Theater

The home of our performing arts program is The Shirley Tyree Theater, which occupies the historic F.J. Carey Block next door to The Union. The building, which is now more than 110 years old, was recognized in 2016 by the National Park Service as one of 28 historically significant buildings contributing to the North 24th and Lake Streets Historic District.

Central to the performing arts program is the Performing Arts Collective (PAC), our Black theatre ensemble dedicated to exploring contemporary theatre. The Union is committed to the ensemble members’ creative growth and provides a home for them to develop their craft.
 

The Shirley Tyree Theater features:

• An up to 90-seat flexible theater
• An open-format rehearsal and community gathering space
• An accessible lobby and ticketing area
• A scene-building shop
• A green room and dressing area

About Shirley Tyree: Our Theater's Namesake

It is with great pride that we named our theater after a woman who dedicated her life to making Omaha a better place for us all. Ms. Shirley Tyree was born in Louisiana on February 22, 1939. She moved to Omaha with her family as a child and attended Kellom Elementary and graduated from Tech High School (now the TAC building). Shirley Tyree was one of the first Black managers at Northwestern Bell and one of the initial members of the Nebraska Black Managers Association. Her trailblazing spirit was supported by her strong faith in God. She was a longtime member at Morning Star Baptist Church.

It is an honor for The Union to lift up Ms. Shirley Tyree and shine a light on the strong foundation she helped build.