Directing Fellowship

In an effort to support the development of Omaha directors, the Omaha Community Playhouse is excited to offer the OCP Directing Fellowship. This Fellowship provides a new generation of early and mid-career directors with training and understanding of the directorial skills necessary to create theatre. Fellows will gain first-hand experience within Omaha’s leading organization for community-based theatre and education. They will work alongside, in collaboration with, and ultimately become the leaders shaping Omaha’s theatrical landscape.

The Directing Fellows are selected by the OCP Artistic Team and serve as assistant director or assistant director-choreographer for an assigned season production. A Fellow’s schedule and duties may vary widely based on their personal strengths, their assignment, and needs of the production.

The mission of the OCP Directing Fellowship Program is to develop, support and encourage qualified community members in the art and practice of directing for the theatre. Our goal is to grow and diversify the Omaha directing pool in a way that we hope will benefit the entire theatre community.

Season 100
Available Assignments

• Jersey Boys 
• Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches
• Waitress 
• Dot
• The Old Man and The Old Moon
• Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville 
• American Mariachi 
• Titanic The Musical

Season 99 Fellows

• Clyde’s – Directing Fellow/Assistant Director: Hannah Barnes
• Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – Directing Fellow/Assistant Director: Shannon Chinn
• Pipeline – Directing Fellow/Assistant Director: Iona Stites
• The Play That Goes Wrong – Directing Fellow/Assistant Director: Justin Parsley 
• Cabaret – Directing Fellow/Assistant Director-Choreographer : Madison Roman
• Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery – Directing Fellow/Assistant Director: Charles Wilke
• Hello, Dolly! – Directing Fellow/Assistant Director: Beth Leona King 

OCP Directing Fellows will participate in the following:

Production:

Each Directing Fellow will serve as an assistant director or an assistant director-choreographer for one of our season’s productions and will work closely with its director. Fellows will be included in the design process, auditions, casting, production meetings, and all rehearsals through tech week and opening night.

Roundtable Events:

Fellows will participate in Roundtable Events throughout the season, these include discussions, workshops, and guest speakers.

Roundtable topics, workshops, and speakers will be selected to meet the goals and expectations of each Fellowship class. Guest speakers may include designers, playwrights, choreographers, music directors, dramaturgs, and composers, among others. Topics of interest may include intimacy choreography, consent-based practices, script analysis, auditions, working with designers, working with actors, scheduling rehearsals, creating a healthy rehearsal space, etc.

Note: Reading or viewing assignments may be required for each roundtable discussion, days and times will be based as much as possible on the availability of the participants.

Mock Production & Directing Showcase:

All Fellows will participate in a directing showcase at the completion of the fellowship season, they will be responsible for casting and rehearsing a scene from a published play. Fellows will additionally work on the selected play throughout the season and participate in a mock production process including; research, pre-production, design kick-off, script analysis, etc. Fellows must be able to clearly articulate their vision/concept for each piece.  The play will be selected in consultation with the Fellowship Coordinator.

*Please note that all selected Fellows will NOT be allowed to audition for their assigned production. 

The program will be a “fellowship” in the true sense of the word, in which a group with a common goal can learn with and from one another.

Directing Fellows receive a stipend of $600 for their participation in the season. In addition, each Fellow will receive a complementary ticket to preview night for all season productions, except special events.