Newspapers report on the mysterious disappearance of Agatha Christie.
In December 1926, 36-year-old Agatha Christie disappeared from the face of the earth, prompting a nationwide manhunt after her car was found abandoned near a quarry with an expired license and clothes inside. The story made international headlines, and her sudden reappearance 11 days later did nothing to solve the mystery.
Now, 100 years later, a Christie superfan is setting out to finally crack the case in Heidi Armbruster’s new play Mrs. Christie, kicking off Season 22 at Kansas City Actors Theatre (KCAT) this June. A co-production between KCAT and the UMKC Conservatory, performed at the Spencer Theatre at the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center at UMKC.
“For budding detectives and soul searchers…whet your inner Hercule Poirot” (San Francisco Chronicle)
A unique comedy-drama, Mrs. Christie looks not only at the prolific woman behind the mysteries, but modern fan culture, true crime obsession, and the human need to find oneself. Told in parallel stories that weave the past with the present, today’s Lucy and yesterday’s Agatha go on journeys of self-discovery, all with an added thrill of a good old-fashioned mystery.
“Mrs. Christie is a captivating, thought-provoking, humorous, dark, and tear-inducing experience” (Los Altos Town Crier)
“Our audience loves a mystery, but Mrs. Christie turns its focus from the puzzle to the person. Instead of asking what happened in 1926, the play looks at why it mattered, both to Agatha and to the women who find strength in her story a hundred years later,” says Matt Schwader, KCAT Ensemble Member and director of Mrs. Christie. “It’s a tender, funny, and deeply human exploration of reinvention that KCAT audiences are going to love!”
Performed at the Spencer Theatre at the James C. Olson Performing Arts Center at UMKC from June 17 to 28, 2026. Mrs. Christie features a standout cast of Kansas City actors, including Dri Hernaez as Lucy and KCAT Ensemble Member Hillary Clemens as Agatha, who are joined by Peggy Friesen, Eric Palmquist, Erdin Schultz-Bever, Lauren Smith, and KCAT Ensemble Members Logan Black and Tyler Lindquist.
Kansas City Actors Theatre (KCAT) presents classic, soon-to-be-classic, and critically acclaimed works that showcase the top theatre professionals in Kansas City. Mrs. Christie kicks off KCAT’s 2026-2027 Season 22. To learn more about subscriber benefits, or to purchase tickets for Mrs. Christie, visit kcactors.org or call the KCAT box office at (816) 361-5228 (Mon. to Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
