March 18, 2026
When he first started applying to acting programs, Nebraska wasn’t really on first-year student Melkie Sherman's radar. A chance audition for faculty and staff of the Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film quickly changed his thinking.
“I was at an open audition in Dallas for a bunch of schools, and there was an opportunity to do a walk-in audition for Nebraska,” explains Melkie. “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 Melkie to travel from his Southern California home to NU’s campus. Right away, Melkie found more of that warm, magnetic energy he noticed in the audition.
“Honestly, I just loved the vibe of everyone here,” he says. “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, Melkie’s already achieving that growth. He participated in last semester's UNL Theatrix student-run production of Tick, Tick... Boom! and is currently in rehearsals for Nebraska Repertory Theatre'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,” Melkie says. “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.”
Melkie 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? 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.”
Melkie Sherman is a first-year acting major from Orange County, California.