Barn’s Improbable Rise to 23-Year Triumph

by Warren Francke

As a founder, he once called the mere fact of its existence “a fluke.” Now Kevin Lawler calls the Blue Barn Theatre “an incredible source of joy.”

And he’s “blown away” by the high-quality work of his successor, Susan Clement-Toberer, as producing artistic director. His only problem? “It just kills me” that his work scheduleA deprives him of time to play the doctor In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play) on the...

Pterodactyl Cry Enlivens OEAA Awards

by Warren Francke

The raucous scream of the Wenatchee Pterodactyl welcomed a Hilton hotel crowd to the 6^th annual Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards, but that’s not unusual when your hosts are slam poets Andrew Ek and Katie F-S.

Actually, Ek was a relatively sedate emcee, while Katie was understandably obsessed with the cry of the pterodactyl given that she’d worked it up for the dinosaur theme of  the upcoming Encyclopedia Show...

Moms Club Gives Belt New Image

by Warren Francke

Ellen Struve writes plays and she’s artistic director for the Shelterbelt Theatre. That’s why she served refreshments at a fund-raising performance that filled all 50-plus seats for 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche.

“All board members take turns working nights. Everybody does everything,” she notes. Ellen  poured wine while executive director Craig Bond sold tickets.

Now the theater runs Shelterbelt with Love 11,...

Durbin’s Back as Tartuffe for Brigit

by Warren Francke

John Durbin sat on stairs that descend into Joslyn Castle’s music room, as handsome a setting as you’ll find. He’s fresh from months in Hawaii with George Clooney and two dozen others he cast in Alexander Payne’s new movie, The Descendants.

Now he’s Tartuffe, the title rascal in Moliere’s classic comedy opening the Brigit Saint Brigit Theatre Company’s 19^th season. “I’m a big Moliere fan,” he says. “I’ve been...

Brave Women Go West to Nicodemus

by Warren Francke

Susie Baer Collins got ready to direct Flyin’ West, the story of brave black women who homesteaded in Kansas, by driving south last summer to Nicodemus “in the middle of nowhere.”

She’s known for going to great lengths to prepare her Omaha Community Playhouse assignments and it’s not that Nicodemus is so terribly far away in miles as much as in history. Think driving west to Kearney, dropping down to Holdrege...

Bug-chasing Nudity Not in-your-face

by Warren Francke

The Blue Barn calls the play Bug “a psycho thriller,” and others have called it “every bit as sleazy and violent" as Killer Joe, another intense drama by Tracy Letts.

            One source warned against “violence, nudity and cigarette smoke,” while another said, “Don’t bring anyone who likes clean escape entertainment” to this “blood-drenched thriller.” And 24 hours before it was to open off-Broadway, Amanda...