Brian Paulette finds himself on a track shared by no other local actor — and by very few in New York or elsewhere.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre is set to unveil a season that promises new musicals, classic dramas and original work, but first a few words about departing artistic director Eric Rosen. When Rosen assumed the leadership of the Rep 10 years ago, the board assigned him a general objective: Raise the Rep’s national profile. That he did, through a combination of hard work, inspiration and an ambitious vision.

Without KC Fringe, the local theater scene would not be what it is. The Fringe, which will present its 14th annual potpourri of performances, film, visual arts and youth activities spanning 10 days in July, got off to an unwieldy start in its inaugural year— mainly because nobody had attempted a fringe festival in Kansas City before. KC Fringe, like other fringe fests around the country, took its cue from the Mother Ship: The Edinburgh Fringe, which began in 1947 in Scotland.