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Enriching the Lives of Young People

It is not the brick and mortar that have cemented Omaha’s Rose Theater in the community; it is the people, the talented professionals who, with heart and passion, have been enriching young lives with professional theater, dance and arts education for decades.

The Rose is one of the largest professional children’s theaters in the nation with its programs reaching over 700,000 people each year in Omaha and on national tour. Productions are staged locally almost year-round, and this year, have included Charlotte’s Web and Disney’s High School Musical and The Firebird, the famous classical ballet.

Robin Welch is the artistic director of the Omaha Theater Ballet, one of The Rose’s two resident companies and Nebraska’s only resident professional ballet company. “The energy that comes off the stage from the dancers and the energy that the dancers all get from the audience—that is unique and very exciting,” said Welch.

The Rose also partners with the metro’s almost 90 elementary schools, offering field trip opportunities, classroom performances, in-school residencies and workshops. “I think for so many students, it’s an opportunity that they otherwise would not have had to see theater,” said Nancy Oberst, the Omaha Public School District’s director of elementary education.

For those students whose passion for theater runs deep, The Rose is committed to encouraging their talents and helping them grow.

“We provide a training ground for young people to learn about theater,” said Artistic Director James Larson.

A WONDROUS WORLD OF AMAZING EXPERIENCES

The Rose Theater is many things to many people; for Omaha native Rebecca Damon, the theater is her wardrobe.

Damon is a professional actor living in New York City with a growing list of stage, film and television credits. But, her first role was right here in Omaha—a single line in The Rose Theater’s production of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. And, like C.S Lewis’s enchanted closet, The Rose would become Damon’s link to a wondrous world of amazing experiences.

“The theater’s incredible teachers,” said Damon, “were the first people who really taught me to appreciate acting as a craft.”

Just a few years ago, Damon returned to her childhood stage for a special engagement, performing in the world premiere of Crunch Time by Mark Medoff.

Damon trained professionally at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She currently sits on the boards of the Screen Actors Guild and the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, and her list of acting credits includes a recent appearance off-Broadway in The Scarlet Letter. She has a recurring role on television’s The Guiding Light and has appeared in a number of independent films, including My Brother’s War, The Bellwatcher and Keeper. Still, she said her true love is the stage.

“Because I started in the theater, that will always be my first love and passion. There’s nothing like being in front of an audience.”

Grace Bydalek has been experiencing that wonderful interaction at The Rose for five years now, especially impressive considering she is only 13 years old. At age 8, Bydalek landed the role of Abu the Monkey in Disney’s Aladdin, Jr. She later starred as Madeline in Madeline’s Christmas and worked on The Wizard of Oz. She most recently played a cheerleader in The Rose’s summer musical, Disney’s wildly popular High School Musical.