horrors (1986) film screening at Film Streams' Ruth Sokolof Theater. Visit the lobby before the show to meet Audrey II! After the screening, OCP's artistic team will discuss the musical's legacy, and the use of puppetry on stage. Purchase event tickets here.

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Audrey II Meet-n-Greet!
Tuesday, April 25 | 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Chlorophyll by Kinghorn Gardens | 1917 South 67th St. Suite 170

It's not every day that you can take a self-portrait with a human eating anthropomorphic plant! Visit Chlorophyll, our Plant Sponsor for Little Shop of Horrors, for an up-close and personal meet-n-greet with Audrey II! If you dare . . . RSVP here.

*Chlorophyll is located Directly across from the Inner Rail Food Hall, Aksarben Village.

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Puppetry In Theatre Workshop
Sunday, April 30 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Omaha Community Playhouse 6915 Cass St.
13+ | Cost: FREE

Come meet Audrey II & learn about the art of puppeteering! Learn fundamental puppeteering basics, practice your new skills, and see behind the scenes secrets in our production of Little Shop of Horrors. Sign up for the workshop here.

Immersive Theatre Day with Omaha Central High School

Here's a look back at our Immersive Theatre Day with students from Omaha Central High School. 

Our Immersive Theatre Program offers an inside look at all of the behind-the-scenes magic at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Local middle & high schools spend the day at OCP rotating through the departments that bring our productions to life. They’ll also engage in talk backs with employees who keep OCP a well-oiled machine. These programs are in conjunction with a production in our season.

Participating groups will experience:

• A tour of OCP
• Hands-on activities in our props & paint departments
• Hands-on activities in our lighting and sound departments
• Hands-on activities and demonstrations in our scenic department
• Talk backs with members from OCP’s art, development, marketing, education, finance, and artistic departments
• A catered lunchAn Immersive Theatre Program t-shirt
• Tickets to preview night of the participating show

HOW CAN I GET MY STUDENTS INVOLVED?

Interested schools and community groups can email our Director of Education, Maddison Gilcrease, at mgilcrease@omahaplayhouse.com. There is no cost for you and your group to engage in the program. All groups receive a t-shirt, catered lunch, a take home bag, and we cover the cost of the bus transportation to and from the Playhouse. The program can accommodate up to 25 students and chaperones.

    

Learn more about our Immersive Theatre Program here: https://bit.ly/OCPImmersiveTheatre

Introducing OCP's Associate Artistic Director, Alex Rodriguez

 

Alex Rodriguez is a Cuban-American theatre director, actor, and educator currently based in New York City.  He is a multi-hyphenate collaborator whose work ranges from new-work development to large-scale productions.  Alex is passionate about representation in our stages and shining a light on untold stories. His work has been recognized for its innovation and humanity, and he believes in the power of storytelling to ignite thought, conversation, and change.  

Select directing credits include RENT (SABT, Tobin Center), Havana Music Hall, A New Musical (Workshop/ Associate), Common Ground, A New Musical (NYC Workshop), Little Women, The Broadway Musical (TXST), References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot (TXST), Imagine That! (TXST), Last Five Years (ABET), Five Guys Named Moe (PBTS), A Night with Janis Joplin (ZACH/ Assistant to Randy Johnson), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Associate to Kaitlin Hopkins), Theresa Rebeck’s The Two Orphans (Workshop/ Assistant), and the Northeast Florida premiere of RENT, winner of Folio Weekly’s Best Theatre Production. 

As a teaching artist, Rodriguez has taught acting and directing at Marymount Manhattan College and Texas State University, and served as the education and outreach director at Players by The Sea Theatre. Additionally, he’s served as a freelance entertainment project manager and vocal supervisor for Carnival Cruise Line for the past five years.   

Select performance credits include Juan Julian in Anna in The Tropics (Barrington Stage), Emilio Estefan in On Your Feet! (Prather Productions), Carnival Cruise Line (Inaugural cast manager and vocal captain), The Jacksonville Symphony, Flat Rock Playhouse, and The Alhambra. 

Alex holds an MFA in Directing from Texas State University, and a BFA in Musical Theatre from Jacksonville University. He’s a member of Actor’s Equity Association, and an associate member of The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

"I'm honored to join the Omaha Community Playhouse family and serve as their new Associate Artistic Director. I had the opportunity to visit the playhouse during my interview process and experienced compelling work, a welcoming community, and a great vision for the work ahead. I look forward to joining Katie, Stephen, and the entire playhouse staff in delivering artistic excellence for the Omaha community, and to meeting you all."

- Alex Rodriguez

Introducing OCP's NOW Lab Producer, Kara Davidson

Kara Davidson is a performer, playwright, puppeteer and teaching artist. Davidson is excited to collaborate as the Now Lab Producer with the OCP team!

She was previously seen onstage at OCP in Stick Fly. Davidson holds a Master of Fine Arts in writing for stage and screen from the University of Nebraska Omaha and a Bachelor of Arts in theatre performance from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She was the co-founder and co-director of a new works development incubator, The Lab (Chicago), from 2019 through 2022. Her work as a playwright has been commissioned and produced in Chicago, Minneapolis, Nebraska, Indiana, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. She was the fall 2021 recipient of The Honeybee Prize in Literature for her short play The Farewell Burn, awarded by The Good Life Review. Since 2015, she has taught workshops and performed nationally and internationally with the artistic collective Manual Cinema. This company utilizes puppetry, technology, and immersive sound to create theatrical cinematic experiences for audiences. As a performer, she has also worked with Lookingglass Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The House Theatre of Chicago, The Actors Theatre of Louisville, and Nebraska Repertory Theatre, among others.

Davidson is also passionate about creating accessible theatre experiences and previously worked with neurodiverse artists as a teaching facilitator with A.B.L.E. Ensemble in Chicago. This company creates theatre and film projects for, with, and by individuals with down syndrome and other developmental disabilities.

Learn about the NOW Lab here: https://omahaplayhouse.com/education/now-lab/.

Meet the Panelists for the RENT Pre-Show Panel Discussion | March 4!

 Join us on Saturday, March 4, at 6:00 p.m. in the Howard Drew Theatre. Four panelists will offer their perspectives on RENT as well as share their lived experiences as persons living with HIV.

Meet The Panelists:

Moderator: Tommy Young-Dennis

Tommy Young-Dennis, born in Omaha, Nebraska, is a gay Black man, LGBTQ+ advocate, HIV activist, and educator. After being diagnosed with HIV+ in 2010, Young-Dennis turned his devastation into action. Within three months of his diagnosis, he founded an HIV+ support group for young adults, began volunteering at Nebraska AIDS Project, and dedicated his time to supporting and educating others living with the disease. In 2017, Young-Dennis joined the Nebraska AIDS Project (NAP) full-time as their prevention and outreach specialist. He does onsite testing, Linkage to Care, and focuses on providing resources and education to Black, gay, and same-gender-loving men (BGBM), a population disproportionately affected by HIV. Tommy was promoted to Outreach Coordinator in June 2020 and then to Outreach Manager in 2022. Additionally, Young-Dennis serves as one of the co-chairs of the National LGBT Juvenile Justice HIV sub-group, which focuses on de-criminalizing HIV laws and those who they impact.
In 2018, Tommy was awarded the Young Black Influential Award for his advocacy. In 2021, he also received the Kuwasi Balagoon Award for his work on HIV education and outreach from Black and Pink, the nation’s largest LGBTQIA+ Prison abolitionist organization.

Pastor Darryl Brown Jr.

Pastor Darryl Brown, Jr. is the only openly gay Black founding and senior pastor of Kingdom Builders Christian Center of Omaha, NE (2009), in Nebraska, and the director of reconciliation and restorative practices at Planned Parenthood. Brown has been recognized within his community with awards, including the Omaha Chamber of Commerce’s “Change Maker Award” (2020), Omaha Jaycee’s “Ten Outstanding Young Omahans Award” (2021), YBI’s “Young Black & Influential Award” (2021), and Black & Pink National’s “Kuwasi Balagoon Award” (2021). As a nationally recognized author, sexual health educator, spiritual life coach and teacher, his work intersects spirituality, healing, black advocacy/liberation, and LGBTQ+ identities. Brown’s most recent work, I’m Positive, I Forgive You (How I Forgave the Man That Gave Me HIV), candidly reveals how he navigated his shocking HIV diagnosis and, after four years, decided to forgive. Seeing the total person “living in their abundance” is the desired outcome of Pastor Brown’s work.

Erin Fulton

Erin Fulton has been a financial professional in Omaha, Nebraska, for 15 years. She was diagnosed with HIV in 1994 when she was 17 years old. Fulton attributes her positive health outcomes to adhering to her treatment plan. She has been undetectable for 29 years. She's a wife in a serodiscordant marriage for 13 years. Fulton has two daughters, who are 22 and 12. Fulton's passion is to help others learn about living with HIV.  

TJ King

TJ King is a Nebraska native born and raised in Lincoln and currently lives in Omaha. He was diagnosed with HIV in 1993. King has always been steadfast in community engagement and using his gifts to improve and uplift others. He currently works for the Nebraska AIDS Project as the prevention, testing, and outreach specialist.

The Three 'Raynells' of AUGUST WILSON'S FENCES!

Three youth actors make their OCP debut playing the role of 'Raynell' in August Wilson's Fences. We spoke to youth actors Anavie Lyons, Hope Haddad and Brooklyn Montegut after their Tech Sunday rehearsal about the role and what their theatre experience has been like thus far!

Hi my name is Anavie, and I’m playing Raynell! 
My name’s Hope, and I’m Raynell! 
My name is Brooklyn and I’m playing Raynell!

Interviewer: Hello! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me. Ok, first question: Is this your first show/theater performance?

• Anavie Lyons: This is my first show but, I’ve done other shows at some other places.
  
• Hope Haddad: It is my first show but not my first theatre performance!
  
• Brooklyn Montegut: I've done a show at the Rose Theatre, and I’m still practicing for Frozen Kids at my school. We’re doing the first movie of Frozen. I am the Housekeeper and I’m part of the Snow Chorus, it’s a musical!
• Interviewer: It's a musical! Love that. That's awesome!

·     It’s opening week! You guys will be on stage really soon, are you excited, are you nervous?
How are you feeling?

• Anavie Lyons: I’m, excited and nervous.
• Hope Haddad: I’m excited and nervous, so… excited-nervous!
• Brooklyn Montegut: Kind of a little in the mix, nervous and excited.
  
• Interviewer: Okay! You guys are going to do great, no worries.

·     Ok so you play Raynell… What is she like? …Is she shy, is she bold? Cool? Is she happy and confident, what do you think?

• Anavie Lyons: She’s brave, she kind to everyone, and she asks questions.
  
• Hope Haddad: She’s kind. She definitely wants to help others, and when other people feel sad, she helps them!
  
• Brooklyn Montegut: She’s like confident and bold.
  Interviewer: That's really good: she's confident and she asks questions, that's important.

What is your favorite part about playing Raynell?

• Anavie Lyons: When I hold the phone and I call for her [Rose], and I tell her to come in!
• Hope Haddad: My favorite part is like, when I get to talk on the phone, and then I say my line and I get to hold the phone!
• Brooklyn Montegut: I don’t really have a favorite part; I like the whole thing!

What have you been doing to help yourself remember all your lines & remember where you’re supposed to go?

• Anavie Lyons: I practice at home, and I watch people to do it.
• Hope Haddad: I've been practicing and, I just watch the other people.
• Brooklyn Montegut: I practice a little bit, and I don't really do anything, I just kinda know!
• Interviewer: You just kinda know... you're just that good! That's great!

What has been your favorite part about being in this show so far??

• Anavie Lyons: Rehearsal, going back and forth in the house, (the house on stage,) and putting those microphones on.
• Hope Haddad: My favorite part has been, I have two: being in rehearsal, and going in and out of the house and putting those [mic packs] on!
• Brooklyn Montegut: I really like using props, and I also like just to go to the break room to eat!
• Interviewer: Going in the break room to eat, that's one of my favorite parts too.

Alrighty, if you could be in ANY SHOW you wanted on stage, your DREAM show, what would it be?

• Anavie Lyons: In The Heights!
• Interviewer: In The Heights! That's coming, did you know that? Anavie Lyons: Yea!
• Hope Haddad: Mine would be like someone who stands up for everyone, and even though people are mean to her she still never gives up.
• Brooklyn Montegut: I kind of have four... two connect: one is The Thundermans, the other one is The Little Mermaid, the new one that's coming out! And then there's Henry Danger and the other one that connects to it is The Danger.
• Interviewer: Okay all four of those shows. That'd be awesome, I'd love to see that happen!

Ok last question, guys! Do you think you will audition for more shows in the future?

• Anavie Lyons: Yes! I will!
• Hope Haddad: Um yes! I definitely will.
• Brooklyn Montegut: I already have! 
• Interviewer: You already have! Ok you're ahead of the game, that's great! Well thank you guys so much for speaking with me, and good luck on your performances and your opening night... You will all be amazing.