BWW Previews: Thomas Gjere's THE DESERT Premieres at The Shelterbelt Theatre, Omaha

Shelterbelt Theatre's BEFORE THE BOARDS returns with THE DESERT by Thomas Gjere

Beth Thompson, Artistic Director

Shelterbelt Theatre is pleased to announce the return of the Before the Boards reading series, partnering with Metropolitan Community College Theater Department at the Fort Omaha Campus.

The first performance in the Shelterbelt-MCC series is THE DESERT by Thomas Gjere, directed by Elizabeth Thompson, on Tuesday, January 21 at 7pm at Metropolitan Community College, Fort Omaha Campus, 5300 N 30th St., Building 10, Room 110. Building 10 is on the north end of the campus. The staged reading is open to the public, and Shelterbelt will have a donation box.

"Playwrights don't stop writing because our theatre is currently without a home," said Shelterbelt Artistic Director, Beth Thompson. "We're grateful to Scott Working and MCC's Theater Department for giving us a platform to continue Shelterbelt's mission of bringing new plays to Omaha audiences,"

A sleepless night passes as sirens shriek and a downpour turns the streets to rivers. An Air Force Sergeant answers a knock at his door to find a terrified girl seeking shelter from more than just a storm. THE DESERT is a story about guilt, chance, choice, and finding light when the storms rage both inside and out.

The cast features Laura Campbell, Chloe Irwin, Kim Jubenville, Mike Palmreuter, and Carrie Beth Stickrod.

Thomas Gjere has been seen on stages across Omaha. Favorite roles include Robert Kincaid in The Bridges of Madison County and Tom in Murder Ballad (Omaha Community Playhouse), Actor 1/White Man in We Are Proud to Present... (SNAP! Productions), Michael Trent in Across Rhodes (Shelterbelt Theatre), and Kurt Kelly in Heathers: The Musical (Blue Barn). THE DESERT is his first play to be selected for a reading.

As Omaha's home for new plays, Shelterbelt Theatre established the Before The Boards reading series to provide local playwrights a place to see new scripts in a staged reading with an audience. The series also gives the audience a chance to be a part of the page to stage experience: hear the reading of a new play,participate in a talkback with the playwright and give written feedback - all providing invaluable information to a playwright creating a new play.

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