Art & Literary Festival: Play-Reading

All are welcome to attend a free public play-reading of works by two local playwrights, Kim Louise and Peggy Jones, presented as part of the Art & Literary Festival. Following the reading TammyRa’ Jackson, Community Connector for the Great Plains Theatre Commons, will host a panel of Omaha-based Black Female Playwrights.  

What: free public play-reading of works by two local playwrights

When: Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2pm, doors open at 1:30pm

Where: Joslyn Castle Carriage House

3902 Davenport St. Omaha, NE 68131

“The Journey,” by Peggy Jones, follows acclaimed artist, Aaron Douglas, on a theatrical journey toward his destiny and his dream. Douglas, a Topeka, Kansas native, travelled from Kansas, through Nebraska, and Minnesota, on his way to his fame as a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance.

“Wanted Negrotarians,” by Kim Louise, is set during the Harlem Renaissance, where a young girl takes her first, awkward steps into adolescence while listening through a wall vent to writers reciting poetry in the apartment next door.

The post-show panel discussion will include playwrights Kim Louise, Peggy Jones, Alanna Pommier, and Verla Collier.

Allana G. Pommier is an evolving piece of work, inspired by the world around her and impassioned with what it means to push humans forward. The enduring nuances of Black womanhood inspire her writing, serving as a purposeful force in the pursuit of liberation for those who have long been denied it. She is a GPTC Commoners Fellow for Playwriting and an active member of Omaha’s creative community. Most recently, Allana’s play things not seen was produced through her fellowship at GPTC. Allana worked as a dramaturg and sound tech for Northside Carnation at the Shirley Tyree Theatre and continues to seek opportunities to grow alongside her mentors. Additionally, Allana teaches an acting class for young people at PearTree Performing Arts. Allana is a Teaching Artist with Nebraska Writers’ Collective, working with students as well as incarcerated individuals to express their inner worlds and be a constant reminder to one another to remain audacious. Allana’s heart resides with the stories of the people within her community and the lives we create in between acts.

Verla Collier is a multimedia artist focusing on singing, writing, drawing, and acting. She has recently found a home in the theatre scene of Omaha. Sharing her talents on and behind the stage in places like Great Plains Theatre Commons. Flixx Cabaret, Benson Theatre, and even Shelterbelt. Her short play “Imposing PTSD” was recently featured in Shelterskelter Returns at The Shelterbelt Theatre.Marie Schuett is a Brazilian American playwright with a passion for storytelling and the arts. Awards and recognition include Stuck with Lemons (2019 O’Neill National Playwright Conference semi-finalist), Neighbors, Lovers and All the Others (OEAA Award), The Other Sewing Circle (TAG Outstanding New Script Award), and L’Chaim co-written with Laura Leininger Campbell (TAG Outstanding New Script Award). Other work includes Coming Up for Air (William Inge Festival, GPTC Playlab), and The Break (Amplify Arts grant recipient). Her plays The Suburban Set and About Time: A Love Story Between Three People and Sometimes a Goose were featured in the Omaha Community Playhouse’s Alternative Programming series.