Platte River Bard Podcast

Friends, Romans, Party People!  What a perfectly delightful conversation with the talented Jay Hayden, Actor and Co-Conspirator of Old School Shakespeare Omaha's production of "Julius Caesar." OSSO productions consist of serious actors, no director and one rehearsal.  One!  OSSO brings Shakespeare to life in a new time for us to enjoy.  Jay gives us all of the details of this fun, and a little zan...

What happens in an old movie house with a 35 mm projector with three misfit employees?  You'll find out in The Flick by Annie Baker.  This play has a small cast of four UNL Theatre Students:  Mekhi Mitchell plays Avery, Luke Stursma plays Sam, Sofia Drelizharz plays Rose, and Jackson Wells plays Skylar/The Dreaming Man.  Today, we speak with Mekhi, and their Director, and Associate Professor of Th...

OmniArts Nebraska is gearing up to open their first production of the year, and their 12th season in 2024.  This production isn't holding anything back and we spoke to two of the talented individuals involved in this play: Christian Novotny, Director - and Reed Westerhoff, who plays the main character, John. This play, though visually simplistic in design and execution, is complex in story.  John...

We spoke with Moira Mangiameli, Director of "Boy" at Snap Productions at the Ghost Light Theatre, and Actor Jey Nelson, who plays Samantha and Adam as the lead role in Boy, which is opening February 2nd.  Moiria and Jey talk to us about this complex play written by Anna Zeigler.  The play is based on a true story of a person who was born male and due to a tragic accident during his circumcision, w...

Don't shoot your eye out, or lick an icy pole, or get in a fight with the Bumpuses!  Instead, come to see A Christmas Story, The Musical at Chanticleer Community Theater at PACE in the Hoff Family Arts Center.  We talked with Lara Marsh, Director of this festive and nostalgic production and she gives us some great insight on how it's come together!   "A Christmas Story, The Musical" opens December...

Find out all about the upcoming "Holiday Lites:  Winter's Wonderful Gifts", which is another creative collaboration between Brigit Saint Brigit Theatre Company and Benson Theatre!  Playwright Actor, and Director, Murphy Scott Wulfgar puts some new touches in this holiday play from last year. Maddie Radcliff, Deputy Director at the Benson Theatre, and Playwright, also flexes her Actor and musical m...

We talk with Maddie Radcliff, Deputy Director, and Beaufield Berry, Marketing Manager at Benson Theatre about their fun events coming up this week! On November 10th, Benson celebrates the "42nd Asbury Short Film Concert."  This is New York City’s longest running short film exhibition & touring show and you will be treated to a line-up of the best short films in comedy, drama and animation. And...

It's the beginning of our 5th Season here at the Platte River Bard, and today we talk with Voices in Alliance about their upcoming production, "The Inheritance Part 1", which opens November 3rd and runs through Nov 12th. Voices In Alliance is a theatre company in Omaha which began in 2022. We talk with their Producing Artistic Director, Randall T. Stevens and one of the Actors in "The Inheritance...

Today we feature the Platte River Art Show being held in Ashland at the Mahoney State Park this weekend, October 13-15th.  We had the opportunity to talk to their Event Producer and Photographer, Nia Karmann, to tell us everything that will be happening at Mahoney State Park.  Admission is free so come out and enjoy celebrating the visual arts this weekend! PLATTE RIVER ART SHOW CONTACT INFO Faceb...

Exciting things are happening in the new Snap! Production space at 2221 Thurston Circle in Bellevue, Nebraska!   On October 6th, Snap! Productions will premiere "American Idiot" for the first time in the Omaha area.  This will be a large talented cast to bring you all of the great music by Green Day and many stories throughout.  We visited the new space while they are still under construction, and...

SNAP! Productions has unveiled their new season! After overcoming some obstacles in recent years they are also on the cusp of unveiling their new space!  We find out about the amazing work they are doing for theatre, talk about their upcoming season shows, and discuss their meaningful mission statement.  You won't want to miss everything being planned!     SNAP! Productions:  Facebook:  https://ww...

We had an enjoyable conversation with Rafael Untalan, Director of the upcoming production "Sense and Sensibility" which opens September 28th through October 7th at the Nebraska Repertory Theatre in Lincoln.  Mr. Untalan is an Assistant Professor at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film, as well as an Actor with acting and directing credits to his name all over the country.  This production...

We were so honored to talk with Hank Stratton, the new Executive Director of the Nebraska Rep and the Director of UNL's Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film.  We had a fun discussion about their new season, which is packed with a variety of productions!  And it wasn't just their season, we had the opportunity to get to learn more about Mr. Stratton's acting, directing and education experience....

We were honored to talk with Kevin Doncaster, Founder of Warhawk PTSD Service Dogs, and also Jimmy Weber.  Both of these men are veterans of our military and have served overseas.  Along with two other musicians, Jimmy Weber will be performing at the Benson Theatre on September 21st at 7PM.  The event is called "Chords for Canines" and the event will support the important work of Warhawks.  This w...

We talk with Director, Todd Uhrmacher and Actor, Riley Pope about their production of The Prom!  This is a newer Broadway play, based on a real story and it is full of high energy, music, and dancing!  It is also the Nebraska Premiere of this play, so what a great chance to get to go see it!  Learn more about it here with our fun conversation with Riley and Todd!  You have just two more weeks of c...

We spoke with the Director and a few of the large cast of Oliver, Jr. at Chanticleer Community Theater at the Hoff Center at PACE!  Director Denise Putnam, Actors Lilly Ozello, Dean Patrick Pope and Moyer McDermott tell us about their experience, and even some great advice, in this exciting production!  We love to talk with the younger folks who are brimming with excitement in a production they ar...

Angels Theatre Company just announced their 2023-2024 Season and we had the honor of talking with Timothy Scholl, Executive Director!   Angels offers a wide array of programming for new works.  They have their full-length season productions, which are newer plays written by local playwrights.  The Solo Tales and Ales program allows the Playwriting Collective to write monologues, which are then per...

We are happy once again to get the scoop on the upcoming Omaha Fringe Festival 2023 which will be held August 10-13th, 2023! We talked with Tamar Neumann, Executive Director and Jason Levering, Artistic Director of the Omaha Fringe Festival.   Be sure to check out the Fringe participants appearance at the August 5th Omaha Farmer's Market, and also on August 7th, the Omaha Fringe Festival Preview P...

Brownville Village Theatre in Brownville, Nebraska is abuzz again, and they are bringing us 5 fabulous shows this summer!  Not only are they having their 56th season, they will also have a special lawn party on July 7th for the World Premiere of Death at Downton.  You can dress up in your favorite 1920's garb, and meet the writer of Death and Downton, Randall David Cook!   So don't miss the Premie...

Join us for a very fun and totally off-the-rails conversation with one of our favorite Creatives! Jamie Bullins, who is a master of all theatre related trades, heads up the Angels Theatre Company's Playwriting Collective and is gearing up for their 8th Annual First Flight Festival.  The First Flight Festival will feature 12 locally written plays, monologues and even a musical which have been throu...

Artistic Director, Kevin Colbert of the Lofte Community Theatre and Actor, Jennifer Gilg talk with us about their upcoming play, Wit, ("W;t") written by Margaret Edson.  This play won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize, and is a heartfelt play is about a strong and intelligent woman, Vivian Bearing (played by Jennifer Gilg) who realizes she is in the last two hours of her life due to her battle with ovarian...

The Musical Theatre Senior Showcase will be  April 28th and 29th at 7PM at the Creighton University, Lied Center for Performing Arts. We talked with the four Musical Theatre Seniors who are performing: Bratyon Matuska, Kiley Melean, Evan Peterson, Leticia Taveras.  These students have had a unique experience in college studying for theatre during the pandemic and now they are able to do a producti...

Join us for a listing of what's happening in Eastern Nebraska in theatre.  And we feature the Platte River Art Show being held in Ashland at the Mahoney State Park this weekend, April 28-30th.  We had the opportunity at the last minute to talk to their Event Producer and Photographer, Nia Karmann, so check out the feature that is included in this months' episode!  And, there will be another Platte...

Benson Theatre is bringing us a fresh take on a Shakespearean classic, Twelfth Night, which is an adapted play by Ryan Kathman, MFA. This production will be just one weekend on April 28th, 29th and 30th. And to make the experience of this wonderful production even more unique, Ryan Kathman adapted this play for two actors.  Ryan and Delaney Jackson will be the two versatile actors playing all of t...

Experience the Renaissance Festival of Nebraska this season, May 6 & 7, and 13 & 14th at the Bellevue Berry Farm.  We talk with Producer Howard Coffin.  Howard gives us an entertaining "How To" of attending Ren Fair. The Renaissance Festival of Nebraska (also known as RenFest Nebraska) is not just a place where you can buy great things and great food, it has an entire infrastructure of groups of p...