History of the Theatre Arts Guild

What began as a primarily social group of performers in 1967 (and as a dissident protest of sorts to one of Omaha’s large performance houses) has grown into one of community theater’s most ardent support organizations, the Theatre Arts Guild.  Originally the Metropolitan Arts Guild, the organization was designed to help performers learn more about theater and celebrate the art of performance.  The group’s major function was its annual Awards Night (Omaha's own Tony Awards), which continues today much as it was at the organization’s inception.

 After a significant reduction in membership, new leadership breathed life into the group through an expansion of the Board of Directors, including a nominations and elections process.  They extended their reach to encompass all areas of the theatre arts and conducted a membership drive.  New programs were created, including all-city cast parties for networking, and workshops in all facets of theatre. To further encourage youth participation and education, a scholarship program was developed.  In order to obtain non-profit status, the Metropolitan Arts Guild disbanded in 1987 and a few minutes later, the non-profit Theatre Arts Guild was born.

 Now in its 37th year, the original premise of encouraging participation in the theater arts as a performer, technician and/or volunteer has flourished, along with an increase in membership and programs.  The metro Omaha theatre community has grown to include over 35 active production companies.  TAG is now represented in multimedia advertising, has a large web presence, annually presents multiple scholarships to deserving high school seniors planning to further their education in theatre arts and recently created a scholarship program for graduate level and continuing studies.  Current TAG projects include a mass media publicity campaign promoting the live theatre art form to the community and visitors.