The Omaha Community Playhouse, located at 6915 Cass Street in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, is a nationally recognized

community theater Community theatre refers to any theatrical performance made in relation to particular communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to a production that is made entirely by a community with no outside hel ...

. Founded in 1924, the Playhouse's first president was Alan McDonald, architect of the

Joslyn Art Museum The Joslyn Art Museum is the principal fine arts museum in the state of Nebraska, United States. Located in Omaha, it was opened in 1931 at the initiative of Sarah H. Joslyn in memory of her husband, businessman George A. Joslyn. It is the only m ...

, and its first play, directed by Greg Foley in April 1925, was '' The Enchanted Cottage'', which starred Dodie Brando, the mother of

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

. When, later in the Playhouse's first season, the need arose for a young man to play the lead for ''You and I'', Dodie Brando suggested that twenty-year-old

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor. He had a career that spanned five decades on Broadway and in Hollywood. He cultivated an everyman screen image in several films considered to be classics. Born and ra ...

, son of her friend Herberta Fonda, contact the director. The Playhouse would later see the acting debut of Marlon Brando,

Dorothy McGuire Dorothy Hackett McGuire (June 14, 1916 – September 13, 2001) was an American actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947) and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Actre ...

, and Julie Wilson, and appearances by

Letitia Baldrige Letitia "Tish" Baldrige (February 9, 1926 – October 29, 2012) was an American etiquette expert, public relations executive and author who was most famous for serving as Jacqueline Kennedy's Social Secretary. Known as the "Doyenne of Deco ...

, Glenn Cunningham, and

Lenka Peterson Lenka Peterson (born Betty Ann Isacson; October 16, 1925 – September 24, 2021) was an American theater, film, and television actress. Early years Peterson was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the daughter of Lenke (née Leinweber), a lab technician, an ...

. The Nebraska Theatre Caravan, the playhouse's touring unit, was founded in 1976. The Playhouse experienced tremendous growth throughout the 1980s and 1990s under the direction of Charles Jones.

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Theatres in Omaha, Nebraska

See also

References

External links