When he first started applying to acting programs, Nebraska wasn’t on freshman Melkie Sherman’s radar. A quick, chance audition for faculty and staff from the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film changed his thinking.
“I was at an open audition in Dallas for a bunch of different schools, and there was an opportunity to do a walk-in audition for Nebraska,” Sherman said. “They weren’t initially on my list, but that audition was the smoothest I’d had. I also got to meet Hank Stratton, who’s the director of the Johnny Carson School. He had this great energy that just instantly made me want to work with him.”
The audition — and the people — left enough of an impression to convince Sherman to travel from his Southern California home to NU’s campus. Right away, he found more of that warm, magnetic energy he noticed in the audition.
“Honestly, I just loved the vibe of everyone here,” Sherman said. “Everyone at the school was so welcoming and asking me a ton of questions, which hadn't always been my experience with other acting opportunities. It was the kind of environment where I could really see myself growing.”
Halfway through his second semester, Sherman has already taken big leaps toward achieving that growth. He participated in last semester's UNL Theatrix’s student-run production of Tick, Tick... Boom! and is currently in rehearsals for the Nebraska Repertory’s upcoming Bright Star, which places he and fellow Huskers alongside working professionals.
“Tick, Tick... Boom! felt so cohesive and I learned so much from older students in the program,” Sherman said. “Now, working with professionals in Nebraska Rep who’ve literally been on Broadway, I’m getting to see that unique pace that comes with their background.”
Sherman can tell that his initial hunch about Nebraska was correct: here, it’s about the ensemble, not the individual.
“You always hear people stress that the ensemble makes the show, right?" Sherman said. "Already in my first year I've learned so much about how to bring my ideas to the table and not push out other people's ideas. We allow everyone to come in and work together to create art.”
