Connecting community through the arts

With the official start of summer quickly approaching, The 402 Theater Group offers more opportunities for people of all ages to get involved by providing entertainment for the community. Jillian Henn, of Orchard, is one of the creators of The 402 Theatre Group.

"The 402 Theater Group is a community inspired to bring the performing arts to rural communities," she said.

The group started in 2022, when Orchard resident Don Lallier posted an ad around town to gather interest in starting a theater group.

"I actually never saw the ad until Lynae Stelling messaged me about it the day they were going to get together for the first time," Henn said.

A few people from the community showed up to the meeting to put together a list of ideas. For starters, the group needed a name. Henn suggested incorporating the village's area code - 402 - to spark the idea that theater can connect all.

"To our biggest Nebraska cities to our smallest of villages, storytelling is a spark that not only entertains and creates joy, but it also passes a long a little bit of magic ... a little bit of truth that we can all still come together in one place in time and believe in something," she said.

The group worked together to create some events in the community. In October 2022, Henn hosted a Halloween Fun House called "Monster Mash" for kids at Orchard's Rex Theater. After a "great turnout" at the event, the group decided to produce a short Christmas play. Don Lallier wrote the production titled "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus."

Henn acquired the actors, actresses and helpers for rehearsal and production but noted a lot of people were involved in that event, including Lallier building the set, Lynae Stelling playing piano and Jeff Shabram coming in to play Santa Claus for the kids.

After another successful turnout, Henn said the group tried to involve adults.

"After that we tried to get some adults interested in doing a play, but I think people are too busy to be able to commit to rehearsals," she said. "It really isn't an easy gig, as you would have to come into rehearsals three to five times a week if you wanted to put on a full-act play for the community. That's asking a lot for most people who work full-time jobs and have kids."

This is when Henn decided to focus her attention on accommodating children from the area who are interested in performing, writing or directing.

"I love working with kids and I think this is the area that people are most interested in and might suit our theater group better," she said. "It's so amazing to see a shy child come in and completely surprise you with their bravery and creativity."

Henn majored in theater at Doane University, where she wrote, directed and acted in a lot of plays and films. She tried to get as involved with everything as she could, including make-up, costume design, stage building, writing and directing her own pieces.

Right out of college, she worked for the Omaha Playhouse where she hosted kid's theater tours and classes. She also worked at the 402 Arts Collective, a non-profit company that gives private lessons to people of all ages. There, she also taught the first-ever acting class and opened the door to more theater teachers and acting students. She even filmed marketing videos for companies and community groups in the Crete and Lincoln area.

With Henn's theater background, she states that she could not do this on her own. Lallier, Sara Trease, Allison Mullins and Lynae Stelling have all played pivotal parts in helping this group succeed. Lazy T Tire and Implement and The Bank of Orchard have also helped give the group "a great start." The Orchard community building and The Rex Theater have also given their spaces to use free of charge on all the occasions asked to rent the building.

"I think that says a lot about how kind people are in this area to see the arts thrive," Henn said.

The 402 Theater Group will be offering a Children's Theater Camp starting in July, where they will partner with the Orchard Historical Society to provide a dinner theater with this experience. Henn is currently working on dates and prices. She has also made a goal of putting on a full-length production with both adults and children by the end of 2023.

There are several ways people in the community can help support the 402 Theater Group.

Commitment is huge and would help the group significantly by getting individuals involved and truly committing to events and duties, according to Henn.

Donations are always accepted, which will allow the group to advertise and gather supplies for upcoming camps and productions.

For more information on the 402 Theater Group, join the Facebook group "402 Theater Group."

"Feel free to send a message or attend a meeting," Henn said.