Actor Joey Westerdale (pictured left) rehearsing as Quasimodo and various members of the Papillion Arts Foundation (pictured right). Images sourced from the Papillion Area Community Theatre.
By Kaydon Webber
The Hunchback of Notre Dame Hits the SumTur Amphitheater Stage
July 7th, 2026
As bells ring out from the SumTur Amphitheater, the Papillion Area Community Theatre is preparing to bring its summer production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame to life. A musical created by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, The Hunchback of Notre Dame tells a story about acceptance, perception, and control. Director Mary Dickson says, “I just think that the lyrics in the show are so powerful and meaningful and smart, and I love that as a director.”
Following the story of Quasimodo, this interpretation of the script explores ideas of misinterpretation and misinformation. “There’s so much misinformation out there about Romani people and their culture and customs. So much of what we know is based on the influence of others and their perception of Romani people, and actually not fact,” Dickson says. “So we’ve kind of played on that idea too. It’s like, how much of Quasimodo is actually deformed?”
With a 30-person ensemble, a 30-person choir, and a live band, the production brings together multiple organizations within the Papillion Arts Foundation to create a large-scale performance. Joey Westerdale stars as Quasimodo. Dickson says, “He really understands script analysis, and that’s something that was so important for us with this character because you really have to risk a little bit with Quasimodo.” As Quasimodo battles both society’s misconceptions and Frollo’s manipulative control, Westerdale brings sincerity and depth to the role.
The Papillion Area Community Theatre’s production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame runs from July 10 to July 18. More information is available at pactheatre.org.
