OCP Announces Directing Fellowship Class for Season 100

Peyton Banks
Assistant Director/Assistant Choreographer, Jersey Boys

Peyton Banks is a multi-faceted artist and educator based out of Omaha, NE with a particular interest in creating art from an innovative and unique perspective. Peyton approaches his work from this perspective in multiple artforms as a performer, dancer, choreographer and teaching artist. With over a decade of theatrical experience, he is dedicated to his craft as a professional by transforming every opportunity into an achievement through professionalism, a vigorous work ethic and collaboration. His work can be seen in a plethora of places throughout the Omaha metro such as the Omaha Community Playhouse as a performer and teaching artist/choreographer at OCP’s Shirlee & Henry Fonda Theatre Academy, Rennae’s School of Dance and Acrobatics and Omaha School of Music and Dance as a dance instructor, among other various theatres and studios in the area as a performer, dancer and choreographer. Peyton has received multiple accolades for his performances in Spamalot! at Ralston Community Theatre as Not Dead Fred, Legally Blonde The Musical at the Lofte Community Theatre as Warner Huntington III and The Prom as Nick at Bellevue Little Theatre. You may have seen Peyton on stage at OCP during Season 99 in A Christmas Carol (Topper), Cabaret (Hans) and Hello, Dolly! (Ensemble) — but he is filled with gratitude for the opportunity to be a Fellow as the Assistant Director/Assistant Choreographer for Jersey Boys, using this educational opportunity to continue gaining valuable experience in the industry. You can learn more about Peyton at his website: peytondouglasbanks.com.

Carina DuMarce (they-them)
Assistant Director, Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches

Carina DuMarce is a queer, nonbinary, Dakota/Mexican who is an Omaha-based theater educator and actor originally from South Dakota. After attending college at Minnesota State University Moorhead, Carina started a career as a Freelance Theater Artist in the Fargo/Moorhead area. While there, Carina has had the opportunity to perform, direct, stage manage and teach theater to all ages. Carina coasted into Omaha for a Fellowship position at The Rose Theater in 2018 and continued to create with young people and their families as The Rose Theater’s Associate Director of Outreach, teaching artist and company actor. It is Carina’s philosophy that any and all skills learned in the arts may be applied to everyday life. Through their career, they have developed a profound connection to the transformative power of the performing arts. Carina’s cultural background has instilled in them a strong sense of purpose to bridge the gap and help offer Native youth a platform to explore young people’s identity and embrace the vibrant heritage that has been a source of strength for them. While in Omaha, Carina has had the opportunity to bring characters to life at The Rose Theater in productions of Winnie the Pooh (Winnie the Pooh) and The Little Engine That Could (Piper). It is Carina’s mission to create a platform for indigenous youth to share their stories of what it means To Be Indigenous in Our World Today. Pidamaya. #MMIW #BLM

Alison Schiller (she/her)
Assistant Director/Assistant Choreographer, Waitress

Alison Schiller (she/her) is a theater professional who recently relocated to Omaha from New York. She earned her B.F.A. in Musical Theatre and Dance from Otterbein University and has trained at The Herbert Berghof Studio, Growing Studio, BDC and Steps on Broadway. Throughout her career, Alison has had the opportunity to work all over the country as a performer, college audition coach, teaching artist and casting associate. Select credits: West Side Story, Catch Me If You Can, Fiddler on the Roof (Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts), Bright is the Ring of Words (New York Int’l Fringe), Spring Awakening (MSD Productions), The Wives (The Royal Family Theatre) and Les Misérables (Warner Grand Theater). Most recently, Alison made her Iowa debut playing Cassie Ferguson in A Chorus Line at Chanticleer Community Theater. Much love to her family, Bryton and Pants.

Giovanni Rivera
Assistant Director, Dot

Born in Danbury, CT and raised in Atlantic, IA, Giovanni Rivera has performed on stage in the Omaha area since 2016. Some favorite roles he has played are: Jack/Stephanie in Leading Ladies (Florence Theater-2019), Jonathan in The Play That Goes Wrong (OCP-2023) and Jason in The Legend of Georgia McBride (OCP-2022). Some other favorite things for Giovanni include reading, running, Pokémon, chocolate-chip cookies and cross-word puzzles.

Brendan Brown
Assistant Director, The Old Man and The Old Moon

Brendan Brown is thrilled to be a part of this year’s directing fellowship. He is an active member of the theater community, performing for the Omaha Community Playhouse, BLUEBARN Theatre, and Opera Omaha. He last appeared on stage in The Play That Goes Wrong. Some of his credits include Beautiful The Carole King Musical, Kinky Boots, The Color Purple, Red, Summer, Ragtime, She Kills Monsters, Parade, Mamma Mia!, Sister Act and Hairspray. He also assistant directed Fully Committed and A Raisin in the Sun, as well as direct the reading About Time: A Love Story Between Three People and Sometimes a Goose.

Brittney Thompson
Assistant Director, Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville

Brittney Thompson is a decently active member of “The Arts” community here in Omaha and is excited to be part of the 100th Season’s directing fellowship here at OCP, where she was last seen as Nettie in The Color Purple. She also made her The Rose Theater debut as Mrs. Bucket in Charlie & The Chocolate Factory! Select theatre credits include Zadie in 6 Guns Runnin’ (Benson Theatre), Robin in Godspell (Rave On Productions/ROP), Grandma Georgina/Mrs. Beauregard in Willy Wonka (ROP), Spirit in Bright Star (OCP), Transylvanian in The Rocky Horror Show (2023-2021), Justice Charlier in Rock of Ages, Snowbird & Apollo Singer in The Buddy Holly Story, all with ROP, featured performer in Don’t Stop Me Now (ROP & OCP), Aly in Mamma Mia! (P.A.R.T Theater), Ensemble in Annie (OCP), Ensemble in The Bubbly Black Girl (The Union for Contemporary Arts), she also stage-managed Gutenberg: The Musical! during the pandemic (The Candy Project/OCP). She is the Marketing Coordinator at OCP, and when not on stage she likes to paint, enter art contests, play ukulele, knit and teach visual arts (paint & chalk) at McGuigan Arts Academy.

Darlyn Gonzalez
Assistant Director, American Mariachi

Darlyn Gonzalez is an actor and director based in Omaha. She holds a degree in Theatre with a concentration in Acting/Directing from the University of Omaha at Nebraska. During her undergrad, Darlyn has been involved with numerous productions, some which include Hairy Girls Face the End of the World (Director), Thanksgiving Play (Assistant Director) and Did You Hear That? (Assistant Director). Darlyn is thrilled to be part of the Omaha Community Playhouse’s 2024/25 Fellowship Class and can’t wait to expand her knowledge and skills.

Adam Bassing
Assistant Director, Titanic The Musical

Adam Bassing is thrilled to be part of the Directing Fellowship at Omaha Community Playhouse, where he was last seen in Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. Recently, he’s been a part of The Great Leap (BLUEBARN Theatre), the annual Holiday Lites at Benson Theatre (Bright St Brigit) and Eurydice (Creighton University). He received his B.A. in English from UNO and his PharmD from UNMC.