Rebecca Smith

June 19, 2017

Students and Audiences Alike Reap Benefits of UMKC Graduate Theatre Program

Area theatergoers who haven’t experienced productions by UMKC’s graduate theatre program are missing out on some great shows, such as the funny but shocking “Oh, Beautiful,” by Theresa Rebeck, and William Congreve’s “The Way of the World.” As theatre professor Ted Swetz announced in the planning for Congreve’s Restoration-era comedy, “Get ready, for the shackles have been hilariously thrown off.”

March 22, 2017

The Job: Gary Mosby, Scenic Designer, Unicorn Theatre

Gary Mosby, whose career as a designer and technical builder/director spans more than three decades, is known for his innovations.

March 3, 2017

Artist to Watch: Rasheedat “Ras” Badejo

That Rasheedat “Ras” Badejo would become an actress in demand — a hit at KC’s 2016 Fringe Festival who has played standout roles at the Coterie and the Unicorn — was far from expected.

January 10, 2017

Artist to Watch: Calvin Arsenia

The KC-based singer, musician and composer is gaining recognition for his memorable sound.

January 5, 2017

The Pluses and Pitfalls of Premieres

In “Ten Things Theaters Need to Do Right Now to Save Themselves,” Brendan Kiley of Seattle’s entertainment newspaper, “The Stranger,” urges theater companies to produce premieres — frequently. Directors must seek them out, he says, playwrights must hasten their submissions, critics must review them consistently and unions should allow equity actors to perform in them.

November 1, 2016

Art News: Melting Pot on the Boil

Some of our most honored institutions started humbly. Melting Pot Theater is one. Harvey Williams, a playwright and actor who has appeared in KC productions..

October 12, 2016

Disney Studio Renovated and Revitalized

No name looms bigger than Walt Disney as a favorite son in Kansas City, so it’s fitting that his landmark office becomes once again a..

September 28, 2016

New Film by Tosin Morohunfola Looks at Issues of Race and Police

A young black man is pulled over by a white cop in Chicago. It’s a scene increasingly dominant in our minds. The sense of foreboding..

September 6, 2016

Karbank Buildings Renovation Includes Three Performance Halls

A glorious new entertainment venue has sprouted in the unlikely setting of a pair of office buildings in Mission Woods. Steven Karbank, chairman of Karbank..

Author: Rebecca Smith