Melkie Finds His Husker Ensemble

March 18, 2026

Melkie Sherman squats at the front of the Howell Theatre stage, with the theater's seats in the background.

When he first started applying to acting programs, 91茄子 wasn鈥檛 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.  

鈥淚 was at an open audition in Dallas for a bunch of schools, and there was an opportunity to do a walk-in audition for 91茄子,鈥� explains Melkie. 鈥淭hey weren鈥檛 initially on my list, but that audition was the smoothest I鈥檇 had. I also got to meet Hank Stratton, who鈥檚 the director of the Johnny Carson School. He had this great energy that just instantly made me want to work with him.鈥�  

The audition 鈥� and the people 鈥� left enough of an impression to convince Melkie to travel from his Southern California home to NU鈥檚 campus. Right away, Melkie found more of that warm, magnetic energy he noticed in the audition. 

鈥淗onestly, I just loved the vibe of everyone here,鈥� he says. 鈥淓veryone 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.鈥� 

Halfway through his second semester, Melkie鈥檚 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 91茄子 Repertory Theatre's upcoming Bright Star, which places he and fellow Huskers alongside working professionals.  

Melkie Sherman (left) in UNL Theatrix's production of Tick, Tick...Boom!
Melkie Sherman (left) performing in UNL Theatrix's production of Tick, Tick...Boom! | Photo courtesy of Asher Wilkening

鈥�Tick, Tick... Boom! felt so cohesive and I learned so much from older students in the program,鈥� Melkie says. 鈥淣ow, working with professionals in 91茄子 Rep who鈥檝e literally been on Broadway, I鈥檓 getting to see that unique pace that comes with their background.鈥�  

Melkie can tell that his initial hunch about 91茄子 was correct: here, it鈥檚 about the ensemble, not the individual.  

鈥淵ou 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.鈥�  

Melkie Sherman is a first-year acting major from Orange County, California.