Brian McTavish

Brian McTavish is a freelance writer specializing in the arts and pop culture. He was an arts and entertainment writer for more than 20 years at The Kansas City Star. He regularly shares his “Weekend To-Do List” at KCUR-FM (89.3)/kcur.org.

‘Adapt or Die’

Meghann Henry, Mesner Puppets’ new producing artistic director, realized in mid-March that her pre-pandemic plans to retool the venerable puppet theater might not be enough to save it from the unanticipated peril of COVID-19.

July 27, 2020
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HEAR Now ONLINE Festival Celebrates the Power of the Human Voice

Creators in the diverse world of audio storytelling will coalesce to celebrate the distinctive appeal of the human voice when the HEAR Now Festival returns as the HEAR Now ONLINE Festival June 11 – 14. Originally scheduled to present live performances in Kansas City, the move to online was made in response to the COVID-19 […]

May 19, 2020
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Kansas City Underground Film Festival Debuts in Westport

Seen any unseen films lately? That unusual opportunity will be presented to probing cinephiles at the inaugural Kansas City Underground and Unseen Film Festival running March 12 – 22 at the Westport Coffeehouse Theatre. “There are a lot of great movies that people don’t get to see,” said Willy Evans, the free festival’s 27-year-old director and co-founder.

March 4, 2020
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Art News: KC Comics Master Launches New Miniseries

David Dastmalchian grew up in Overland Park devouring superhero comic books and dreaming of being in the sort of fantasy, science-fiction and horror movies that enraptured him. “Would I get to be an actor? I hoped and I prayed,” Dastmalchian said in a recent phone interview from the set of “MacGyver,” the hit reboot of […]

January 22, 2020
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Arts News: Works of Puppeteers from KC Featured in New ‘Mister Rogers’ Film

It was an expectant moment when Spencer Lott first slid his hand into an old puppet once used by Fred Rogers on the beloved children’s TV series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” A moment later, he was filled with an all-encompassing sense of wonder. The accomplished “Sesame Street” puppeteer and former Kansas City area resident had been […]

January 9, 2020
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Arts News: Anatomy of a Paleo Artist

In his new art book, “Lost Anatomies: The Evolution of the Human Form,” esteemed paleo artist and Kansas City area native John Gurche presents a captivating cache of 189 images steeped in both science and imagination. “I’ve been working on this collection for 27 years,” Gurche said. “It started out of frustration with what I […]

December 11, 2019
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