Our Actors
Sean Carlson
Sean is entering his first year with R.E.S.P.E.C.T.2 An Omaha native, he is currently a student at the University of Nebraska Omaha and will graduate in December with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre. While at UNOmaha Sean has enjoyed being a part of The Birds, Art, Our Country’s Good, and Hamlet. After his graduation in December Sean is looking forward to a professional theatre career.
Sean has spent the last two summers on stage with Nebraska Shakespeare and has acted with the Blue Barn’s Witching Hour in the past including a favorite show of his Grimm Reaping.
Greg Jaxies
Greg was born and raised in Grand Island, Nebraska. He graduated from Grand Island Senior High in 2003 and moved to Omaha, where he attended UNO's theater program in pursuit of his undergraduate degree. In Omaha he has participated in productions with the Bellevue Little Theater and Blue Barn's Witching Hour, and has worked as a fight coordinator for a number of different theatres. He is also a freelance graphic designer and podcaster. He lives with his wife, Shannon, and their nervous and odd-looking dog Ruffles, and couldn't be happier.
Shannon Jaxies
Shannon is originally from Hastings, NE, where she worked with the Sunny D's, a peer outreach program that worked with the Red Cross to educate students on healthy lifestyle choices, and REACHOUT, which used theatre to tell the stories of Nebraskans that had been affected by HIV and AIDS. In Omaha she has acted in productions at UNO (where she will eventually earn her BA in Theatre), the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, and the Omaha Community Playhouse. She also enjoys designing costumes and props, and has done so for The Witching Hour, Brigit St Brigit, The Omaha Moving Company, UNO's FAUST, and the Henry Doorly Zoo's butterfly house fundraiser.
Jeremy Johnson
After counseling at several summer camps all over the nation, Jeremy Johnson has lived about everywhere, but has settled down in Omaha to be with his soon-to-be wife Sara and brand new daughter Leona Belle. He has been acting in Omaha and Lincoln for five years on both stage and screen. Recently, Jeremy turned his focus toward writing and produced a play which will be premiering at the Tin Ceiling Theatre in St. Louis, MO this season. Jeremy is new to the R.E.S.P.E.C.T.2 crew, but loves it already and looks forward to a long, harmonious journey with them.
Haley Piper
Haley Piper, originally from Yankton SD, is a graduate of Creighton University with a BFA in Theatre. In addition to her work with the R.E.S.P.E.C.T.2 program, Haley does issue-education through theatre with the Camp Fire Girls and Boys of America.
Haley's favorite roles include Irene in The Dresser recently performed at the Blue Barn Theatre, Omaha, Babe in Crimes of the Heart which was her BFA project at Creighton University, and Rosannah in Brilliant Traces also at Creighton University.
Haley finds inspiration through volunteer work at her church and workshops and camps for children and young adults.
Brandon Rohe
Brandon graduated from the University of Nebraska – Omaha with a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts in 2002. While at UNOmaha, Brandon received numerous acting awards including the 2002 Undergraduate Theatre Student of the Year award. He has been seen on many local Omaha stages including the Omaha Community Playhouse, Blue Barn Theatre, Shelterbelt Theatre, Bellevue Little Theatre, and the Dundee Dinner Theatre.
Brandon has also served with the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival as an actor in Romeo and Juliet, and as an educator with Camp Shakespeare and Shakespeare Unbound. He also served as a Camp Counselor at the Bauen Camp in Wyoming.
Brandon has been with R.E.S.P.E.C.T.2 since 2001. In 2004 and 2005, Brandon took a couple years away R.E.S.P.E.C.T.2 to serve as an educator at the Omaha Children’s Museum. He is thrilled to be back with R.E.S.P.E.C.T.2, not as an actor-educator, but also serving as the Program Director.
Ashley Spessard
Ashley graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2007 with her degree in Theatre. Ashley has acted in several area productions including The Crucible at the Omaha Community Playhouse, Love's Labour's Lost with the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, and Hamlet and Tartuffe at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. This past year, Ashley was named the 2007-2008 Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Theatre at UNO.
In addition to her work with R.E.S.P.E.C.T.2, Ashley has worked for several summers with the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival's Camp Shakespeare Program and in 2007 developed the curriculum for a middle school theatre camp with UNO's AIM for the Stars.
Nick Zadina
Nick is originally from Columbus, Nebraska where he graduated from Scotus Central Catholic High School in 1997. He then went onto Creighton where he received his BFA in Theatre in 2001 and then to UNO to receive his MA in Theatre in 2006. He is currently attending UNO again working towards a Masters in Counseling.
Nick has been with the R.E.S.P.E.C.T.2 program since 2001 and became the Artistic Director after many years as an actor/educator. He also has written four plays for R.E.S.P.E.C.T.2 including Choices, Reporting, Stop and Think, and Puppy Pals.
Nick also acts in many community theatres in Omaha and has received awards for acting, directing, and playwriting. Nick enjoys spending time with his seven pets and his wife Erika.