Omaha Community Playhouse

The inaugural performance of the Omaha Community Playhouse in 1924 starred Dodie Brando, mother of then one-year-old Marlon Brando, in “The Enchanted Cottage.” Brando was friendly with Herberta Fonda, mother of Henry Fonda, and she encouraged his stage debut at 20 in the playhouse’s “You and I.”  Even after he’d moved on to Hollywood stardom, Henry Fonda often returned to make guests appearances at the theatre, where his father served as house manager, and where his children, Jane and Peter, would eventually make their stage debuts. Marlon Brando and Dorothy Maguire also made their stage debuts there. The Omaha Community Playhouse is widely considered to be the nation’s top community theater, with an annual membership of approximately 12,000 patrons. Twelve productions a year are presented on two stages, along with special programs.

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