In 2007, Brigit Saint Brigit premiered Acacia's Secret Heart, the first in a sparklingly magical series for people of all ages that captures the wonder of imagination by exploring the beautifully captivating myths at the heart of all of our collective stories. Acacia's Secret Heart was performed first at the Omaha Children's Museum in November, and on December 14 and 15 was presented at BSB's home space as a special holiday offering. It is now available for offsite bookings.
    Set in the South African Bush, Acacia's Secret Heart tells the story of a wise and ancient acacia tree as she interacts with the many colorful creatures that inhabit her world. Moved by a gesture of kindness, Acacia reveals a timeless and magical secret. Will the plants and animals possess the simple gratitude necessary to share in Acacia's wonders, or will the be lost forever?
    And speaking of the plants and animals, Brigit's 4-actor ensemble delivers uniquely cheeky and physically rambunctious performances of such characters as Scott Kurz's Baboon, Mr. Ostrich, and the devious Hyena; Amy Kunz's Riverie Rabiit and the Tiny Klipspringer; Tracy Iwerson's Aardvark and Mrs. Ostrich; and Carole Waterman's Sable Antelope and Acacia.
    The actors have also created amazingly delightful hand puppets for 4 of the other characters--the African Gray Hornbill (Kurz), Anemone and Snapdragon (Iwerson), and Dahlia (Kunz).
    Although BSB regular attendees know of the acting/directing talents of each of these artists, some may be unaware of their extensive backgrounds in imaginatively physical movement and vocal training.



An Incredible Ensemble
    Amy Kunz was on staff with the Omaha Theater Company for Young Poeple for 10 years asan instructor and performer. She played the title role in the OTC's national tour of Tatterhood and was the witch in Hansel and Gretel which toured to the Brooklyn Academy of Music. She has also toured with the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival's education program and is a featured artist on the "Artist in the Schools" roster with the Nebraska Arts Council. Amy has been BSB's Education Director for the past 10 years, working with countless students, ages 5 through 18 througout the state. Among her most memorable performances with Brigit are Maggie in Cat on A Hot Tin Roof, Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, and Kate in Taming of The Shrew. She also played principle roles for seven summers with the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, a few of which include Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Viola in Twelfth Night, and Regan in King Lear.
    Scott Kurz's primary work for over a decade was as a preschool teacher, and in 1995, he was recognized by the Omaha Women's Fund with its Child Care Provider of The Year Award (the only male at that time ever to receive the honor). He was also involved in middle school and high school outreach theatre performances to raise awareness about AIDS. In the early 90s, he was employed by the Omaha Theater Company for Young People, performing a number of plays, including a tour of The Velveteen Rabbit at the Kennedy Center, and has also been an educator for the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival. Sicne committing his talntes to Brigit Saint Brigit (and its educational programming), he, too, has conducted and participated in innumerable workshops in the schools. Before embarking on his classics career with Brigit Saint Brigit, he played onstage with the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival and the Wisconsin Repertory Theatre. Among his many favorite roles, he names the title role in Hamlet and the young rebel in The Freedom of The City.
    The Theatre shouts a big hooray that the incredibly gifted Tracy Iwerson has returned to take part in Acacia's Secret Heart. As a theatre professional, she has a diverse and impressive background, both as an actor and educator. For 13 yaers she was a full-time staff member at The Omaha Theater Company for Young People, delighting audiences in roles as varied as the title character in Snow White and Templeton-the-Scavenger-Rat in Charlotte's Web. Her work with Pride Players at the OTC recently earned Tracy the National Education Association's distinguished honor, The Sue Ann Big Crow Human Rights Award. Tracy, too, is featured as an artist on the Nebraska Arts Council's "Artists in the Schools" roster and works with Children's Square as a youth care worker and drama instructor, aiding children in self-expression, group behavior, and team interaction. She currently teaches drama-related activities at both the Omaha Community Playhouse and Christ the King Elementary School. In the midst of her busy schedule, BSB was fortunate to feature Tracy's well-crafted performance as Gertrude in its production of Hamlet.
    For over 46 years, Carole Waterman has been a music and theatre education specialist, teaching students from preschool through university, in Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, California and Athens, Greece. During her 15 years in Greece, she taught at the American Community Schools and founded the Athens Children's Theatre. Upon her move to Omaha in 1990, she joined the Omaha Theater Company for Young People as a theatre education specialist and served there as Education Director from 1993 until her retirement in 1997. For the past several years, she has been conducting workshops in the Very Special Arts Program. Carole has been extending her generous talents to Brigit for over a dozen years as artist, teacher, and advisor. She has directed several BSB productions, including The Trojan Woman and Medea; among her memorable acting roles on our stage are Alice in A Man for All Seasons and Mrs. Higgins in Pygmalion; and she was primarily responsible for the choral elements of movement and voice for the 3 chief witches and the witches' ensemble in last season's production of MacBeth.

Family Series:
Acacia's Secret Heart; Rhodopis, the Egyptian Cinderella; and Urashima Taro
    Acacia's Secret Heart is the first in a trio of Brigit Saint Brigit's "Family Series" productions combining inspired myth and creative performance. Equally wondrous, imaginative experiences will follow with the tales of Rhodopis, The Egyptian Cinderella and Japan's poignant Urashima Taro (dates TBA).
We guarantee you'll be transported by Acacia's Secret Heart. And, after all, that's what theatre's for!