Columnists

New black theater foundation will premiere Barbara Jordan play

A new play about iconic African-American Congresswoman Barbara Jordan will receive its world premiere at the Gem Theater as part of an initiative by a newly formed nonprofit group to bring professional theater to the 18th and Vine District.

Previous Columns

‘Billy Bishop’ delivers a complex view of World War I heroism

Feb 18, 11:12 PM

I saw the Missouri Repertory Theatre production of “Billy Bishop Goes To War” in 1991 and can recall virtually nothing about it. Seeing a new production – a collaborative effort from Kansas City Actors Theatre, the National World War I Museum and the UMKC Theater Department – was like seeing the show for the first time. I’m happy to report the results are impressive.

Amusing encounter led to ‘The Great Immensity,’ a play about global warming

Feb 18, 10:57 PM

In the case of “The Great Immensity,” which runs through March 18 at the the Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s Copaken Stage. Steven Cosson and Michael Friedman have created a piece that sounds like a musical on one level, a mystery on another, but above all a serious examination and consideration of global warming.

Welcome to academia: David Mamet’s ‘Oleanna’ packs a punch

Feb 15, 10:10 PM

David Mamet’s “Oleanna,” which runs through Feb. 26 at the Living Room, is a nasty little play that takes an uncompromising look at a subject some of us take for granted and others try not to think about – the instinctive desire for power over other people.

Horror will stalk KC stages with Roger Corman-inspired productions

Feb 15, 10:07 PM

The spirit of legendary B-movie director Roger Corman will hover over the Kansas City theater scene this spring. In March, the Living Room will present “A Bucket of Blood,” a new stage version of a comic horror film set against the backdrop of 1950s beatnik culture. The Kansas City Repertory Theatre will present the musical version of “The Little Shop of Horrors” April 20-May 20.