Students in the Spotlight...October

September and October brought quite a few high school students to the Playhouse for shows and classes/workshops. Here are just a couple of the groups we saw in the building!

Ralston students visit Joseph on September 26th

Lewis Central students attend Stage Combat workshop on September 19th

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" extended for three more shows!

Don't miss your opportunity to see this outstanding production before it closes on November 1st. Click here for more information regarding tickets. Don't forget! Twilight tickets are available after 12:00 pm on the day of any show. That makes student tickets $12 and adults $19!

Stage Make-up Workshop: Halloween SVU

October 27th, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Cost - $30
Gashes, bruises, and other ghoulish make-up effects just in time for Halloween! This hands-on workshop is a must for the stage actor or budding make-up artist. Click here to register or for more information. *Additional $20 if student does not already own basic Ben Nye make-up kit.

Youth Workshops with Disney Channel Star, Craig Anton

October 27th, 6:00-8:00 pm and October 28th, 6:00-7:30 pm
Q&A with Craig, October 28th, 7:30-9:00 pm (open to the public)
Cost per student - $75
Students ages 12-16 can attend our two-day workshop series with Omaha native and Hollywood actor, Craig Anton. Craig can be seen as the father on the hit Disney show, "Phil of the Future." Join Craig as he takes students through acting workshops helpful for those wishing to learn more about the film and television medium. Follow up the workshop with a Q&A with Craig as he shares how got into the Hollywood acting scene. Contact Melanie at 553-4890 ext. 131 for more information. Limited number of scholarship openings available.

$7 student tickets for "Almost, Maine" - October 23rd - 25th

All High School and Full-time College Students can attend opening weekend of Almost, Maine for only $7! A great, inexpensive theatre outing for your ITS Troupes or Drama Clubs. Contact Karli Newman at 553-4890 ext. 147 to make your group reservation or for more information. Pre-payment for group reservation is required seven days in advance of your chosen night. Each student is limited to one ticket. Bonus: Theatre educators who bring 10 or more students may receive their ticket at a reduced rate!

Almost, Maine Synopsis:
Almost, Maine is a collection of nine playlets. Whimsical tales of unlikely lovers. Set in Northern Maine and crammed with quirky characters, this midwinter nights dream is sprinkled with a flurry of bittersweet magic realism. Warm, charming and endearing.

Student Representative Board Applications due September 25th

In order to accomodate the schools already out of session earlier this summer, the deadline for those students wishing to apply for our newly formed "Student Representative Board" has been pushed back to September 25th.

The mission of this board is to:
· Network with other drama students regarding upcoming events, productions and other noteworthy items within their own drama programs.
· Share opportunities for education, volunteering and performing at the Playhouse with their own drama programs.
· Introduce a younger audience to the Playhouse through cultivation events.
· Learn about the artistic vision and general operation of the largest community theatre in the nation.

Our goal is to have two representatives from each drama program within the Omaha/Council Bluffs metro -- that's over 30 programs!

If you or your students haven't received information regarding this exciting opportunity, please contact Melanie Walters at mwalters@omahaplayhouse.com

Educator's Night at the Playhouse for Joseph

Sunday, September 27th, 5:30 pm - Show and Party only $15!
Join other educators and support staff at the Playhouse for an evening of fun and theatre. Attend a pre-show cocktail/appetizer reception and “meet and greet” with a member of the production team - all for only $15! Receptions: 5:30 pm-6:30 pm, Performance: 6:30 pm. Advanced reservations are required by calling Karli Newman at 553-4890 x147.

Other Educator's Nights for 2009-10:
Cheaper By the Dozen - January 24, 2010
All Shook Up - March 7, 2010
Mister Roberts - April 18, 2010
Fiddler on the Roof - May 30, 2009

Discount on OCP Season Tickets for Theatre Educators

Did you know you can purchase a “Star Card” (10 productions – regularly $185) for the student rate of only $120? At $12 per show, it’s a steal. If you bought a single ticket to each show, it would cost $38 per show! Contact Lanelle Poole, Box Office Manager, at 553-0800 for more information.

Fall 2009 Classes and Workshops Open for Registration

Classes and Workshops begin September 19th

Fall Workshops and Classes for Ages 14 and up:
* Acting I, II and III
* Acting for Film and TV
* Advanced Tap
* Audition Techniques
* Beginning Ballet, Jazz, and Tap
* Dialects and Character Voices
* Improvisation
* Intermediate Jazz and Tap
* Musical Theatre/Lyrical Jazz Dance Workshop
* Rhythm Tap
* Slapstick Comedy: The Basics
* Stage Combat (ages 12 - 18)
* Stage Make-up 101: Halloween SVU
* Voiceover for Radio & TV

Visit http://www.omahaplayhouse.com/classregistration.aspx for more information!

$7 Opening Weekend tickets for Joseph

September 25th - September 27th
High School and Full-time College Students can attend opening weekend of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for only $7! A great, inexpensive theatre outing for your ITS Troupes or Drama Clubs. Contact Karli Newman at 553-4890 ext. 147 to make your group reservation or for more information. Pre-payment for group reservation is required seven days in advance of your chosen night. Each student is limited to one ticket. Bonus: Theatre educators who bring 10 or more students may receive their ticket at a reduced rate!

OCP Teaching Artists Available for Workshops

Looking to bring in guest artists for specific areas of interest? Below is a listing of our outstanding artist pool and their disciplines/focuses. From one hour to one production, these artists would be thrilled to work with you and your students. Rates vary from instructor to instructor. Contact the Education Office for more information.

Sarah Carlson-Brown - Acting Coach/Directing/Focused in Shakespeare's text, Movement-based work, and Vocal Training

Vincent Carlson-Brown - Acting Coach/Director/Fight ChoreographySpecialty in Shakespeare's text, Physical Comedy, Stage Combat (hand-to-hand, tumbling, broadsword/shield, rapier/dagger)

Michelle Gates - Dance/Choreography, Acting, Musical Theater, and Directing

John Lee - Voiceover (commercial, narration and animation) and General Acting (emphasis on voice)

Roxanne Nielsen - Dance Instructor/choreographer

Lynda Overman - Characterization, Actors' "acting" muscles (focus, memorization, body prep to perform, developing a character), Monologue Work, Story Developement

Rita Paskowitz - Storytelling Residencies (bringing stories to life, making a story your own, storysharing, taking the "myth-tery" out of mythology, Hate/Humanity and the Holocaust), Acting, Directing, Improvisation, Storytelling Performances

Trish Place - Puppetry (construction and performance), Theatrical Scenic Painting

Fran Sillau - Theater work with young people with physical and developmental disabilities, Theater workshops for educators, Acting, Improvisation, Creative Drama

Ashley Spessard - Beginning and Intermediate Acting, Improvisation, Scene Study and Movement

Suzanne Withem - Shakespeare, Multi-cultural Fairy Tales, Directing, Stage Management, Exploring History through Drama, Dr. Seuss

Twelve Angry Men Set Looking for a Good Home

The stunning set shown above came from the combined efforts of the scene shop, prop master and the delightfully creative vision of set designer Sara Houston and lighting designer Darrin Golden. Sara Houston, a grad of Webster Conservatory in St. Louis, Mo., is a former TTAP apprentice from the Playhouse who admits: “I grew up here”. We are certainly glad she did, and we can see her design credentials are outstanding.

One of the longest conference tables anyone has seen it appears to be about 20’ long, and based on an old conference or library table model found in many public buildings, years ago. Chairs were borrowed from a local restaurant, and fixtures on the wall and ceiling from the prop shop at the Playhouse. The set is massive for the Howard Drew theatre, spanning up past the gallery opening, and covered with wall texture for the interior and faux marble for the exterior of the building. One of the interesting tricks to the trade is the rain that takes place beyond the two windows pictured above. Many theatres might have settled for something less than a real rain effect, as it can be a horrid mess, if not done right.

The iconic show is a classic in every way, with the aura of OCP alumnus Henry Fonda who played the lead role in the film, and on the Broadway stage; now an all star cast from Omaha, with brilliant director Susan Clement-Toberer at the helm. Reputedly there were 80 some actors who read for auditions and as Doug Blackburn (adjunct professor of theater at Metro College and cast member) stated: “These actors have their chops”!

So where does this massive table and set go after the show closes? Undoubtedly the props go into storage, and unless there is something special about the set and the shop has time to salvage, it will be donated to a local school or disposed of after June 2nd.

If you are interested in the set, please call Steve Bross, Apprenticeship Director, at 553-4890 ext. 144 and express your need! Please have information as to how you plan to haul your set away: you will need a flatbed truck to get these set pieces away from here, and in many cases your district’s maintenance shop can help you out. The tallest portion of the set is 18 feet, so plan accordingly. You have to coordinate within a narrow window of time to get the set, as someone may beat you to the punch and it can only stay around here for a short time before it is dismantled and disposed of. Note that first come and first served is the name of the game with sets, so call soon!

OCP Student Representative Board wants YOU!

The OCP Student Representative Board, new for the 2009-10 school year, would be comprised of creative and dynamic students from each drama program throughout the Omaha/Council Bluffs area. The purposes of the Board would be to:
* Share opportunities for education, volunteering and performing at the Playhouse with their own drama programs
* Introduce a younger audience to Playhouse productions and events
* Network with other drama students regarding upcoming events or productions and other noteworthy items within their own drama programs
* Learn about the artistic vision and general operation of the Playhouse

Melanie Walters, Director of Education and Outreach, will be contacting each of your schools within the next week to set up a time to speak to your drama classes, clubs or ITS troupes regarding this leadership opportunity.

Feeling left out? Introducing $7 Sunday Nights for Adults!

Enjoy $7 tickets on Sunday Nights during the opening weekend of each Mainstage production (does not include A Christmas Carol) Tickets are available in person at the box office window starting at 4 p.m. on the day of the show. Cash and check are the accepted forms of payment. Seats are limited and are subject to availability. No advanced reservations for this special offer. This offer is not valid on previous purchases.

Upcoming Date for $7 Sunday Nights:
Gypsy: Sunday, May 31st, 6:30 p.m.

OCP offers $7 student tickets for any opening weekend!

High School and Full Time College Students are eligible to see an opening weekend performance of a regular season production for only $7! Students should call the box office at 553-0800 or visit the box office in person to purchase a Lucky 7 ticket. Students must show their school’s student identification when picking up the ticket at the Will Call window. Each student is limited to one ticket per production. Offer valid only during the opening weekend performances of a regular season production. Special events are excluded from this offer.