WELCOME TO RING 33
Frozen Charlottes
By Omaha playwright Kim Louise
Directed by TammyRa’ Jackson
World Premiere Production
January 29 - February 15
Synopsis: Four women fear for their safety during Charles Starkweather’s 1958 killing spree in Nebraska. While confined together during a city-wide lockdown, the women grapple with issues of identity, race, neurodiversity and power, and discover that the threats inside the home may be more menacing than the dangers outside.
“Shelterbelt Theatre is a cornerstone, and true safekeeping, for local playwrights. I'm humbled by the selection of my work from such a well-respected and vital organization.”
-Kim Louise, Playwright
My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding
By David Hein & Irene Sankoff
Directed by Mackenzie Zielke
Music Direction by Curtis Reynolds
Omaha Premiere
April 16 - May 3
Synopsis: After Claire and Garth divorce, Claire is offered a new job in Canada, forcing her to leave her young son David behind until she settles into her new life. Seismic changes soon follow. Claire rediscovers her Judaism, falls in love with a woman who is a practicing Wiccan, and joins the fight for marriage equality. A dual coming of age story for mother and son, My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding was written by the composers of the hit Broadway musical Come from Away.
“Our goal has been to bring people together and to find commonalities. We’ve seen that with Come from Away and we’ve seen that with this show.”
-David Hein, Composer & Lyricist
You Will Get Sick
By Council Bluffs native Noah Diaz
Directed by Amy Lane
Nebraska Premiere
June 11 - 28
Synopsis: A young man with a secret. An older woman who will listen—for a price. Part buddy-comedy and part meditation on mortality, You Will Get Sick is a wildly imaginative new play that traces the hilarious and deeply moving saga of one man’s illness and his unlikely caretaker’s pursuit of her dreams.
“A delicate, whimsical and evocatively elusive work of imagination. "
- Chicago Sun-Times
35MM: A Musical Exhibition
By Ryan Scott Oliver
Based on photographs by Matthew Murphy
Directed by Chris Scott
Omaha Premiere
September 17 - October 4
Synopsis: 35MM: A Musical Exhibition weaves together music and photography in an exploration of love, obsession, ambition, and art. Each song is inspired by a striking photograph by Broadway photographer Matthew Murphy, brought to life through an electrifying blend of rock, pop, and contemporary musical theatre.
“A thought-provoking, soul-searching exploration of two mediums fused together as one.”
- DC Metro Theatre Arts
Holiday Shorts
An Evening of Short Holiday Plays by Local Playwrights
Director Applications Welcome!
November 19 - December 6
Synopsis: Shelterbelt’s original, joyful holiday anthology returns! Featuring a handful of locally-written short plays and live holiday music, it is sure to brighten your season. Shelterbelt’s first collection of holiday shorts, Stocking Stuffers, was mounted in 1994, and we're overjoyed to bring the holiday party back. Want to join the party? Submit your holiday-themed script and/or director application to at www.shelterbelt.org!