Flatwater Shakespeare Welcomes Visionary Leader Aaron Sawyer as New Executive Artistic Director
LINCOLN, NE – Flatwater Shakespeare Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Sawyer as its new Executive Artistic Director. Aaron brings decades of leadership and experience in nonprofit and commercial theater to the role as a visionary theatermaker, educator, and director.
Flatwater Shakespeare, known for its commitment to high-quality, accessible productions, looks forward to a new chapter under Aaron’s leadership. His expertise in blending classical works with modern theatrical approaches promises to expand the company’s artistic reach and deepen its impact in Lincoln and beyond.
“Shakespeare was meant to be watched, not read. It’s very important that our youth experience Shakespeare in live performances as intended, rather than as a trudging homework assignment. We don’t ask students to read Mozart,” said Aaron.
The majority of Aaron Sawyer’s work in the arts was based in Chicago, where he built a reputation for creating bold, innovative, and accessible theater. As the Founder and Artistic Director of Red Theater, Aaron led a high-energy performance company that established collectives in Lincoln, Omaha, and Chicago. In Chicago alone, he produced over twenty productions, including several groundbreaking works that integrated American Sign Language- the most celebrated of which was a twice-extended production of Romeo and Juliet featuring d/Deaf cast and production members. Under Aaron’s leadership, Red Theater also created Chicago’s Unified Accessibility Auditions—an unprecedented platform that opened doors for d/Deaf and disabled actors throughout the region. His productions garnered numerous accolades, nominations, and multiple Jeff Awards.
Most recently Aaron was the Artistic Director of The Raven Room, an immersive entertainment and performance center in Chicago’s Northside which featured virtual reality entertainment, craft cocktails, and four Resident Theater Companies— two of which primarily performed Shakespeare. Aaron’s more eclectic side involved producing Virtual Reality Drink Experiences, Immersive Pop-Up Holiday Events, and Chicago’s largest weekly gathering of Dungeons & Dragons players.
“Nebraska has a vibrant artistic community, and I look forward to collaborating with local and national artists to bring dynamic and accessible productions to all Nebraskans,” said Aaron.
Beyond his work in Chicago, Aaron has directed classical and contemporary works nationwide, produced an acclaimed short film featuring Emmy Award-winning actor Michael Badalucco, and served on numerous nonprofit Boards. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in the Direction of Stage and Screen from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has been recognized for his contributions to theater accessibility, multimedia integration, and innovative storytelling. Aaron also has a history of educating youth in the arts, originating the Film Class for Holdrege Nebraska’s Summer Honors Program as well as instructing high school and college students in a number of youth workshops and camps.
Aaron, who has recently returned to Nebraska with his wife of over 20 years and two elementary school children, is an Economic Development Director for Pawnee City, Nebraska where his work has “gone viral” in rural housing circles for a marketing promotion encouraging people to build new houses in the small town. Aaron is also producing the Inaugural Summer Concert Series for Pawnee City’s new limestone VanHorne Amphitheater featuring highlights like hometown hero “Larry the Cable Guy” and “Greg’s Good Time Polka Band.” Aaron is also employed by the Theater Department at Nebraska Wesleyan University instructing Advanced Acting students how to devise and promote their own work as independent artists.
Jimmy Lewis, Interim Executive Director
Jimmy Lewis is thrilled to be a part of the Flatwater Shakespeare Company team and continue the legacy of exceptional theatre in Lincoln, NE. Jimmy is an accomplished theatre performer and arts administrator. His previous experience "behind the table" has been working with Highlands Playhouse. There he served as the Outreach Coordinator/Acting Managing Director and then Assistant Artistic Director. He currently works for the Omaha Symphony as their Operations and Production Manager and is working towards his M.A. in Arts Management from The University of Oklahoma.
As a performer, Jimmy performed regionally as well as internationally. Some of his favorite regional credits include Rooster in Annie, Will Parker in Oklahoma!, Uncle Fester in The Addams Family, The Big Bopper in Buddy, and Amos in Chicago. He also toured the East Coast, Mid-West, and Virgin Islands with TheaterWorksUSA. In addition to regional theaters across the country, Jimmy has also been lucky enough to work with Disney on several occasions. In 2018 Jimmy went sailing through Europe working on Disney Cruise Line performing on the Disney Magic in Rapunzel’s Royal Table as Hookhand from the movie Tangled. In 2016 and 2019, Jimmy performed with Disney On Classic, a Disney concert tour in Japan. As 1 of 8 American Singers, Jimmy toured the country with a live 60-piece Japanese orchestra as Olaf in Frozen in 2016 and singing “True to Your Heart” from Mulan in 2019.
Stephen (Steve) Buhler, Co-Founder and Resident Scholar
Stephen served as Education Director of the Flatwater Shakespeare Company for our first two decades and is now our Resident Scholar. He is also the Aaron Douglas Professor of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has served as dramaturg for nearly all of Flatwater Shakespeare's productions and as humanities adviser for Flatwater Shakespeare's youth programs. He is the author of Shakespeare in the Cinema: Ocular Proof and was the 2015 recipient of the City of Lincoln Mayor's Arts Award for Artistic Achievement – Literary Arts.
