Omaha Community Playhouse Welcomes New Artistic Director

The Omaha Community Playhouse (OCP) is pleased to announce that Kimberly Faith Hickman has accepted the position of artistic director of the Playhouse. Hickman will begin at OCP full time on June 1, 2016 and is filling the position upon the dismissal of OCP's most recent Artistic Director Hilary Adams. Susan Baer Collins, former OCP associate artistic director, has been acting as interim artistic director since last December and she will work with Hickman in the transition.

Hickman has guest directed two productions at OCP-Enron and Jesus Christ Superstar (which she also choreographed), both in the 2014/2015 season. She also co-directed the most recent tour of the Nebraska Theatre Caravan's touring production of A Christmas Carol. In a twist of fate, Hickman and the respected former Artistic Director of the Playhouse and adaptor of the Playhouse's version of A Christmas Carol, Charles Jones, worked at the Springer Opera House in Columbus Georgia. Jones came to the Playhouse from the Springer Opera House in 1974 and Hickman began her career there.

Born and raised in Alabama and currently based in New York City, Hickman's credits include Broadway and Off Broadway, as well as national tours and regional theatre productions across the country.

Hickman's Off-Broadway and New York City credits include work with Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theatre Company, Atlantic Theatre Company, Women's Project, Epic Theatre Ensemble and Theatre Row, as well as terraNOVA Collective, Horse Trade Theatre Group and Writopia Lab. Regional credits include Center Theatre Group, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Westport Country Playhouse, Next Act Theatre, Springer Opera House, Off Square Theatre Company, Playhouse on the Square, Know Theatre, Cincinnati Fringe Festival and national touring companies. She was assistant director for the Tony Award-winning plays Clybourne Park (directed by Pam McKinnon) and The Assembled Parties (directed by Lynne Meadow) and also worked on the Broadway premiere of The Scottsboro Boys (directed / choreographed by Susan Stroman).

Hickman holds a B.F.A. in theater performance and directing from Columbus State University in Georgia. She is the recipient of the Alec Baldwin Directing Fellowship, two SDC Foundation Observerships and three Manhattan Theatre Club Directing Fellowships. She is artistic associate at terraNOVA Collective, a member of Directors Lab West, Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab and Stage Director and Choreographers Society. She is also a founding member of Bechdel Project, a non-profit organization devoted to telling stories that pass the Bechdel Test.

"Kimberly brings a great deal of enthusiasm to the Playhouse, not only for what's on our stage, but also for our other endeavors, such as our education/outreach/Theater Tech programs and our Nebraska Theatre Caravan tours," OCP President Tim Schmad said. "Having been a guest director here over the past several years - and having co-directed the Nebraska Theatre Caravan tours - Kimberly is very familiar with the Playhouse," Schmad said. "And likewise, our staff at the Playhouse is very familiar with her. I know that our staff is extremely excited that Kimberly will be joining us on a fulltime basis."

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