2026/27 Commons Season
The 2026/27 Commons Season
GRATOS RECUERDOS
Story and Artwork by Linda Rivera de Garcia | Puppetry Interpretation by Ellen Struve | Directed by Stephanie Jacobsen | Dancer/Catrina Runway Emcee Elizabeth Martinez Palma | Original music by Pablo Arza | Performers/Collaborators: Kathleen Combs, Stephanie Jacobson, Lea Ramos, Tatiana Sandoval
Oct 2 at 7:30 PM: Yates Illuminates | Oct 3 at 1PM: Bryan High School | Oct 4, 1PM: Omaha Public Library Central Branch
Celebrate a family-friendly Día de los Muertos journey through shadow puppetry and dance! Using an exciting mix of puppetry and live shadow performance, Gratos Recuerdos (Fond Memories) will follow Paco the dog and his family as they learn about the traditions that keep us together. GPTC is honoring the story and art of Linda Rivera Garcia, a Mexican American Chicana artist who has for over 50 years been creating, teaching, and exhibiting Mexican/Latino folk and indigenous arts throughout Nebraska. Longtime GPTC collaborator, the folklórico dancer Elizabeth Martinez Palma, will bring a mini–Catrina Runway to the festivities. The Omaha tour will culminate in the October 31 annual Catrina Runway fashion show at Yates Illuminates.
Reserve free tickets:
October 2 at Yates Illuminates
BELOVED DAVE
Written by Daniel Hirsch |
Developmental Workshop Production
March 12-14, 2027: Yates Illuminates, 3260 Davenport St, Omaha, NE
This exciting new play is loosely based on actual events that took place in Nebraska in 2024 involving catfishing and international internet espionage. The full creative team will be announced soon for this heartbreaking story about love, loneliness, and national security. Daniel Hirsch was a 2021 GPTC New Play Festival featured playwright.
Dave’s lonely days are finally over: he’s fallen for a lovely young woman named Sophie. The only problem: Sophie may not be a lovely young woman at all. Her real identity could destroy Dave and—given his not-so insignificant job— may have grave repercussions on nothing less than global security and world peace.
FIVE STORIES
Great Plains Theatre Commons New Play Festival
Join us for five staged readings of New Play Festival scripts with post-show social gatherings every night!
May 23-29, 2027: Metropolitan Community College – Fort Omaha Campus
We’ve had so many requests over the years for evening performances of our Festival PlayLabs so more audiences can enjoy our presentations of exciting new scripts every spring. In 2027, the Commons Season will culminate with five separate Festival performances, each presented in the evening to make these performances as widely available as possible.
GPTC accepts submitted scripts between September 1 and October 15, and will announce the selections, creative teams, and performance dates for each PlayLab in March 2027.
All performance venues are ADA compliant for accessibility. For any accessibility questions or needs please contact us at 402-370-8259. Thank you.