Omaha Community Playhouse

21 & Over: A Bright New Boise

Omaha Community Playhouse's 21 & Over program presents A Bright New Boise.

Monday, Oct. 22, 2012
7:30 p.m.
Omaha Community Playhouse
Free and open to the public, with an opportunity for donations. No tickets or reservations are necessary.

A Bright New Boise, by Sam Hunter

The Rapture may be coming to the employee break room of Hobby Lobby. Will, escaping a recent tragic past with a radical religious group, arrives in Boise to reconnect with his estranged teenage son. A small band of lost souls struggles to find strength in each other as their beliefs threaten to shatter everything around them. A beautiful, funny play about the impossibility of modern faith.

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.

Omigod You Guys! There’s a Dog in This Show?

Yes, that’s right. The Omaha Community Playhouse’s upcoming production of Legally Blonde features not one but two furry four-legged actors that will be sure to delight audiences in this popular musical adaptation of the 2001 hit movie Legally Blonde starring Reese Witherspoon.

Meet Remy and Newt, OCP’s newest cast members. Remy, a two-year-old Papillon plays Bruiser. Newt a one-and-a-half year old Maltese mix plays Rufus. Bruiser is Elle Woods’s companion and favorite fashion accessory throughout her self-empowering journey to Harvard Law School. Rufus is Hairdresser Paulette’s dog who she tries to get back from her horrible ex with Elle’s help.

Remy stars as Bruiser Woods

Newt stars as Rufus

Remy and Newt are making their theatrical debut in Legally Blonde. Newt was rescued by OCP alums Connie Lee and Paul Schneider. Remy was also rescued by Sandi Hansen when he was seven months old. Sandi, a professional dog trainer at Sandi’s K9 Management, is training the dogs to follow commands, listen for cues and be obedient while on stage.

Working with dogs on stage can be quite a challenge at first. Director Carl Beck describes some of the challenges and how he works to overcome them. “It’s difficult to make decisions about movement when we aren’t sure about how comfortable the dog will be in a situation,” said Carl. “We set goals we want the dog to complete such as running on stage or barking on cue. If the dog doesn’t seem to be comfortable with the situation then it’s important to work out the logistics and come up with possible alternatives.“

Remy and Leanne Hill Carlson who stars as Elle Woods

When asked, what is the most difficult part of training dogs for live theatre, Sandi said, “Not having an audience of 600 to rehearse in front of. In my book, there really is no such thing as over-preparation for a live audience! The applause, laughter, “oohs” and “aaahs” are really not something you can simulate in a training environment...”

Preparing a dog for the theatre requires a lot of practice and hands-on experience. Sandi explains, “Several hours are required on stage, backstage and away from the theatre. Aside from the mere basics, extensive socializing is needed to ensure that the dogs will not only be comfortable around new and different settings, but also enjoy the experience.”

Remy and Leanne Hill Carlson

Not every dog is suitable for a career on the stage. “There are certain qualities I look for in theatrical dogs, and it takes a certain character to be able to handle the stresses and training of a stage atmosphere,” said Sandi. “I look for dogs who are both outgoing and comfortable with humans first and foremost. The dogs must also be enthusiastic about learning, and not all dogs have all of these qualities. Of course, physical cuteness is a plus … but then we look at the role of Rufus. This part calls for a big, gruff Bulldog. There aren’t many Bulldogs out there who could handle this role, even though it isn’t a very demanding role … so I’ve borrowed Newt, a Maltese mix. I could see his theatre appeal from day one, and was excited to break him into theatre.”

See Remy and Newt in their theatrical debut on stage in OCP’s production of Legally Blonde. The show runs September 14-October 14 in the Howard and Rhonda Hawks Mainstage Theatre. Tickets are $40 for adults and $24 for student tickets. For groups of 12 or more, tickets are $29 for adults and $18 for students. For tickets or for more information, visit the OCP Box Office, call (402) 553-0800 or click here.

Story by Ryan Murray

Metro Arts Pass September Deal

Enjoy the arts with a Metro Arts Pass! If you are a season subscriber to the Omaha Community Playhouse, in the month of September, you can receive $1 off admission at the Omaha Children's Museum and buy one ticket and get one ticket free to Bluffs Arts Council's Savor the Flavor on Oct. 6.

The Metro Arts Pass is sponsored by The Reader and features various nonprofit arts organizations around Omaha. In order to be a Metro Arts 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 Nature Association
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
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: A Behanding in Spokane

Omaha Community Playhouse's 21 & Over program presents A Behanding in Spokane.

Monday, Sept. 10, 2012
7:30 p.m.
Omaha Community Playhouse
Free and open to the public, with an opportunity for donations. No tickets or reservations are necessary.

A Behanding in Spokane, by Martin McDonagh

From the master of unleashed comic violence, comes this harrowing farce of love, hate, desperation and hope. Carmichael has been searching for his missing left hand for decades. Into the picture pops a pair of amateur black market dealers with a hand to sell. Buckle your seatbelts on this thrill ride of hilarity and horror.

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.

21 & Over Presents Louder Than a Bomb

Omaha Community Playhouse's 21 & Over program presents Louder Than a Bomb.

Monday, Aug. 27, 2012
7:30 p.m.
Omaha Community Playhouse
Free and open to the public, with an opportunity for donations. No tickets or reservations are necessary.

Louder Than a Bomb

Founded in Chicago in 2001, Louder Than a Bomb is a teen poetry festival which aims “to bring teens together across racial, gang and socio-economic lines, LTAB is a friendly competition that emphasizes self-expression and community via poetry, oral story-telling, and hip-hop spoken word.” This special event, brought to you by The Nebraska Writers Collective, showcases the best of Omaha’s emerging young artists.

Upcoming OCP-related events

The Omaha Community Playhouse is hosting and co-hosting some fun events in August and September that are in addition to the regular season. Find one (or more) that's right for you!

Friday, August 24, 6:30 p.m. reception, 7:30 p.m. play
August: Osage County Preview Party for Rising Stars
Enjoy a pre-show reception before seeing the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner August: Osage County. The reception is $5 for Rising Stars, which will include beer, wine and soda. Rising Star memberships are for 21-35 year olds. A membership is only $40 per year and members can receive up to 2 $10 tickets for each regular season show.

Thursday, August, 30, 6-8 p.m.
Social Hour for Young Professionals at Fontenelle Forest
This co-hosted event is a chance for young professionals to mingle and get an exclusive look at DinoQuest2: Trek Through Time. The evening will include wine and cheese. The cost is $8 per person. Register here.

Sunday, September 9, 2 p.m.
Performance and Creative Conversation at the Omaha Community Playhouse
Join the Omaha Community Playhouse for an afternoon performance of August: Osage County followed by a group roundtable discussion to explore individual and group responses to this compelling story. Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play, August: Osage County is one of the most bracing and critically acclaimed plays in recent Broadway history.

OCP is offering a special ticket price of only $23 (regularly $35) for this performance or become a Rising Star subscriber and receive $10 tickets. To make reservations, become a Rising Star, or for more information, call the director of sales at (402) 553-4890 ext. 147.

You Can’t Choose Your Family

You can’t choose your family. Nobody can relate to this more than the Westons. In the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play, August: Osage County, the patriarch of the Weston clan goes missing. The family then reunites at the Oklahoma homestead, where long-held secrets are unflinchingly and uproariously revealed. August: Osage County is a portrait of a dysfunctional American family at its finest—and absolute worst. Which got us thinking, can the acclaimed Omaha actors in this OCP season opener relate to their characters?

Moira Mangiameli who plays the oldest Weston sister Barbara comes from a family with 10 kids.

“The relationship between the [Weston] sisters is definitely complicated, and so is my relationship with my sisters,” said Moira. “The brothers are easier just because there's not the element of competition, I guess. My sisters are my closest friends and even though we drive each other crazy sometimes, we'd walk through fire for each other, and I think that's true of the Weston girls, too, deep down...deep, DEEP down.”

Susan Baer Collins who is not often seen onstage at OCP, but rather behind the scenes offering her directing expertise is playing Violet Weston, the matriarch of the clan. Like Moira, she has a special relationship with her sisters that she can see in August: Osage County.

“I'm one of three sisters, the one in the middle, and I recognize that strong sisterly connection, as well as the competition, jealousies and criticisms that come with sisters,” said Susan

Susan’s identification with the show goes deeper than her relationship with her sisters.

“I can relate to some degree with Violet Weston – she is a drug addict who had a very deprived childhood, with a terrifically unstable and cruel mother,” said Susan. “My background was not economically deprived like Vi's, nor were our parents cruel, but my sisters and I grew up with a father (a physician) who for most of our growing up was addicted to alcohol and later prescription drugs. Our lives completely revolved around my father's moods and behavior. Starting at the age of 13, I saw my dad as the enemy – I would do anything to make him stop, such as rooting through his pockets to find his pills and throwing them away. I stopped destroying my dad's stash when I realized he was accusing my mother of doing it and she was taking the responsibility for it, to protect me. My story does have a happier ending, however, than the play, thank God! My father went into treatment when I was in my mid-twenties and achieved sobriety for the rest of his life. As a result, he was 100% there for my mother when she contracted cancer, and he was 100% there for all of us when she died.”

Even in the most upsetting times, these women know how to find joy and laughter, like the Westons.

“When my oldest sister Kathy passed away almost 20 years ago, there was a moment in the hospital room I'll never forget,” said Moira. “They had turned off the machines and we were all gathered around her bed, holding hands and just being together. It was almost completely silent in the room. The nurse came in and said, ‘You know, you can talk to her if you want. They say the hearing is the last thing to go.’ There was a small silence and then my Dad said ‘Well, in her case, it was the first.’ You see, Kathy was deaf from birth. We all laughed till we cried, and it made saying goodbye so much easier.”

Don’t miss these inspirational women and the rest of the powerhouse cast in August: Osage County, Aug. 17-Sept. 16 in the Howard Drew Theatre. Tickets are $35 for adults and $21 for students. For groups of 12 or more, tickets are $23 for adults and $15 for students. For tickets, call (402) 553-0800, stop by the Box Office or click here.