More than a century after the first student-led performance, theater at UNO has evolved from makeshift stages and student clubs into a vibrant academic and artistic institution. Look back at the milestones that shaped UNO Theatre — and the people and places that brought it to life.
Before drama became an academic program, the University of Omaha Dramatic Club staged UNO’s first play, “Hicks at College,” on Dec. 13, 1912. It was performed in Jacob’s Gymnasium at the original campus on 24th and Pratt Streets.
The Great Depression and WWII slowed theatrical activity, but the University Players revived it in 1945. They remained active until 1968, when OU joined the University of Nebraska. A standout: the 1959 spring musical “Guys and Dolls,” was described in the Tomahawk yearbook as “a fascinating tour of Damon Runyonland.”
Before 1980, theater classes were part of
the speech department, and performances were held in Arts and Sciences Hall. Growing student interest led to the creation of the Dramatic Arts Department — the foundation of today’s UNO Theatre.
The opening of the Del and Lou Ann Weber Fine Arts Building in 1992 gave theater and other arts programs a dedicated home — and a stage. At the dedication, Chancellor Del Weber said, “[It] is indeed a departure from what has been built on this campus previously. Like artists themselves, the building is controversial. It causes those who look at it to think and have an opinion.”
In 2015, the College of Communication, Fine Arts, and Media (CFAM) was reorganized and the former department of Theatre became part of the School of Arts. In celebration, as well as the 10th anniversary of CFAM, the final show of the season was an intense and immersive production of “Kwaidan: Japanese Ghosts and Demons.”
