Photo of Eric "E Rawq" Lawson and Anthony Dupree Holmes at the Shirley Tyree Theater (left). The cast of Frydaddies mid performance (right). Images sourced from The Union For Contemporary Art.
By Kaydon Webber
Frydaddies Reflects African American Queer Life in Omaha
August 14th, 2026
Opening at The Union for Contemporary Art is an original theatrical show called Frydaddies. Written by local playwright Eric “E Rawq” Lawson, Frydaddies is a story about the African American queer experience. The show is a slice of life comedy that explores ideas of found family. “The catalyst, or what really caused me to want to write this, was just, I have a lot of thespian friends of color in Omaha, and I just felt like there were certain stories that they always had to kind of fit themselves into,” says playwright Eric “E Rawq” Lawson. “I think that when you’re able to act in a piece that reflects some of your background or your story or what have you, I think you can show a lot more of your acting ability.”
Directing the show is Anthony Dupree Holmes, who has worked on many previous shows at The Union for Contemporary Art. Working side-by-side with Lawson, Holmes speaks about the opportunities that come with working with an original script. “It’s nice to be able to be like, hey, how is this supposed to read? Or, hey, this line is kind of landing kind of weird. So I was very lucky in that aspect,” Holmes says.
With a story based in the Omaha area, The Union for Contemporary Art is giving audiences an opportunity to learn more about the creation of the piece through a talkback with playwright Eric “E Rawq” Lawson this Sunday, August 16, after the 4 p.m. show. Holmes finishes by saying, “I would say this show is a love letter to Omaha. So if you love Omaha, you will enjoy it.”
Frydaddies will be performed at The Union for Contemporary Art’s Shirley Tyree Theater until August 23. More information can be found at u-ca.org.
