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Blue Barn Theatre began in the late 1980's with graduates
from the Professional Theatre Training Conservatory at the
State University of New York at Purchase. Seeking to continue
the deeply shared artistic aesthetic and practice that they
had developed over their four years of conservatory training,
and also to create theatre outside the constraints of New
York City's commercial market, they joined forces with the
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and produced their first
play: America in Pieces, three one-acts by David Mamet,
Spalding Grey, and Sam Shepard. The first production was
produced with $75 and two white sheets and performed in
the middle of a bitter cold February. The response to the
work was overwhelming, and the Blue Barn was born. In the
Fall of 1990, after working for two seasons at the Bemis
Foundation, the Blue Barn renovated an empty storefront
building on 13th street in downtown Omaha, creating a small
black box performance space that was to be the Blue Barn
home for the next six years.
By 1991, the Blue Barn was growing fast, adding new core
members from a variety of backgrounds, all sharing a commitment
to the Blue Barn's original vision. That year, the Blue
Barn established a tradition of producing original scripts.
The first, called Untitled, was an improvisational piece
using large, leather body masks, music, and dance. Since
that time we have produced many new works for the stage
including The Empty Plough, What the Mirror Gave Me: An
Original Play About Frida Kahlo, Murder In the Heartland,
5000 Nights. Reform School Timmy!, Go-Go Boys from Planet
X!, Minstrel Show: The Lynching of William Brown, Chelsea/Cruelties,
Little Nelly’s Naughty Noel and Toxic Avenger: The
Musical!
In June of 1997, the Blue Barn lost its home on 13th Street
and was forced to go “On Location” to survive.
A potentially disasterous situation was averted and the
Blue Barn produced a season of unique and powerful productions
in the abandoned Burlington Train Station, a former department
store, and the Douglas County Courthouse rotunda.
In 1998, the tenth anniversary season, the Blue Barn moved
into its current home, a beautiful ninety-seat proscenium
arch theatre in Omaha’s Old Market. The Blue Barn
also opened the Abbott/Pinkoff Art Gallery, providing local
visual artists a place to display their work.
The Blue Barn’s national reputation is also increasing.
In the past couple years the theatre has taken two plays
out of the state. In 2003, the theatre was honored to participate
in the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial
in Washington D.C. by performing its award winning play
A Piece of my Heart about women in the Vietnam War. In 2004,
the Blue Barn traveled to New York to participate in the
New York City International Fringe Theatre Festival with
its original play 5000 Nights. In 2002 and 2003, the Blue
Barn created a unique fundraising event, “On the Set
with...” which featured upclose interviews and film
clips with Oscar winning writer/director Alexander Payne
and Emmy winning Actress Edie Falco (The Sopranos). Future
participants the Blue Barn is pursuing for these special
events include film actress Parker Posey, Sherry Stringfield
(E.R.) and film actor Stanley Tucci.
Now in its 20th Season, the Blue Barn has established itself
as Omaha’s premier professional theatre. After producing
over 80 plays since 1989, the Blue Barn’s reputation
for high quality entertainment and pursuit of stories that
challenge both the theatre artists and patrons is solid.
As the theatre approaches its 20th anniversary in 2008,
the goal is to bring in more professional actors and designers
from around the country and help establish Omaha as a theatre
destination.
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