Patsy goes West
From local beginnings in Karns City Area High School and community productions, Brady Patsy’s theater career took flight to companies such as Walt Disney World and Pittsburgh Musical Theater.
Starting in May, his next big adventure will be as associate artistic director of the Omaha Community Playhouse in Omaha, Neb.
“This job sat in front of me, and I had to take it,” he said.
The company is one of the largest community theaters in America and soon is to celebrate its 100th season, with Patsy at the helm.
“The fact that they’re bringing me in to carry the 100th season, I’m excited to see what I can bring to that. I hope to engage the community and make sure we’re telling beautiful stories,” he said.
According to Patsy, the current executive director reached out to him about the position. Initially, Patsy said he wasn’t planning on taking the job.
“Moving to Nebraska was not in the plans for me. It’s not what I thought my life journey would look like,” he said. “But (the director) reached out again and said to read over the job description.”
The description included directing a few shows out of an average 10 show season, as well as planning upcoming projects.
“It was one of those things where everything you want in life is on a piece of paper,” he said. “Everything you worked for, everything you want to be a part of, in a job.”
Patsy said community theater being a large part of his childhood contributed to aspects of his job interview.
“At Butler Musical Theatre Guild I was told, ‘don’t forget where it started, it starts with community,’” he said. “I was asked ‘why community theater?’ in the interview ... my journey started with that community mindset.”
Before Patsy and his wife, Mandie, move west in June, he has two more bows to take in Western Pennsylvania. The first is as Perch Perkins in “The SpongeBob Musical” at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and in “A Man of No Importance” at the New Hazlett Theater in Pittsburgh.
“The kids are incredibly talented and incredibly kind,” Patsy said of the “SpongeBob” cast. “The students are very polite, and it’s been a very professional experience. It’s going to be fantastic. There’s some extreme talent up there.”
Despite moving across the country, Patsy said the Pittsburgh region will remain special to him.
“I’m going to move my home, but Western Pa. will always be a huge part of my heart,” he said. “I remember even in (Disney), Western Pa. was a huge chunk of my heart. I think that’s because of the people. There’re some incredible people in this area.”
The aspect of family will keep him coming back to visit, he added, as he and his wife were born and raised in the area.
What he’s looking forward to most in this next chapter is an addition to his family within the year.
“We got to move, have a baby, and I look at all of those things as a new adventure,” he said. “My Disney days will always stick with me, and me and my wife have Carl and Ellie’s Adventure book from the movie ‘Up.’ From the moment we met each other, we’ve been filling up the pages ... I hope I’ve served the Pittsburgh area well in my time here.”
