Our Founders

Kent Garlinghouse was born and raised in the Big Sky of Montana, where he graduated from the University at Missoula, with a major in Music Education and a minor in Theatre. He taught Junior High School, High School and College music and continued involvement in theatre through a number of pursuits. His goal was to be a professional Opera singer, a pursuit that included a year’s graduate study in Germany with the University of Oregon. Life challenges and the need to make a living changed that goal to encourage others to fulfill their artistic dreams through performance.

Education has always been his priority, and he focused his career on encouraging others to achieve their highest and best aspirations. After retirement, he became involved in a radio theatre group, performing live shows monthly. He also wrote, directed, and did sound effects for these shows in addition to being a voice actor.

A move to Omaha in 2016 began a search for radio theatre performing groups. Discovering there were none in the area, he worked to develop a group of writers, voice actors, composers/performers, and sound effects artists so that local talent could be celebrated, and audiences thrilled by “theatre of the mind.”

Kent Garlinghouse

Stephanie Kidd

Stephanie Kidd is thrilled to serve as the Artistic Director for Radio Theatre Omaha, Omaha's only live audio drama theatre. An Omaha resident since 1997, Stephanie is a skilled theatre artist with a BFA in Theatre (directing) from Creighton University and an MA in Theatre (acting) from the University of Nebraska Omaha. She has worked with almost all of Omaha's theatres as a theatre artist. Favorite partnerships include roles with Anastasis Theatre, the Rose Theater, Benson Theatre, Council Bluffs Children's Theatre, and RESPECT. Stephanie works at UNMC's UNeTech Institute, coaching startup founders in medtech and developing programs for community founders who face barriers.