Serious Actors.

No Director.

One Rehearsal.

In a Bar.

How it started.

Inspired by Chicago’s Back Room Shakespeare Project, Old School Shakespeare Omaha (OSSO) began in a bar in July 2022, when a merry band of co-conspirators staged Twelfth Night at Site-1 Brewing – for one night only. The bar was packed and the energy was electric. So we did another show. And another. And our numbers grew - in performances, in co-conspirators, and in loyal audiences.

How it’s going.

Four years, 13 productions, and nearly 50 performances later, we’re still at it: still loud, still joyfully chaotic, and still doing Shakespeare the way we believe it was meant to be—up close, unpredictable, and shared with a room full of people.

Who we are.

OSSO is a growing community of artists, audiences, and local businesses creating something together that defies easy categorization. We aren’t a traditional theatre company. We aren’t a nonprofit. And we aren’t a business. We are a collective driven to create and share something that we love. And when we say serious actors, we mean it.

Where we show up.

We don’t perform on traditional stages. We take over bars, restaurants, coffee houses, and community spaces across our city. Wherever we land, we eliminate the distance between the performers and the audience. And we land just about everywhere.

How we’re received.

Business owners welcome us because we’re good for business. The theatre-loving community celebrates us because there’s nothing else quite like what we do. Along the way, we’ve been honored with multiple Omaha Entertainment & Arts Award nominations, including a 2024 win for Outstanding Comedy with A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The rooms keep filling up. Our community keeps growing. And people keep coming back.

But sometimes it’s hard for people to find us. That’s where you come in.

What’s next? From bars to browsers - help us build our website.

Right now, OSSO lives on social media, word of mouth, and a very loyal email list. It works—but it’s not enough anymore. We have hundreds of audience members, artists, and partners who want a reliable place to find shows, get involved, and stay connected.

So we’re building a website. A place where you can find the next show. A place where every trace of our work doesn’t disappear after one night. A place that helps us—and our venue partners—grow.

Free Shakespeare. Because you make it possible.

We believe Shakespeare should belong to everyone. That’s why our shows are free. No tickets. No barriers. Just a suggested donation and a room full of people willing to show up.

Until now, those donations have gone straight back to the artists—the ones bringing every ounce of energy, skill, and glorious chaos to each performance. But if we want to keep growing, we need to invest in the tools that help more people find us.

This campaign is the first step. You can help us build the next phase: an OSSO website, a stronger network, and a bigger table for everyone who wants a seat.

Because our audience knows OSSO isn’t just for one night only. It’s a movement. And every time, everywhere, anything can happen.

NEXT UP! The Comedy of Errors performances begin at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 23 - Benson Theatre
Sunday, July 26- The Reading Room
Thursday, July 30 - Big Grove Brewery
Friday, July 31 - Crescent Moon
Saturday, August 1 - Fig. at Kiewit Luminarium
Sunday, August 2 - Bohemian Gardens

COMPLETE LIST OF VENUES

Alice Cocktail Bar
Backswing Brewing - Omaha Location
Benson Theatre
Big Grove Brewery
Bohemian Gardens
Crescent Moon
Fig. at Kiewit Luminarium
Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center (in partnership with Opera Omaha)
KAMP Blackstone
Library Pub
Lucky Bucket Brewing
Myrtle & Cypress - OCM Location
Pageturners Lounge
SET the Bar
Site-1 Brewing
The Durham Museum
The Reading Room
Timber Creek Pizza Pub & Grill
Zen Coffee Company - West Location

THE PLAYS SO FAR

Twelfth Night (twice!)
Romeo and Juliet
Much Ado About Nothing
The Tempest
Julius Caesar
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Macbeth
As You Like It
Henry IV Part I
The Winter’s Tale
Hamlet
The Comedy of Errors

BONUS!

A Renew’d Optimism (A Shakespearean Space Parody) in partnership with Shelterbelt Theatre

OSSO Website Fundraiser

Help us build a website for theatre that won’t stay put.

Team Members