Theater and Dance

Kansas City Repertory Theater

The Kansas City Repertory Theater, formerly known as the Missouri Repertory Theater, is a professional theater in residence at UMKC. It was founded in 1964 by Dr. Patricia McIlrath, who wanted to create a program where theater students could work side by side with professionals. Four decades later, they are a Kansas City institution in their own right.

From their website: "The Rep’s mission is to serve the greater Kansas City area as one of the nation’s leading resident professional theatres with productions of excellence that are diverse, literate and timely, and by providing educational and outreach services for students and our community. With as many as 190 main stage performances, the Rep serves as many as 100,000 patrons annually."

They also nearly gave me heart failure once, but that's another story.

This December will mark the thirtieth annual staging of Dicken's A Christmas Carol, one of Kansas City's most beloved holiday traditions.

The Kansas City Repertory Theater.

Arrow Rock Lyceum Theater

The Arrow Rock Lyceum Theater opened in 1961 in an empty Baptist church. At that time half the buildings in town were dilapidated and falling down, there was no indoor plumbing, water had to be carried from a spring in gallon jugs and the light company had to re-wire the town from the highway in order to privide 100 Amp service to the theater. From these inauspicious beginnings rose one of the most prestigious professional theaters in Missouri.

In the early 1990s a new and greatly expanded theater building was constructed, utilizing the original converted Baptist church as a spacious lobby and providing a larger stage, more seating, larger dressing rooms and a bigger costume shop. At the same time, they built a new scenic studio, to allow for the construction of the larger and more versatile scenery the bigger theater would require.

From its inception until 2005, the Lyceum Theater presented plays performed in repertory. After the 2005 season, this practice was discontinued and productions are now cast individually. They've gone from an initial season of three plays to a season of as many as nine productions, plus occasionally hosting professional touring companies..

Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre. 114 High Street, P.O. Box 14, Arrow Rock, MO 65320

Springfield Little Theater

The Springfield Little Theater Organization is the oldest and largest civic theater operation in Missouri and one of the largest in the Midwest. Since 1970 they have been housed in the beautiful, historic (and haunted!) 1909 Lander's Theater, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

In addition to producing a main stage season of nine plays and musicals, the Lander's is the performance site for numerous other civic performances ranging from barbershop singing to modern jazz and dance ensembles. It also hosts the Springfield Regional Opera and the Springfield Ballet. Little Theater alumni who have gone on to national recognition include Kathleen Turner, Kim Crosby, Tess Harper and, more recently, Lucas Grabeel of High School Musical fame.

Springfield Little Theater. 311 E. Walnut Avenue, Springfield, MO 65806