Nebraska becomes unlikely
site of world-class theater
The house lights are lowered, the stage lights
are raised and the actors are assembled. Thirty
years later, it’s still business as usual for the
members of the Nebraska Repertory Theatre.
The Rep was established in 1968 as project to
provide local actors and production crews with
a chance to exhibit their craft in a professional
setting. Now with 32 seasons and more than
100 plays the Rep has become a highly
regarded institution in the world of theater.
What makes the Rep unique is the compo
sition of the casts and crew. In 1988
Executive Director Tice Miller and Artistic
Director Robert Hall brought the Rep into
the Actor’s Equity Association, a union
which enables the productions to com
bine theater students with profession
als, some of whom bring two months
experience, others 20 years. This ele
ment serves as one of the distinc
tions between plays produced by
the Rep and those during the uni
versity’s academic year. The cast
and crew also get paid.
“There’s a level of organiza
tion and professionalism that
comes with working with the
Rep that is slightly beyond
what you normally see in a
college theatre setting,”
said Eric Moyer, a current
UNL theater major who
plays three roles in the
Rep’s current produc
.
Story by
Patrick Kelly
Photos by
Rick Townley
