Author: Calvin Wilson
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Ballet Tells a Haunting Tale
Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” has haunted readers for almost seven decades. Its narrative is simple: In a fictional town, an annual rite is held in which one of the citizens is murdered — by stoning. The townspeople approach the lottery with a chilling nonchalance. Betraying one of their own — in this case, a wife and mother named Tessie Hutchinson — is merely something that must be done to maintain the social order.
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A Work for the Ages
“A Raisin in the Sun” is regarded as a major American play that not only reflects the era in which it was created — the 1950s — but continues to resonate for its insight into humanity in general and race in particular. The signature work of playwright Lorraine Hansberry, the tale of the Younger family and its transition from an uncomfortable life in the city to an uncertain one in the suburbs has become iconic.
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Wylliams/Henry Celebrates a Quarter-Century of Excellence in Dance
For any arts organization to reach its 25th anniversary is cause for applause. But such an achievement is perhaps even more notable for a dance company. Dance, one of the most revered art forms, is also among the least understood. But Kansas City’s Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, founded by the late Leni Wylliams and Mary Pat Henry in 1991, has clearly found an appreciative audience.
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Owen/Cox: Balancing Profundity and Fun
Kansas City’s Owen/Cox Dance Group brings to the stage an intriguing blend of classical and contemporary influences. But perhaps more importantly, the company pursues that approach while striking a balance between profundity and fun. This fall, the critically-acclaimed company will once again appear as part of the “New Dance Partners” series at Johnson County Community College.
