Additional programming for Next to Normal is offered for the community to "Go Beyond the Show." Programs include community conversations about the show’s themes and content lead by UNMC health experts and the cast and crew of the show.
Science Café: The Science of Bipolar Disorder
Tuesday, Feb. 4, 7 p.m.
The Slowdown
The University of Nebraska Medical Center is sponsoring Next to Normal.
Steven Wengel, M.D., a geriatric psychiatrist and professor and chair of the department of psychiatry at UNMC, will discuss symptoms, treatment and coping with bipolar disorder.
The event is free and open to the public.
Post-show Discussions
At the Omaha Community Playhouse following the production. Free with the purchase of a ticket.
Join mental health experts coordinated through UNMC to discuss the themes of Next to Normal and learn more about bipolar disorder and mental health.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Discussion lead by Rachel Labaton and Kristi Barth.
Rachel S. Labaton currently holds a doctorate in clinical psychology with a specialization in child and adolescent clinical/pediatric psychology. She has worked with diverse populations with conditions such as behavioral disorders, severe mental illness, learning disabilities, chronic health conditions, traumatic brain injury, neurological disorders and developmental and intellectual disabilities. She enjoys working with children and adolescents in underserved areas and reaching out to the communities she serves.
Kristi Barth is a mom of a son diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder. She has a passion for educating people on the struggles that go along with teens having a mental illness and dispelling the stigmas attached.
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Discussion lead by Dr. Howard Liu.
Dr. Howard Liu is an assistant professor in the department of Psychiatry at UNMC. Dr. Liu maintains an outpatient practice treating children and adolescents with mood disorders, anxiety disorders and ADHD. He is a frequent commentator on media programs regarding issues in child and adolescent mental health.
Talk Back with Cast and Crew
Friday, February 21, 2014
Cast and crew lead a discussion about the show and their experiences producing it. Talk Backs begin five minutes after the performance.
February Metro Arts and Culture Pass
The Metro Arts and Culture Pass features various nonprofit arts organizations around Omaha. In order to be a Metro Arts and Culture Pass member, you only must be a member or subscriber to one of the participating organizations. Every month, OCP members can enjoy a discount at a different featured Omaha arts organization.
Other participating organizations include:
Omaha Children's Museum
Omaha Performing Arts
Bemis Center
Durham Museum
Opera Omaha
El Museo Latino
The Rose
Film Streams
Nebraska Shakespeare
Joslyn Art Museum
Fontenelle Forest
The Arts Center
Ballet Nebraska
Love's Jazz and Arts Center
Lauritzen Gardens
Bluffs Arts Council
Strategic Air and Space Museum
Nebraskans for the Arts
BlueBarn Theatre
Kaneko
Omaha Creative Institute
For more information about the Metro Arts Pass, contact the director of sales at lkaup@omahaplayhouse.com or (402) 553-4890, ext. 147.
Nebraskans for the Arts
BlueBarn Theatre
Kaneko
Omaha Creative Institute
For more information about the Metro Arts Pass, contact the director of sales at lkaup@omahaplayhouse.com or (402) 553-4890, ext. 147.
21 & Over presents 'Tigers Be Still'
Omaha Community Playhouse's 21 & Over program presents Tigers Be Still.
Monday, February 17, 2014
7:30 p.m.
Omaha Community Playhouse
Free and open to the public, with an opportunity for donations. No tickets or reservations are necessary.
Tigers Be Still, by Kim Rosenstock
Poor Sherry Wickman has tried to do everything right: she's gotten a master's degree in Art Therapy; she's put out countless resumes; she's tried to be independent. Unemployed and overwhelmed, she returns to her childhood home when a job fails to materialize. Joined by a mother who refuses to leave her room and a sister who refuses to get off the couch, Sherry's life has certainly hit an all-time low. Now, if only the high school principal would put down his rifle long enough to hire her, her sister would return the Chihuahua she's dognapped and someone would catch the tiger that's escaped from the zoo, things would be perfect. A delightful comedy about misadventures in pursuit of happiness.The 21 & Over productions are intended for a mature audience and discretion is advised. For more information on 21 & Over and other OCP alternative programs, contact Amy Lane, Resident Director, at alane@omahaplayhouse.com or (402) 553-4890, ext. 164.
21 & Over is sponsored by Omaha Steaks and media sponsored by Omahype.
An Unexceptionally while Uncommonly Normal Family
Normal is a word that is hard to explain because every
person has a different perspective on what normal is to them. Average, conforming,
standard and usual are just some words that describe the word normal. In the
production, Next to Normal, a family
tries to be or maintain just that.
Next to Normal is a 2010 Pulitzer Prize Drama winner that tells an engaging story of a
family dealing with the tragedies and realities of modern society through a
dramatic rock musical production full of emotional ballads.
Next to Normal unfolds with an average looking suburban family that consists of a wife,
husband and their two adolescent children. Quickly, the audience learns that
everything is not so normal.
 |
| Sam Swerczek as Gabe, Jeffrey Pierce as Dan, Angela Jenson-Frey as Diana, Thomas Gjere as Henry, Grace Bydalek as Natalie, Joe Dignoti as Dr. Madden |
The
characters all give important contributing factors that help interweave the
message together. Here are some of the actors from the production giving a
little insight to their character.
Angela
Jenson-Frey plays Diana, the overly-medicated mother who suffers from bipolar
disorder. “I have some personal
experience with the disease, as someone very close to me has been diagnosed
with it. Watching and seeing the entire cyclical evolution of it manifest right
before my eyes has been eye-opening to me in terms of being able to relate to
the character. That's what drew me to this show in the first place,” said
Angela.
 |
| Jeffrey Pierce and Angela Jenson-Frey as Dan and Diana |
Angela feels this show can relate to many
people. “For anyone who has struggled with a mental illness of any kind, or has
a loved one, who does, I think this show helps us to know that we are not alone
in the struggle,” said Angela. “But at the same time, it is empowering in that
it shows great independence in making one's own decisions about what's best for
them.”
This show relates to everyone in terms of
struggling to be normal or what normal means to them. “This production holds a
little mirror up to everyone's lives, whether they struggle with a mental
disorder or not, that proves that none of us are perfect and none of us are
normal,” said Angela. “Who gets to define what is normal, anyway? We all
have pain, we suffer losses but we love and we get through it. Live with
what's real. And I think that's something everyone can relate to.”
 |
| Thomas Gjere and Grace Bydalek as Henry and Natalie |
“The stress to be perfect is not uncommon for
girls of my age; there seems to be a constant fear of mediocrity and of not
reaching your full potential,” said Grace. “There are also very few people that
Natalie relates to, and when she runs across them, they become very important
in her life. Natalie is also stressed about the college process, which I can definitely
relate to!”
“We
can also all relate, in one way or another, to the issues between mother and
daughter, father and son,” said Grace. “For being a musical, it is a raw
snapshot of a dysfunctional family struggling with abnormal circumstances.”
 |
| Sam Swerczek and Angela Jenson-Frey as Gabe and Diana |
Sam
Swerczek is playing Gabe, the son of Diane and brother to Natalie. “He
is an enigmatic character who may come off a bit arrogant or needy at times,
but there just might be a reason for that,” said Sam.
“I think this musical will strike a chord with many of the
people who come to see it,” said Sam. “It is a bit intense and brooding at
times, but there is a beautiful message about accepting what is and learning to
deal with it. I think audiences will dig it!”
This
thought-provoking musical production beautifully interweaves the story together
through diverse characters and marvelous music.
Don’t
miss this dramatic play, Next to Normal,
Feb. 7-March 16 in the Howard
Drew Theatre at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Tickets are $40 for adults and $24 for students. For groups of 12 or more, adult tickets are $29 and student tickets are $18. For
more information please call (402) 553-0080, or visit the Box Office or click here.
This production
contains strong language and adult situations intended for mature audiences.
Story by Yoyo Ma
Story by Yoyo Ma
Go Beyond the Show - Having Our Say
Women of Accomplishment Art Exhibit
Curated through Great Plains Black History Museum
Exhibit dates: Jan. 17-Feb. 9 at the Omaha Community Playhouse
Artist Terry Diel has captured images of historical African-American women in No. 2 pencil. Women of Accomplishment are notable African-American women from the past who have had a definite influence on everything from the entertainment industry to the civil rights movement. Women on display will include Hattie McDaniel, Bessie Coleman, Daisy Bates and others. The historical relevance is included with each image on display. Diel has been an art teacher and a professional artist for over 45 years, and has exhibited throughout the Midwest.
Pre-show Conversations
Friday, Jan. 31 & Feb. 8, 6:45 p.m.
Enjoy a conversation about the exhibit prior to Having Our Say on Jan. 31 and Feb. 8. The conversation is free and open to those attending the play that evening.
Post-show discussion with Spencer Davis
Feb. 2, 2014, after the 2 p.m. matinee of Having Our Say
Join Dr. Spencer Davis, professor of history at Peru State College, for a workshop and discussion of the historic context of Having Our Say and Harlem during the Delany sisters’ era. A question and answer format makes for an interactive experience for the audience member.
Spencer Davis has taught at Peru State College since 1983 and holds a B.A. from Brown University, M.A. from University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Ph. D from University of Toronto. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and belongs to professional organizations, including the Abraham Lincoln Association, Organization of American Historians and Midwest Political Science Association. He is a member of Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau presenting programs on African-American History and Abraham Lincoln. He is a member of the Nebraska State Historical Society Board of Trustees and a Durham Museum consultant and speaker.
He has contributed entries for Encyclopedia U.S.A. and Encyclopedia of Slavery, reviews in “Nebraska History” and articles to Proceedings of Dakota Conference on Early British Literature and Proceedings of the European Studies Conference. He has published articles on James Weldon Johnson and Ma Rainey.
Dr. Davis has been married to Mrs. Vivian Davis since May, 1996.
Talk Back
Jan. 31, 2014, after the show
Join the actresses and crew for a post-show talk back for a behind-the-scenes discussion of challenges, techniques and ideas of creating Having Our Say.
Curated through Great Plains Black History Museum
Exhibit dates: Jan. 17-Feb. 9 at the Omaha Community Playhouse
Artist Terry Diel has captured images of historical African-American women in No. 2 pencil. Women of Accomplishment are notable African-American women from the past who have had a definite influence on everything from the entertainment industry to the civil rights movement. Women on display will include Hattie McDaniel, Bessie Coleman, Daisy Bates and others. The historical relevance is included with each image on display. Diel has been an art teacher and a professional artist for over 45 years, and has exhibited throughout the Midwest.
Pre-show Conversations
Friday, Jan. 31 & Feb. 8, 6:45 p.m.
Enjoy a conversation about the exhibit prior to Having Our Say on Jan. 31 and Feb. 8. The conversation is free and open to those attending the play that evening.
Post-show discussion with Spencer Davis
Feb. 2, 2014, after the 2 p.m. matinee of Having Our Say
Join Dr. Spencer Davis, professor of history at Peru State College, for a workshop and discussion of the historic context of Having Our Say and Harlem during the Delany sisters’ era. A question and answer format makes for an interactive experience for the audience member.
Spencer Davis has taught at Peru State College since 1983 and holds a B.A. from Brown University, M.A. from University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Ph. D from University of Toronto. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and belongs to professional organizations, including the Abraham Lincoln Association, Organization of American Historians and Midwest Political Science Association. He is a member of Humanities Nebraska Speakers Bureau presenting programs on African-American History and Abraham Lincoln. He is a member of the Nebraska State Historical Society Board of Trustees and a Durham Museum consultant and speaker.
He has contributed entries for Encyclopedia U.S.A. and Encyclopedia of Slavery, reviews in “Nebraska History” and articles to Proceedings of Dakota Conference on Early British Literature and Proceedings of the European Studies Conference. He has published articles on James Weldon Johnson and Ma Rainey.
Dr. Davis has been married to Mrs. Vivian Davis since May, 1996.
Talk Back
Jan. 31, 2014, after the show
Join the actresses and crew for a post-show talk back for a behind-the-scenes discussion of challenges, techniques and ideas of creating Having Our Say.
Sisters Remember Omaha Civil Rights
Having Our Say is a home-told story of two sisters who have lived to be 103 and 101 years old. Two African-American women experiencing life through the Civil Rights Movement from beginning until now, Bessie and Sadie Delany have an interesting history to tell.
Similarly, Camille Metoyer Moten and Lanette Metoyer Moore, the two real-life sisters portraying the Delanys, have memories and a history of their own. Born in 1950 and 1954, the Metoyers grew up and experienced the changing time of Omaha's Civil Rights Movement.
The Metoyer family was a lot like the Delany family. "Our great-great grandfather knew that owning land and keeping it in the family was the key to prosperity. He was uneducated and could only sign with an X for his signature, but he had a legal document written that stated his land could only be owned or sold to a family member, and to this day it is still in our family," said Lanette.
On the other side of the family, the Metoyers experienced the racial mixing that Bessie and Sadie talk about in the play. They recently found out their grandmother had a white father, so she was given to a black couple to be raised, a fact that she may never have known herself. "Our parents were very similar to the Delany parents: our father, Raymond, was very light-skinned and married the prettiest brown-lady, Lois, that he had ever seen," said Lanette. "Our parents raised us just like the Delany sisters to believe that you could be 'black, white, grizzly or gray... you were you!'"
"Through the height of the Civil Rights Movement, our family was very involved," said Camille. "Our father was the president of the Nebraska Urban League. He hosted Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson and others, which we had the privilege of meeting as children. I remember Malcolm X saying I reminded him of his daughter." Her father owned a profitable business on the North Side at the time when there were many riots, but no one ever bothered it because of the respect held for his work in the community.
A jazz aficionado, Camille and Lanette's mother stayed at home with her four children. "Our mother did all the housework, which is why Lanette and I can't clean to this day!" said Camille. Strong parents, the Metoyers always made sure their children knew about equality and how things should be. "Their approach was always to educate people that might be racist as opposed to fighting them," said Camille.
Lanette remembers how much her parents emphasized their children's education. "They knew, like the Delany sisters, that education was the key to equality," said Lanette. "They made sure we had every opportunity at our disposal and any resource that was available to better our education." They even moved the entire family out to West Omaha (from the North side) to give their children a source of better education.
The only black family moving into a home on 100th St. in 1966, however, became somewhat of a dangerous choice. "There were petitions to remove us, eggs thrown on the house, nails in the driveway, threatening phone calls and mysterious drive-ups to our home in the middle of the night," said Camille. "My father had to have friends protect the home with guns before we moved into it."
Though the two older kids were able to stay in their high schools after the move, Camille and her younger brother enrolled in West Omaha schools. Although she said that she made lasting friends during this time, Camille remembered hearing rude and upsetting remarks from the other students because of her race and a back brace she wore at the time.
"My most devastating moment came when I was denied the lead in the high school musical Guys and Dolls because my music teacher stated that no black girl was going to kiss a white boy on his stage," remembered Camille. "That man went on to become the head of OPS music... I can only imagine the damage he continued to wreak upon the children of color from his leadership position."
It was during the Civil Rights movement that Camille was arrested alongside with her parents for marching on City Hall in support for open housing. "The police carried us out, and the press took a picture of me and my dad that went out on the Associated Press across the nation," said Camille.
Camille still remembers her first encounter with racism when her family tried to eat dinner at King Fong's Cafe and was not allowed inside. "I remember my mother explaining that we would encounter people that wouldn't like us because of what we are, not who we are," said Camille. Similarly, when Omaha passed the law integrating Peony Park, Camille remembers when she went there for the first time. "All I could think was, no one wants me here." Even years later, when she took her own children to that park, Camille couldn't shake that feeling from when she was only eight.
Unfortunately, the effects of racial inequality have still not disappeared. "Every place I have worked, I was either passed over or denied the opportunity to have a higher position," said Camille, "regardless of my education and experience." This included, at her last job, a white counterpart with the same education but less experience to receive $20,000 more a year. "If you look at Omaha today and still see the huge remaining segregated neighborhoods, the lack of Black people in city and corporate leaderships positions, we have to realize the effects of inequality remain."
Through the hardship they have faced being black women during this time period, Lanette is still thankful for her situation and her family. "We were blessed to have such wonderful parents who always let us know that we were worth something. They taught us that it is what you possess on the inside that makes you who and what you are. Sadie says in the play 'that God has never let them down,' and never a more true statement has been made."
You can see sisters Camille Metoyer Moten and Lanette Metoyer Moore playing the Delany sisters in Omaha Community Playhouse's Having Our Say, which will be running Jan.17 - Feb. 9; Wednesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults and $21 for students. To purchase tickets, or for more information, call (402) 553-0800, visit the Box Office or click here.
Story by Shannon Kern
Similarly, Camille Metoyer Moten and Lanette Metoyer Moore, the two real-life sisters portraying the Delanys, have memories and a history of their own. Born in 1950 and 1954, the Metoyers grew up and experienced the changing time of Omaha's Civil Rights Movement.
The Metoyer family was a lot like the Delany family. "Our great-great grandfather knew that owning land and keeping it in the family was the key to prosperity. He was uneducated and could only sign with an X for his signature, but he had a legal document written that stated his land could only be owned or sold to a family member, and to this day it is still in our family," said Lanette.
 |
| Camille Metoyer Moten and Lanette Metoyer Moore as Bessie and Sadie Delany |
On the other side of the family, the Metoyers experienced the racial mixing that Bessie and Sadie talk about in the play. They recently found out their grandmother had a white father, so she was given to a black couple to be raised, a fact that she may never have known herself. "Our parents were very similar to the Delany parents: our father, Raymond, was very light-skinned and married the prettiest brown-lady, Lois, that he had ever seen," said Lanette. "Our parents raised us just like the Delany sisters to believe that you could be 'black, white, grizzly or gray... you were you!'"
"Through the height of the Civil Rights Movement, our family was very involved," said Camille. "Our father was the president of the Nebraska Urban League. He hosted Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson and others, which we had the privilege of meeting as children. I remember Malcolm X saying I reminded him of his daughter." Her father owned a profitable business on the North Side at the time when there were many riots, but no one ever bothered it because of the respect held for his work in the community.
A jazz aficionado, Camille and Lanette's mother stayed at home with her four children. "Our mother did all the housework, which is why Lanette and I can't clean to this day!" said Camille. Strong parents, the Metoyers always made sure their children knew about equality and how things should be. "Their approach was always to educate people that might be racist as opposed to fighting them," said Camille.
Lanette remembers how much her parents emphasized their children's education. "They knew, like the Delany sisters, that education was the key to equality," said Lanette. "They made sure we had every opportunity at our disposal and any resource that was available to better our education." They even moved the entire family out to West Omaha (from the North side) to give their children a source of better education.
The only black family moving into a home on 100th St. in 1966, however, became somewhat of a dangerous choice. "There were petitions to remove us, eggs thrown on the house, nails in the driveway, threatening phone calls and mysterious drive-ups to our home in the middle of the night," said Camille. "My father had to have friends protect the home with guns before we moved into it."
 |
| Lanette Metoyer Moore and Camille Metoyer Moten as Sadie and Bessie Delany |
Though the two older kids were able to stay in their high schools after the move, Camille and her younger brother enrolled in West Omaha schools. Although she said that she made lasting friends during this time, Camille remembered hearing rude and upsetting remarks from the other students because of her race and a back brace she wore at the time.
"My most devastating moment came when I was denied the lead in the high school musical Guys and Dolls because my music teacher stated that no black girl was going to kiss a white boy on his stage," remembered Camille. "That man went on to become the head of OPS music... I can only imagine the damage he continued to wreak upon the children of color from his leadership position."
It was during the Civil Rights movement that Camille was arrested alongside with her parents for marching on City Hall in support for open housing. "The police carried us out, and the press took a picture of me and my dad that went out on the Associated Press across the nation," said Camille.
Camille still remembers her first encounter with racism when her family tried to eat dinner at King Fong's Cafe and was not allowed inside. "I remember my mother explaining that we would encounter people that wouldn't like us because of what we are, not who we are," said Camille. Similarly, when Omaha passed the law integrating Peony Park, Camille remembers when she went there for the first time. "All I could think was, no one wants me here." Even years later, when she took her own children to that park, Camille couldn't shake that feeling from when she was only eight.
 |
| Camille Metoyer Moten and Lanette Metoyer Moore as Bessie and Sadie Delany |
Unfortunately, the effects of racial inequality have still not disappeared. "Every place I have worked, I was either passed over or denied the opportunity to have a higher position," said Camille, "regardless of my education and experience." This included, at her last job, a white counterpart with the same education but less experience to receive $20,000 more a year. "If you look at Omaha today and still see the huge remaining segregated neighborhoods, the lack of Black people in city and corporate leaderships positions, we have to realize the effects of inequality remain."
Through the hardship they have faced being black women during this time period, Lanette is still thankful for her situation and her family. "We were blessed to have such wonderful parents who always let us know that we were worth something. They taught us that it is what you possess on the inside that makes you who and what you are. Sadie says in the play 'that God has never let them down,' and never a more true statement has been made."
You can see sisters Camille Metoyer Moten and Lanette Metoyer Moore playing the Delany sisters in Omaha Community Playhouse's Having Our Say, which will be running Jan.17 - Feb. 9; Wednesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults and $21 for students. To purchase tickets, or for more information, call (402) 553-0800, visit the Box Office or click here.
Story by Shannon Kern
January Metro Arts and Culture Pass Deal
Enjoy the arts with a Metro Arts and Culture Pass! If you are a season subscriber to the Omaha Community Playhouse, in the month of January, you can receive 2 tickets for $50 to Agrippina at Opera Omaha and two free tickets to the Bemis Center secret spring art event.
The Metro Arts and Culture Pass features various nonprofit arts organizations around Omaha. In order to be a Metro Arts and Culture Pass member, you only must be a member or subscriber to one of the participating organizations. Every month, OCP members can enjoy a discount at a different featured Omaha arts organization.
Other participating organizations include:
Omaha Children's Museum
Omaha Performing Arts
Bemis Center
Durham Museum
Opera Omaha
El Museo Latino
The Rose
Film Streams
Nebraska Shakespeare
Joslyn Art Museum
Fontenelle Forest
The Arts Center
Ballet Nebraska
Love's Jazz and Arts Center
Lauritzen Gardens
Bluffs Arts Council
Strategic Air and Space Museum
Nebraskans for the Arts
BlueBarn Theatre
Kaneko
Omaha Creative Institute
For more information about the Metro Arts Pass, contact the director of sales at lkaup@omahaplayhouse.com or (402) 553-4890, ext. 147.
Nebraskans for the Arts
BlueBarn Theatre
Kaneko
Omaha Creative Institute
For more information about the Metro Arts Pass, contact the director of sales at lkaup@omahaplayhouse.com or (402) 553-4890, ext. 147.
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