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UNOTheatre Summer Musical Theatre Academy Celebrates Second Season

  • published: 2023/07/21
  • contact: Brandon Bartling - Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications
  • email: unonews@unomaha.edu

High school students from 16 area high schools comprised the cast and crew of a production of "Footloose" that hit the stage in late June and early July as part of the UNOTheatre Summer Musical Theatre Academy.

The UNOTheatre Summer Musical Theatre Academy (UNOT SMTA) connects high school students with tuition-free opportunities to learn about all aspects of musical theatre performance. Over an intensive four weeks, 50 students produced and rehearsed every element of the production including acting, dancing, costuming, stage management, lighting, sound, props, and singing.

The academy culminated in several performances that were free and open to the public, including two performances at the Black Box Theatre in UNO’s Weber Fine Arts Building and a final performance at the Gene Leahy Mall Pavilion as part of The RiverFront’s Fourth of July multiday celebration. An estimated 4,000 attendees watched the performance, up from 3,000 attendees the previous year.

This year’s academy featured 50 students representing the school districts of Omaha, Ralston, Westside, Bellevue, Bennington, and Elkhorn as well as Skutt Catholic, Concordia High Schools, and the Duchesne Academy.

The 2023 UNOT SMTA has offered students an array of training and educational opportunities featuring established professionals from the theatre world. These professionals include:

  • Q Smith, masterclass teacher (Broadway: Come from Away, Disney’s Mary Poppins)
  • Lawrence Stallings, masterclass teacher (Broadway: Book of Mormon, Passing Strange, HAIR)
  • Jenn Sheshko Wood, costume designer (Utah Opera & Musical Theatre Festival, UNOTheatre faculty)
  • Chris Wood, lighting designer (Oregon Cabaret Theatre, University of Illinois)
  • Trevor Ford, sound designer (Center Stage Dance of Elkhorn)
  • Lara Marsh, stage manager (UNOTheatre alumni, Nebraska Shakespeare)
  • VJ Orduna, actor/director (Seattle Musical Theatre, Seattle Stage Right)
  • Domanic Brown, dancer/choreographer (Omaha South High, La Fuerza, Moving Company, Lady Gaga)
  • Tyler Gruttemeyer, musical director (Omaha South High School)
  • Erik Diaz, costume designer (UNOTheatre alumni, Skylight Music Theater, Omaha Community Playhouse)

For more information visit the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media website or contact Hal France at hfrance@unomaha.edu.