Our Mission
To provide new educational opportunities for residents to experience and develop their interests and talents in theater, dance, music, poetry and writing.
Our Theater
The John Beasley Theater, Inc., (JBT) is a corporation organized under the Nonprofit Corporation Act of the State of Nebraska.
The theater seeks to build cultural bridges which foster knowledge and instill hope and mutual respect for all human beings.
The JBT Board of Directors consists of a group of community volunteers, community theater veterans, and business leaders who have come together to bring life to the vision of the corporation's founder, John Beasley.
Participating in his first high school competition in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, it was at that time that John's interest in dramatic arts became a vision as he presented his oral interpretation of a dramatic text. John began performing in plays while in high school and continued to pursue his acting interests throughout college and later in local community theaters.
Although his dream of becoming a full-time professional actor was always on his mind, after he married, John chose to temporarily defer the dream in order to have the pleasure of helping to rear his sons. During this time, he worked on a children's television program and participated in various community theaters. When his youngest son was in college, John felt that the time was right to set out to make his dream of becoming a full-time professional actor a reality. He successfully performed in professional theaters, acted in major motion picture roles, and made guest appearances on several television shows. John is currently a series regular and narrator on a popular WB network television series entitled "Everwood".
Mr. Beasley's dream does not end here. From first hand experience as an up and coming actor, he knows that theater arts opportunities are often limited for children and adults in Omaha in underserved communities. He began to envision ways to make theater arts "come alive" for more men, women and children who otherwise might never enjoy the magic a live theater production, participating in a theater production, or experiencing the self-discipline, self-confidence, or intellectual enlightenment that theater can provide.
From our founder, John Beasley
"Shooting on location is intense, hectic and demanding. But it does afford many moments of pure waiting....waiting for the next scene, take or re-shoot. For years, I have spent many of those waiting moments conceptualizing the idea of a unique theater in Omaha where theater production workshops are provided for aspiring actors to receive direction and training to develop their acting profession.
"My VISION is to create a venue (John Beasley Theater & Workshop) that will make the theater arts "come alive" for more people. People...men, women and children...who otherwise might never enjoy the magic of watching a live theater production. People who might never experience an on-stage or back-stage encounter with "the smell of greasepaint and the roar of a crowd". People who might never peer through the entertaining looking glass of life embodied in a stage production. And last, but not least, people who might never believe that theater can reflect their unique cultural experience, indeed their very lives. My dream is to see that everyone in Omaha has access to these opportunities.
"This VISION is on its way to fulfillment. Dedicated volunteers have embraced it and are now helping to breathe life into it. I will continue to invest my resources, expertise and experience into it."