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A U D I T I O N SBlue Springs City Theatre*Father of the Bride: Feb 27-28: 7pm Mon-Tue. Note on Casting: It will be noticed that the cast calls for two furniture movers (Red and Pete), Tim’s Man and two or three extras who bring in flowers, potted plants, etc. It is possible, with very few minor changes in the text, to increase or decrease the number of minor parts of the sort above mentioned. Directed by Anne Mahoney. Featuring Mr. Banks, mid forties, Mrs. Banks, early forties, Kay Banks, twenty/twenty-one, Ben Banks, eighteen/nineteen, Tommy Banks, fifteen/sixteen, Buckley Dunstan twenty-three, Buzz Taylor, fifteen/sixteen, more cast needed. Blue Springs Civic Center, 2000 Northwest Ashton Drive, (816) 228-0137, www.bsct.info

Encore TheatreMurder at the Ballet by Jeffrey Goffin: Mar 3-6: 7pm Mon; 4pm Fri. Auditions will be cold readings from the script. Production dates are April 28, 29, 30 and May 5, 6, 7. Directed by Virginia Morse. Featuring Babe Archer, private investigator; Liz King, police inspector, Vernon Hopkins, Archer’s secretary; Flaherty, rookie policewoman, Teddy Windermere, custodian at the Theatre, Nadya Kalishnakov, stage manager for the ballet, Karen McCain, director of the ballet; Lucinda Rash, producer of the ballet, Roewena Champagne, sister of the murdered ballet star, Ned Brigantine, dancer with the ballet. Sermon Center, Truman and Noland Roads in Independence, (816) 254-7692, virginiamorse@comcast.net

Improv-Abilities (Professional) Women only! We would like to add 1-4 women to our troupe. Improvisation experience is helpful but not required. Some of our members had little or no acting experience before joining. Must be age 17 or over. We perform both all-ages shows and adult-only shows, at the Lucky Brewgrille and the Improv Comedy Club in Zona Rosa’s Majestic Theatre. Directed by Aron Carlson and Tim Marks. Women interested in auditioning should contact Tim at tim@kcimprov.com. The Lucky Brewgrille, 5401 Johnson Drive, (913) 871-6242, www.kcimprov.com

Kansas City Repertory Theatre (Equity) Open Auditions for Actors’ Equity Members: Mar 9: 11am ThrActors must reserve audition times to be seen. To schedule an audition appointment, Equity actors should call 816-235-6088 weekdays between 11am-7pm. Actors should present two contrasting pieces, not to exceed 5 minutes, and bring a picture and resume. Singers may also prepare 16 bars a cappella – no pianist or other accompaniment will be provided. The productions for the 2006-07 season include Jitney, A Christmas Carol, King Lear, and Love, Janis. For more information or to reserve an audition time, contact Samantha Bradley at 816-235-6088. Room 128, UMKC Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry Street, www.kcrep.com

Leavenworth Players Group (Professional) Murder At The University Of Kansas or I Graduated Magna Cum Deade by Gregory J. Marino: Apr 1: 1pm Sat. We are seeking talented actors with improv chops. Actors should be able to get off-book quickly and work independently. In addition, actors should be able to conduct themselves in accordance with professional standards. Auditions will consist of cold readings of sides. No monologues will be heard. Please be present in the space prior to 1pm as the director has some remarks that he wishes to share with all auditioners. Directed by Gregory J. Marino. Leavenworth Public Library, 417 Spruce, (913) 758-0805, gjmcanlup@hotmail.com

Leawood Stage Co*Oklahoma by Rodgers & Hammerstein: Apr 1-2: 1pm Sat. Actors, Singers, and Dancers. Prepare 16 measures of music from a theatre selection and be prepared to participate in a movement audition. Call backs April 8-9, 1-6pm, same location as auditions. This show will cast adults and children. Leawood City Hall, Leawood Stage Company’s, (913) 339-6700, www.leawoodstagecompany.org

Olathe Community Theater*Fools by Neil Simon: Mar 18-20: 7pm Mon; 1pm Sat; 6pm Sun. Cold readings from the script will be used to audition. Strong comedic and physical comedy expertise is a must! Featuring seven men and three women ages 20-60. Directed by RickL Riley. Olathe Community Theater, 500 East Loula, (816) 932-9146, www.olathetheatre.org

River City Community PlayersHarvey by Mary Chase: Mar 13-14: 7pm Mon-Tue. Readings from the script. Directed by Robert Chung. Leavenworth Performing Arts Center, Historic Hollywood Theater, (913) 758-1509, home.kc.rr.com/oneactor/rccp.htm

The Theatre in the ParkSeason 2006: Apr 1-2: 9am Sat-Sun. Open Auditions Sat, Apr 1, 9am-4pm and Sun, Apr 2, 9am-4pm. Be ready to sing up to 16 bars of the song of your choice. You must bring sheet music an accompanist will be provided. Please, no taped music or a cappella singing. The dance routine will be taught in the gymnasium following the vocal audition. Auditioning by video tape: Those unable to attend auditions may submit a video taped audition performance. Videotapes must be received by the Theatre office by 12pm Fri, Mar 31 and will not be returned. Directed by Tammy Ruder (King), Phil Kinen (Cats), Brian McGinness (Peter Pan), Greg Shaw (Grease), Jay Coombes (Bye Bye Birdie). Oxford Middle School, 12500 W. Switzer Rd. Overland Park, KS, (913) 631-7050, www.theatreinthepark.org

Theater League (Equity) Kansas City Crossroads Musical Theater Festival: Mar 3-4: 10am Fri-Sat. The Kansas City Crossroads Musical Theater Festival, to be held July 10-22 will feature staged readings of 8 new musical theater works under the direction of some of Kansas City’s top directors. Cast will have the unique opportunity to initiate roles portrayed in these new works. Actors of all types over the age of 16 to perform staged readings of new musical theater pieces. Dancing is not a requirement. Please bring: Headshot and resume, and 2 contrasting songs (one ballad, one up-tempo) in the appropriate key and that demonstrate your vocal range. Auditioners may be asked to do a cold reading from the script. Accompanist will be provided. Readings will be conducted under AEA staged reading code. Equity and Non-Equity actors are encouraged to audition. Contact Bess Wallerstein, bess.wallerstein@theaterleague.com or 816-559-5009 for an audition time. UMKC Annex, 301 E 51st St, (816) 559-4007, www.theaterleague.com R

2006 Season, The Barn PlayersDirectors, designers and technical staff needed for 2006 spring/summer season. The season includes Bus Stop by William Inge, Jun 2-4, 9-11, School House Rock, Jr. from the series created by George Newell and Tom Yohe, Jun 29-Jul 2 (continuation of the Barn Players Jr. Series), Orphans by Lyle Kessler, Jul 14-16 (inaugural production of the Barn Alternative Series), The Miser by Moliere, Aug 25-27, Sep 1-3, and Urinetown by Greg Kotis & Mark Holmann, Sep 21, 23, 24, 29, Oct 1, 6-8. Applicants should submit the following by March 15: A letter of interest, to express which show the applicant has interest, and a current resume that includes all production work, including location and year. Contact Beate Pettigrew at bpettigr@jccc.edu or The Barn Players, Inc., 6219 Martway, Mission, KS 66202, (913) 432-9100, www.thebarnplayers.org. Posted 02-08-06. R

C A L L B O A R D

KCSTAGEVolume 08 • No. 3 • Issue 78 • March 2006magazine@kcstage.com • 816-361-2325PO Box 410492 • Kansas City, MO 64141-0492

Apr Submission Deadline: Mar 10www.kcstage.com

CREWManaging Editor ........................ Richard BuswellGraphic Design ................................Bryan ColleySubscriber Rep ......................Tricia Kyler BowlingWebmaster ....................................Scott BowlingMarketing....................................... Angie FiedlerLackey ............................................. Diane Bulan

C O N T E N T S

SPOTLIGHTIngrid Stölzel .................................... 3

FEATURESTheatre League to Host New Musical Festival.....2I-RATE or Reviewing the Review .........................4Dying is Easy.....................................................5Arts Advocacy Day...........................................13

NOTESFirst Annual Great Plains Theatre Conference ....1Fringe Festival Applications Now Available ........4Fine Arts Education Day ..................................16

STAND INSAuditions ........................................................17Calendar...........................................................8Callboard .......................................................17Click! ...............................................................4Film Clips .........................................................3Performances ...................................................6

© Copyright 2006 by KC Stage. All material contained in this publication is the property of KC Stage. Any use, duplication, or reproduction of any or all content of this publication is prohibited except with the express written permission of KC Stage. KC Stage is a member of the Just Off Broadway Theatre Association. Printing by CopyMax. R

MARCH 2006 • 116 • KCSTAGE “The question actors most often get asked is how they can bear saying the same things over and over again,night after night, but God knows the answer to that is, don't we all anyway; might as well get paid for it." ~ Richard Brinsley Sheridan

G R E A T P L A I N SE D U C A T I O NThe First Annual Great Plains Theatre Conference Metropolitan Community Col-lege in Omaha, NE is proud to announce the first annual Great Plains Theatre Conference featur-ing three-time Pulitzer Prize-win-ning playwright Edward Albee. The conference will be held May 27-Jun 3 at the college’s historical Fort Omaha Campus.

The eight-day event will feature workshops of new plays, panel discussions, master classes and evening performances at Omaha’s new world-class Holland Perform-ing Arts Center. A highlight will be the presentation of the first Edward Albee Great Plains Play-wright Award, which honors an established playwright. This year’s recipient will be Tony and Pulit-zer Prize-nominated playwright Arthur Kopit, author of Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet, I’m Feelin’ So Sad and the book for the musical Nine.

The conference is expected to draw many nationally-know play-wrights and actors including Acad-emy Award-winning actor Patricia Neal, Tony award-winning actor Lloyd Richards, actor Courtney B. Vance, and Tony award-winning playwright and screenwriter Ter-

rence McNally, author of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (1987) and Love! Valour! Compassion! (1994).

Albee, considered America’s great-est living playwright, is known for works including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Zoo Story and The Sandbox. A member of the Dramatists Guild Council, he has received three Pulitzer Prizes for drama for A Delicate Balance (1966), Seascape (1974), Three Tall Women (1990-1991); a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement (2005); the Gold Medal in Drama from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1980); as well as the Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts (both in 1996).

Albee and Dr. Jo Ann C. McDow-ell, who became President of Met-ropolitan Community College on Jul 1, 2005, originally conceived the idea for a national theater Con-ference in 1993 while McDowell was serving as president of Prince William Sound Community Col-lege in Valdez, Alaska. The Last Frontier Theatre Conference has been held at PWSCC for the past 12 years. In continuing with the spirit of the Theater Conference, Albee and McDowell created the Great Plains Theatre Conference to foster educational opportunities for developing playwrights and actors and to stimulate the appreciation and preservation of theater arts.

Omaha area theater companies will be participating in the event. Omaha is home to more than 35 theaters in-cluding the nation’s largest commu-nity theater, the Omaha Community Playhouse. R

Fine Arts Education Day The Missouri Alliance for Arts Edu-cation (MAAE) will hold Fine Arts Education Day in Jefferson City on Mar 8. The MAAE invites anyone interested in promoting fine arts education in public schools to at-tend. Contact Debbie Corson at dhcorson@swbell.net to register.

The purpose of the event will be to educate legislators on the im-portance of supporting fine arts education in public schools. Spe-cifically, advocates will ask legis-lators to support an appropriation of $545,000 to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Edu-cation for implementation of the Fine Arts Assessment.

The members of the Missouri General Assembly will be asked to show their support for fine arts education by funding the fine arts component of the Missouri Assess-ment Program, or Fine Arts MAP. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has requested a line item of $545,000 in its fiscal year 2006 budget to support the implementation of this test to the state’s fifth graders.

The test is a state-of-the-art mul-timedia exam that is regarded as a national model and was developed by fine arts teachers from all regions of the state. It is administered as a video and the students have the opportunity

to hear music and observe close-up views of artwork.

Due to the economic downturn in 2002, the implementation of the test was not funded and put on hold. The MAAE wants to lift that hold and begin assessing Missouri’s stu-dents on their knowledge and skills in the fine arts.

After the implementation of the Fine Arts MAP was put on hold and school budgets were reduced, the arts were a subject that was often at the front of the line for the budgetary axe.

Research shows that students in arts programs consistently outperform other students in reading, vocabu-lary, language arts, and history and the arts serve as a gateway to greater success in other subjects.

Being included in Missouri’s ac-countability sys-tem through the Fine Arts MAP restores the arts as a curricular necessity, reflect-

ing the integral role the arts play in students’ development. Without MAP data, fine arts educators do not have the same tools as their curricular counterparts in Math and Science to determine strengths and weaknesses of not only their students but their own teaching.

The consequences of not funding the Fine Arts MAP are reduced class time for fine arts or the elimi-nation of the curriculum altogether, fewer or no resources allocated to the fine arts classrooms, a reduc-tion in opportunities for students to meet the expectations of the state-mandated Show-Me Standards of education, and reduced support for professional development for the state’s fine art teachers. R

KC Folk MusicMar 10-12 CrossCurrents Culture

2006 Women's Playwriting FestivalMar 17-26 Potluck Productions

www.justoffbroadway.org

2 • KCSTAGE “Every absurdity has a champion to defend it." ~ Oliver Goldsmith MARCH 2006 • 15

M U S I C A L F E S T I V A LM U S I C A L F E S T I V A LContinued from page 2Theater League to Host New Musical Festival

by Kate Egan • kegan@kcstage.com

“Kansas City forty years ago was more representative of the national stage than might be supposed – certainly more representative than it now is, though it was then a much smaller city.”

Remarkably, those words appeared in the Kansas City Times on New Year’s Day of 1924. The theater critic was speaking of how notable Kansas City was on the national theater landscape in the 1880s. Kansas City sat on the western edge of the legitimate and vaudeville touring cir-cuits, frequently the only stop between St. Louis and California for shows traveling that far. The city was known as the last civilized stop on the way west and remained a regional draw for the best possible entertain-ment. Then the nation changed, and the stage with it.

While Kansas City has in recent years been the sleeper hit of the arts communities around the nation, the city is quickly returning to the limelight of the national stage as it was twelve decades ago. Theater League has announced plans to lead an effort to elevate the city further this summer with a festival of new musical works.

Theater League, which is based in Kansas City and operates Broadway series in ten cities coast to coast, will sponsor a two-weekend festival in July of staged readings of new musicals. The Kansas City Cross-roads Musical Theater Festival will be held on Fridays

and Saturdays, July 14, 15, 21, and 22 in four venues around the Crossroads Arts District. Seven new works have been selected from the more than 60 entries sub-mitted literally from around the world.

Mark Edelman, President and founder of Theater League, says the inspiration for the festival came

from a variety of sources. After attending readings of new musicals for years to see what new pieces were emerging, Edelman has been impressed with sev-eral recent works that have come from festivals includ-ing Thoroughly Modern Millie and the new musical Drowsy Chaperone that has had great success at the L.A. Music Center and is headed for Broadway. In mounting this festival in Kansas City, Theater League is providing an important opportunity for both the arts commu-nity and the authors and composers from around the world. Edelman states, “It’s really important for the composers and lyricist. New York City festival au-diences are full of friends and industry-types, not a very representative musi-cal theater audience, at least not the kind that buys tickets. These teams need to see their work far away

from New York, in front of audiences that know and love musical theater and won’t be afraid to share their true feelings about the work.”

Edelman selected Chris McCoy as artistic director of the festival. After a national call for submissions, McCoy and other Theater League staff members were charged with sorting through the entries. According to McCoy, “Each piece was reviewed by two sepa-

rate adjudicators who ranked them based on score, script, and general produce-ability. A shortlist of top ranking musicals was created and these were reviewed by the entire selection committee. Although each piece was selected on merit alone, the eight final selections span the gamut of the musical theater genre. There is a children’s musi-cal, a pop-opera, a rock musical, a country-western piece, vaudeville,

even a mock fairy tale. As artistic director, I couldn’t have hoped for a more diverse selection.”

Recently announced were the teams that will be directing the selected pieces, all ranking among the top directors and musical directors in the area and with a variety of special-ties. The teams are as follows: Linda Ade-Brand and Andy Anderson, Amy Coady and Molly Jessup, Er-nest Williams and Anthony Bernal, and Steven Eubank and Chris Leavy. Each team will direct two works.

McCoy and the Theater League staff are very pleased with the re-sponse to the festival thus far. Mc-Coy continues, “What I love about the artists who are involved are the number and diversity of arts organizations represented. Linda Ade Brand brings a tremendous amount of experience as both a talented, professional director and director of UMKC’s musical theater conservatory. Amy Coady of Musi-cal Theater Heritage adds a writer’s perspective as a graduate of the prestigious BMI Lehman Engel Mu-sical Theater Workshop. Likewise, Ernest Williams brings the knowl-edge of staged reading festivals as manager of the Coterie’s young playwright’s festivals. Steven Eu-bank represents the multitude of grassroots fringe organizations that have popped up all over the Kansas City area recently.”

The directors involved in the proj-ect seem equally pleased to have the opportunity to work on new pieces and meet the pieces’ writers, com-posers, and lyricists who will be on hand for the three staged readings of each piece in July. Linda Ade Brand, director, shares her excite-

Here are the seven works that will be presented:

The Count of Monte Cristo, book and music by Philip de Blasi (Santa Monica, CA), lyrics by Jane Landers (New Fairfield, CT)

Frog Kiss, book and lyrics by Charles Leipart (New York, NY), music by Eric Schorr (New York, NY)

Route 66, book by Jerold Goldstein (Bridgeport, CT) & William Squier (Stamford, CT), music by Fred Stark (South Salem, NY), lyrics by William Squier (Stamford, CT)

Thorstein Veblen’s Theory of the Leisure Class, book & lyrics by Charles Leipart (New York, NY), music by Richard B. Evans (Tiburon, CA)

Too Good to Be True, lyrics & book by Amy Coady (Kansas City, MO), music & book by Gerald Stockstill (New York, NY)

Maccabeat, music by Harvey Shield; lyrics by Richard Jarboe and Chayim Ben Za’ayev, book by Mr. Ben Za’ayev from a story by M. Edelman, based on portions of the 1st Book of Maccabees (Apocrypha)

Dakota Sky, music and lyrics by Deborah Wicks La Puma (Rancho Palos, CA), book by Kathleen Cahill (Salt Lake City, UT)

ment about the festival. “I love new works – be they plays, musicals, or operas – and was so excited when I learned that Theater League was doing this festival. With the wealth of singer/actor talent in Kansas City, this is a perfect match. You just never know what will come out of a festival like this. As we are the fourth largest theatre com-munity in the US, it’s only right that we take a part in supporting the future of the art form.”

The wealth of talent that Brand speaks of will also be given the unique opportunity of originat-ing roles in new works. Theater League will be operating under the AEA staged reading code for the festival, though both Equity and non-Equity actors are being encouraged to audition. Pieces will be rehearsed for only four days prior to the readings in July. Audi-tions for the festival will be held on March 3-4 in the UMKC Annex on 51st Street, Room 205.

Edelman sees this summer festival as an annual event. “I hope we will take what we learn from Cross-roads 2006, improve it for 2007 and present these festivals in several other Theater League markets. It gives the composer/author teams more input to improve their work even further.” Specific details are continually being announced re-garding the festival.

The Kansas City Crossroads Mu-sical Theater Festival is poised to shine a spotlight on Kansas City and the Midwest as a whole, a re-minder that musical theater thrives and influences the national stage, and that there is no longer any such thing as the flyover zone. R

Theatre for Young America Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter: Mar 14-18: 12pm Thr-Fri; 10am Tue-Fri; 2pm Sat. Beatrix Potter’s classic fable about an adventurous rabbit in Mr. McGregor’s vegetable garden comes to life in a high stepping musical comedy. Peter’s sister’s, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail come to their brother’s aid using the power of Fine Arts! Age appropriate: Pre School and up. $7.50-Public, $5.50-TYA & USKC Members, $5 groups (15+), H & R Block City Stage, Union Station, (816) 460-2020, www.unionstation. org (Intended for Children)

William Jewell College Theatre*A Conception of Love by Francis Warner: Mar 30-Apr 1: 8pm Thr-Fri; 2pm Sat. This comedy pictures life for Oxford students, dons and their lovers. Directed by Kim B. Harris. $6, Peters Theater, Brown Hall, (816) 415-7590, wjctheatre@william.jewell.edu (Suitable for Everyone)

Light Shadows by Francis Warner: Mar 29-Apr 2: 8pm Sat, Wed. British playwright Francis Warner’s drama originally commissioned for Canterbury Cathedral, pictures a meeting between Nero and the apostle Paul. Directed by Kim B. Harris. Call for Ticket Prices, Peters Theater, Brown Hall, (816) 415-7590, wjctheatre@ william.jewell.edu (Suitable for Everyone)

Wyandotte PlayersParallel Lives: The Kathy and Mo Show by Mo Gaffney and Kathy Najimy: Feb 24-Mar 4: 8pm Fri-Sat. 10$ general admission, Corinth Dance Center, 4047 Somerset Drive, (913) 449-2301, www. wyandotteplayers.com (Adult Fare) R

PERFORMANCESContinued from page 12

Continued on page 15

MARCH 2006 • 314 • KCSTAGE “Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them.” ~ Dion Boucicault

S P O T L I G H TS P O T L I G H TContinued from previous page

F I L M C L I P SIngrid Stölzelby Bryan Colley • bcolley@kcstage.com

Ingrid Stölzel is a composer whose music has been performed by ensembles such as Third Angle, newEar, Califor-nia E.A.R. Unit, Adaskin String Trio, Oakwood Chamber Players, Hartt Contemporary Players, and Synchro-nia. She has been invited to the Oregon Bach Festival, Ernest Bloch Festival, Music 01 and 03, Chamber Music Conference of the East, Otterbein Contemporary Music Festival, Hil-degard Festival, Women Composers‚ Showcase, New Jersey City University, Bard Composers/Conductors Institute, Indiana State Contemporary Music Festival, and James Madison Annual Contemporary Music Festival and has done residencies at the Ragdale Foun-dation and the Atlantic Center for the Arts. She has had masterclasses with James MacMillan, Jennifer Higdon, Joan Tower, David del Tredici, Martin Bresnick, Louis Andriessen, Donald Crockett, Krzysztof Penderecki, Mi-chael Torke, Tan Dun, Fredric Rzewski, and R. Murray Schaefer. A native of Germany and permanent resident of the United States, Stölzel is currently on the Board of Directors of the newEar Contemporary Music Ensemble, and is the program manager of the Youth Symphony of Kansas City.

Tell us about your educational background.

I moved here from a town near Baden Baden, Germany in 1991 to attend UMKC and got a Bachelor in Music. In 1995, I went to Hartford, CT to attend the Hartt School of Music for my master degree. Now I’m back at UMKC working on my doctorate. It’s been wonderful go-ing back to school. I missed having a group of colleagues and getting

weekly feedback. I have a different perspective now. The progress is measurable, and it’s more inten-sive. Plus, the composition depart-ment has grown a lot and is now ranked as one of the top programs in the country. It’s great to work in that environment.

How long have you been with newEar and what do you do for them?

I joined newEar in the 1997-98 season, and I’m on the board in charge of marketing and public-ity. We have about a 150 people at each concert, and we are trying to reach new audiences by perform-ing in new venues. We also had a great experience performing at the Crossroads First Friday last September. The audience is eclec-tic, from Art Institute students to little old ladies.

What’s the audience’s perception to new music?

There’s a general perception that it’s difficult, but new audiences usually think it’s great once they are there. They’re surprised by the variety and the wide range of pieces. It’s rare for us to perform anything over fifteen years old. Older music is great, but it doesn’t reflect what we experience today. New music can be more relevant to our lives today.

Tell me about your piece being performed in March.

I start with a concept when I com-pose. I find inspiration in words, and try to encapsulate what they mean. My piece is called “Two Letter Words”. It’s a piece in five

I just picked an ending, and they could tell that I’d settled. I took it back and reworked the ending un-til I had it. I feel lucky to work with performers that know my work and let me know when something isn’t working. Another thing I like about being a composer is that I get to be in the audience when the work is performed. I get to experience it from their perspective. Plus I like control, and I have no control at a performance. It’s my rare moment to let go. I like that feeling.

What are some highlights of your career?

I have really enjoyed working with master composers. For instance, I spent a week in Milan last October with James MacMillan and stud-ied with him every day. I’ve also enjoyed writing for many talented ensembles, such as the California EAR Unit, which is sort of a Los Angeles version of newEar, except they tour.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a vio-lin and piano piece called “Here There”. My relatives visited over Christmas and I spoke German for two weeks. I felt like I was between two places because of my family and language, so it’s kind of mel-ancholy.

What’s the difference between classical music in Germany and the United States?

The biggest difference is that clas-sical music is a big part of the cur-riculum in Germany, part of the common knowledge and culture.

Classical CD sales are much higher too, over five percent. Here it’s less than one percent. There’s more funding for the arts. They still have radio orchestras, and they’re very popular. Germany is also very avant-garde compared to the U.S.

Tell us about your work with the Youth Symphony.

I’m the program manager and it’s a great job. I’m around talented kids who make classical music a part of their lives. It gives me hope for the future.

Which composers are your favor-ites?

It depends on the day. Brahms makes me homesick. I like John Adams and Benjamin Britten. As for new music, I’ve enjoyed Steven Stucky. When I heard his Pulitzer Prize winning Second Concerto for Orchestra, I knew it was a mas-terpiece, something that would be around for a long time.

How do you go about getting or-chestras and ensembles to perform your work?

It’s hard. It starts with friends, kind of grassroots, and there are also summer festivals and contests. The tricky part is that it’s hard to shop a piece that hasn’t been recorded, but most people want to premiere a new work, and it’s even harder to get a second performance.

Does living in Kansas City make a difference for a composer?

I want to believe it doesn’t matter. Some people say that on the coast you get a little more action. I’m sure in New York you can hear new music performed every night.

But Kansas City is a great town for a composer, lot’s of talented per-formers and I think it’s an exciting time for the arts in Kansas City with lots of collaborations and big plans in the making.

Does having your work published help get it performed?

I’ve had several pieces published through Arsis Press, which spe-cializes in women composers, but I only publish older works because once it’s published, you can’t shop the piece anymore. You also make more in royalties if you self pub-lish, but it’s hard to constantly put yourself out there. It takes up a lot of time that you could be writing.

Many contemporary composers use electronic instruments and computers in their work. Is this something you do?

I don’t do it. I love acoustic music and the interaction between the composer and performer. I guess I’m more tuned to melody and harmony than the sound of it. But I enjoy works that use different media, where you find crossover and grooves. One of the pieces ne-wEar is doing in March is for piano and drum set by John Psathas. It’s a great piece with a lot of give and take, verging on rock and jazz. Steven Mackey has a concerto for electric guitar and orchestra. There are electric string quartets. It has the potential to grab audiences and it’s very pluralistic. There are no rules anymore. We can do any-thing. R

newEar will be performing Stölzel’s “Two Letter Words” at the Unity Tem-ple on the Plaza at 8pm, Mar 24. Visit their website at www.newear.org.

Barry Corbin (War Games, Northern Exposure, Lonesome Dove) will be the Trail Boss for a trail ride near Medicine Lodge, KS to benefit the movie Trail End. The event is Mar 31-Apr 2 and will be taped for broadcast on Best of America by Horseback, which airs on the RFD cable network. Corbin will star in Trail End scheduled to shoot in May in Kansas. Please visit www.justhank.com/trailride.htm.

The Lawrence Journal-World named Lawrence, KS filmmaker Kevin Willmott one of the Top 10 Kansans. For the story, go to http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/dec/30/top_10_kansans_2005/

CBS was accepting applications for Survivor in KC. On Jan 20, KCTV-5 hosted a casting call at the Nebraska Furniture Mart in KC, KS. Brandon Bellinger, former Survivor contestant from Manhattan, KS, was present as a guest.

Diane Lane and Johnny Knoxville were in Cape Girardeau, MO filming Killshot in January. There were a few rainy days; however, the movie stayed on schedule.

HGTV is looking again for living space to feature in their show, reZoned. The show is about non-residence buildings, like firehouses, that have been turned into living area. If you have such a residence and owned it while it was being transformed, contact Heidi at hclark@highnoonentertainment.com.

A television show to be shot in the Hutchinson, KS area was looking for production assistants.

Radio Disney held auditions in Wichita, KS for their performing artist group, RD Frequency.

Crew is needed for the short movie Widget & Faux to be shot from mid-April to the end of May. Contact redhorsefilms@yahoo.com in Topeka, KS for information. Additionally, the same production company is seeking actors of varying ages for different short-movie projects throughout the year. Locations for these projects will be in the KC, Lawrence and Topeka areas.

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4 • KCSTAGE “Never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth.” ~ Henrik Ibsen

R E V I E W SMARCH 2006 • 13

S P O T L I G H TContinued from page 3

movements on the words if, is, or, we and go. For example, “if” is a loaded word. It implies conse-quences. I can do that musically. “Is” is a state of being-it’s just a mo-ment in time. I chose “go” for the fi-nal movement because I wanted an action word. Using words makes writing more fun.

What’s the life of a composer like?

I basically need a lot of quiet, alone time. Life can be hectic and it’s easy to leave your passion on the bottom of the pile, so I try to write every day. The amount of writing time changes, but creating that space every day grounds me. If I don’t keep it going constantly I always have to reenter the piece, which takes a long time.

What is your favorite thing about being a composer?

My favorite thing is working with performers. Music is a language, and it only exists when it is played, so it’s all about interpretation. The notation is often subjective, and good players will bring it to life. The only problem with new music is the audience can’t tell if it’s done wrong, so you want to work with someone you respect, who will work hard to make it come alive and have a better idea of what you’re trying to say. For instance, three or four years ago I wrote a piece for newEar and the pianist was a good friend. They performed it and she said they loved the work, but they hated the end. She didn’t know I had written fifteen differ-ent endings and I couldn’t choose.

Firecracker DVDs may be reserved at www.amazon.com. Region 1 DVDs are scheduled to be released May 23.

For a clip of Gary Huggins’ movie First Date, go to http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/jan/13/date_sundance/?arts. The short, shot entirely in KC, KS, was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival.

A Mississippi production company will be shooting part of a feature-length documentary about solid-body electric guitars in Springfield, MO.

Corinne Brinkerhoff, 1998 graduate of Lawrence High School in Lawrence, KS, will have the first script she has ever written used for an episode of Boston Legal. It will air in February. The show’s creator David E. Kelley read the script, purchased it, and then shot the episode over 8 days in Nov 2005.

The Fox affiliate in Wichita, KS is looking for an anchor/reporter for their new 9pm news. Contact Art Scott at art@mediorecruiter.com.

A production company was looking for a script supervisor and second assistant director for a million-dollar feature shooting in the KC area in May.

PBS aired a documentary shot in Easton, KS. Jesse James was a part of the American Experience series.

Confederate States of America, the Kevin Willmott movie shot in the KC area, will be screened in New York City on Feb 15 and in KC at Screenland Theatre Feb 24. It will also be screening in other cities across the nation. Box office numbers in those first couple of weeks will determine whether the movie will expand beyond the sixteen markets in which it is scheduled to play.

Auditions for the short Just for the Drive were held in KC. Tentative shooting days are in April. R

Compiled by Larry Levenson • llevenson@ kcstage.com

Continued from page 3I-RATE or Reviewing the Reviewby Jack L. McCord • jmccord@kcstage.com

A few months back I was asked if I would write an article on the cur-rent KC Stage review system. Origi-nally, I thought this would be a neat way for me to get into the KC Stage stable of writers and knowing how much Richard loves me, well… he might leave the magazine to me in his will. Yeah, right.

Writing has always been some-thing I’ve wanted to do. Reviews are something from my past, kind of. I used to write movie reviews for the military when I wrote for the American Forces Radio Tele-vision Service. This background gives me a bit of experience at writ-ing reviews and I thought I would share it with you all… plus, I was asked to.

Reviewing a play is an art form within itself. The reviewer must ask him or herself (there, I ap-peased you feminists, from here on out the reviewer will be re-ferred to as… “it”), “What kind of theatre is this?” Are you reviewing a school play, community theatre, academic or professional? Sure, a play is a play is a play, but it is not fair to compare a high school kid who’s just gotten into the world of Thespis to an actor that has spent 30 years in the theatre.

It was 25 years ago when I first got a review in the print of a local newspaper. I was in the military and the Whidbey News Time, (Oak Harbor, WA) gave me a review that was very good. I was extremely pleased with myself. They later came and did a wonderful feature on just me, myself. I was thrilled,

I had found my market, I was the king of the hill and the peasants were throwing coins at my feet.

Then, one of the old timers, God rest his soul, told me, “they never give this theatre a bad review. If you’re in it… you’re great.”

It turned out that the owner of the newspaper was one of the trustees of the theatre and the last reporter that actually spoke his heart and gave a bad review… well, we don’t know where he is today.

This brings us to the whole reason for this article (betcha was won-derin’ what the heck this was all about). You people don’t know how to review… and you cheat on top of it! Okay, if it makes it easier on you… I’ve cheated too. There’s been ballot stuffing and people us-ing computers at libraries to set up fake accounts and all kinds of illegal reviewing techniques.

What we need to do is become hon-est. And I’m gonna tell ya how.

How to Review

1. Consider the theatre group you are watching. Don’t compare my high school performance of Romeo and Juliet with that of the Ashland, Oregon production.

2. Never compare community theatre with Equity (professional) productions. The community the-atre never has anywhere near the budget of the professionals. (Note: You can compare them if the com-munity theatre minus the budget still out does those making a living at it. Hey, everyone roots for the underdog.).

Arts Advocacy Dayby Angie Fielder • afiedler@kcstage.com

The arts are always the first to go. Ask any high school student who is into the arts, and you’ll get a quick response on how theatre, music, and painting will inevitably take a budget back seat to almost any other program the school does. But it’s not just in schools - in any budget in any municipality, the arts seem to constantly struggle to be recognized as being needed just as much as any other public entity. With audiences dwindling due to several issues (not the least of which is the multitude of options people have for their leisure time), several arts organizations de-pend on public funding for most of the budget.

However, the Americans for the Arts has decided the time is ripe for changing all that. Their organi-zation is dedicated to arts advocacy, with resources such as media and government contacts, and helps promote “Arts Advocacy Day.”

Arts Advocacy Day has been going on for nineteen years now, usually in March, and the purpose is to bring together organizations together in Washington, D.C., with the goal of developing stronger public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts. This year’s day, actually two – Mar 13 and 14, in-cludes a day of legislative training, with information on the current arts issue and how to lobby Congress for increased public funding. R

For more information visit the Ameri-cans for the Arts Web site at www.americansforthearts.org, or by calling 202-371-2830.

F I L M C L I P S A D V O C A C YF R I N G EFringe Festival Applications Now AvailableKC Fringe Festival is now ac-cepting performance art applica-tions online at www.kcfringe.org through Monday, May 1. The ap-plications for all other genres will be released at a later date.

Submit your application by March 31 to receive $100 off. Venues will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Completed applications may be mailed to: KC Fringe Festival, P.O. Box 415001, Kansas City, MO 64141-5001.

The KC Fringe Festival will be July 27-30 at venues throughout the Crossroads District and Down-town. After a very successful first year in 2005, the KC Fringe Festival returns this summer with greater visibility and a more educated community.

For additional information and to submit changes in any of the information in the application, please contact the KC Fringe of-fice at (816) 516-4750 or e-mail info@kcfringe.org. R

Click!www.artsmarketing.org“ArtsMarketing.org is a comprehensive web portal that organizes practical marketing information in a format that is easily accessible to novice, intermediate and expert marketers alike. It serves as a resource for teachers and students in arts administration/arts management programs and for all members of the arts community, across all artistic disciplines. Through ArtsMarketing.org, artistic peers and marketing professionals address daily marketing needs and longer-term marketing issues.” RContinued on page 12 Continued on next page

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R E V I E W S

“All the world’s a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed." ~ Sean O'Casey

C O M E D YContinued from page 10

3. Consider all the aspects of the show. Set, lighting, sound, props, and costumes. Those people would like to hear feedback also. (Once again, consider the theatre’s budget.)

4. Always trust your feelings. Did it leave you feeling good about the production?

5. How about directing? Did the director cast the right people in the roles? Did “it” over direct? Were people too choreographed? Under directed? Did they present a good picture? Did they use all that was available to them?

6. Intangibles: We only want to hear a review of the play. Not your bad experience at the concession stand when you wanted coffee and they gave you decaf or your run-in with the usher that’s been sharing the same mistress with you.

The Review System

This brings us to where to review. The top site to review shows is be-yond doubt, KC Stage. With their online review system has set the standards for reviewing shows and letting people know what the masses think of your show. How-ever; it is flawed. (Gasp!) They have gone out of their way to make sure it is more honest though – kudos to them on that front. Yes, it has been abused over and over again (much like my ex).

How do we correct this? Good question, glad ya asked, unfortu-nately it’s not an easy question to answer. There are a few options though.

1. Keep it the same, and everybody be honest. (Right, with all the egos out here, that’s gonna happen)

2. The community theatres in the area have talked about putting a panel together so that we are not all doing the same show at the same time. If such a panel was formed, could the same repre-sentative from your theatre be the person to submit reviews of other theatres? You know, a “designated reviewer” – they get a free ticket to other theatres’ shows and offer up an honest review to KC Stage. Each theatre would really have to offer up an extremely honest person that is probably retired; this would give them ample opportunity to attend shows.

3. Keep the system the same, but if you are a member of the cast and/or crew, you are not eligible to vote.

4. KC Stage should hire a full time employee to do nothing but re-views. One person’s opinion, but at least it’s fair.

Final Word

KC Stage and I would be inter-ested in hearing what you think about these ideas and if you are in favor of any of them, either on the discussion board or by writ-ing the magazine itself. My final sentiment is that something must be done to make it all legit. Let us know. Please. Thank you. R

Continued from page 4 Dying is Easyby Kyle Parris • kparris@kcstage.com

Okay, stop me if you’ve heard this one before. True story!

Way back in 1998, back when Clin-ton was president and still young enough to bang hot chicks without popping pills, I started to do stand-up comedy on open-mic nights. It was at Stanford’s, which at the time was still located in Westport AND the only comedy club in town. Ex-cuse while I reminisce about the good old days of the Westport club, TWO Tivoli theaters, and watching the idiots walk out of the Have A Nice Day Disco Beer Garden from my perch at Buzzard Beach. Okay, I’m done.

Anyway, the whole point of the following article is to convey what its like to do stand-up. It can be, well, an experience to say the least. Nothing can typify that experience than one’s first time. It’s really sort of like sex.

My first time went like this. I called in that Monday afternoon for the open-mic that night, as is required by open-mics around the country. They told me to have three min-utes prepared. I saw no need to do any preparation since I was a genius improviser. And I was a special genius at improv because I'd never done it before. But surely it wasn’t that hard. I had come up with jokes all the time on the fly at work. So I travel up there. The Westport Stanford’s had two levels. The downstairs was the res-taurant, the upstairs was the club. So I go to the club. Like frat broth-ers watching football, the comics were all sitting together going over

each others’ jokes. One thing that I’ve learned over the years is that we comedians are our own devi-ant fraternity, the funny Skull and Bones Society. More like the broke Skull and Bones people, actually. I was told I had to pay the waitress 10 bucks to get onstage. This is a jack they put all the comics through every week. The only way to get out of it was to bring three people. Oth-erwise, the management made us pay to play, just like strippers. Then we had a meeting. This is where the guy running the show told all the new comics the four basic rules for stand-ups:

1. When the person who’s before you has their name called, YOU should get over to the side of the stage so the host doesn’t have to come looking for you.

2. When YOUR name is called, your time starts, so don’t do any Vegas walks (A Vegas walk is when a com-ic takes their sweet-ass time getting to the stage, stopping to hi-five their people in the audience).

3. When there’s a minute of your time left, a timekeeper will be in the back lighting a flashlight. When you see it, nod your head to them so that they know that you see it. When there’s 30 seconds left, you’ll get another light. Again, nod your head. When you see a light going off frantically, that means get the (bleep) off stage.

4. Most importantly, NEVER go over your time. Usually at open mics there are about 20-25 comics going up and the owners want ev-erything done in an hour and a half. You do the math.

The last two rules are always bro-

ken. Most open-mic comics spend minutes sucking onstage and think that they can retrieve themselves by telling the one last dick joke. It will be sooo damn funny that it will make up for the 3 minutes of suckitude. And not only one comic does this, about 20 of them do. And that bogs down the show terribly, making it incredibly bor-ing. If you readers come to see me at an open-mic night, bring a pil-low and a good book. You’ll need it. Well, at least for the comics that aren’t me. Speaking of me, as my first stand-up performance ap-proached, I walked around with frazzled nerves.

I felt like I did back in high school doing speech tournaments. My excitement was so great that it nearly turned into abject fear. I still feel that way, even after per-forming on national TV. It’s more than just nervousness. Like I said, it’s just like sex. It’s like knowing that you’re with the hottest babe in town, you’re in her bedroom, you’re making all the right moves, but in the back of your mind you’re thinking that you’ll peak too early and come up short, if you know what I mean. The host called the name of the person before me, so I went to the designated seat over to the side of the stage.

I must point out that comedy clubs don’t have a backstage. They have a small greenroom, which is usually the owner’s office. So any costume changes that I do have to be done in the restroom. And I sit in the audi-ence with my costume. That’s the difference between comedy clubs and theaters. A comic spends that entire evening in the midst of the

UMKCTape by Richard Belber: Mar 18-Apr 2: 7:30pm Tue-Sun; 2pm Sun. Jon, an aspiring filmmaker on the verge of hitting it big, hooks up for the weekend with his best friend from high school, Vince, now volunteer fireman who makes money selling dope. Over the course of the evening, Vince finally gets Jon to admit that ten years ago he date-raped Amy Randall, a girl whom they both dated in high school-only then to reveal that he’s taped their entire conversation. Directed by Joseph Price. Adults $12, Seniors $10, Students $6, Studio 116, 4949 Cherry, (816) 235-6222, www.umkc.edu/theatre (Adult Fare)

Unicorn TheatreCrowns by Regina Taylor: Mar 10-Apr 2: 7:30pm Tue; 8pm Wed-Sat; 3pm Sun. Crowns focuses on Yolanda, a young Brooklyn girl who is sent down South to stay with her grandmother. As Yolanda encounters her grandmother and her grandmother’s friends in the rituals of preparing for and going to Sunday church service, she begins to discover connections to older traditions and a deeper spirituality. Crowns is a soul-stirring tribute to the unique cultural phenomenon that fuses faith with fashion by celebrating African-American women and their church hats. $15-$25, Unicorn Theatre, 3828 Main Street, (816) 531-7529, www.unicorntheatre.org (Adult Fare)

Union Station Kansas City, Inc.Kansas City Repertory Theatre Give ‘em Hell, Harry by Samuel Gallu: Mar 31-Apr 9: 8pm Fri-Sat; 3pm Sat. The Rep brings to life one of the most important figures in Kansas City history–Harry S. Truman, the haberdasher who became president. Come to the Oval Office as this unpretentious Missourian copes with the challenges of leading America. The man who doted on his daughter, answered to his better half, and never became too grand to chat with neighbors at his Independence home. Gary Neal Johnson will portray Truman in this show to be produced in the H&R Block City Stage Theatre in Union Station. Directed by Larry Carpenter. Featuring Gary Neal Johnson (Harry S. Truman). Tickets available from KC Rep Box Office 816-235-2700 or toll-free at 888-502-2700 or online line at KCRep.org, H & R Block City Stage, Union Station, (816) 460-2020, www.unionstation.org (Suitable for Everyone)

PERFORMANCES

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“I am still of opinion that only two topics can be of the least interest to a serious and studious mood - sex and the dead.” ~ William Butler Yeats

C O M E D Ywas doing. Just like sex.

I put my foot onstage just as soon as my name was called. At that very moment, all my jitters disappeared. I felt calm. Peaceful. At ease. I think that’s because all the positive atten-tion was focused on me. That’s the way it’s been ever since: ulcerat-ingly nervous before stage time, but relaxed onstage. The audience was at ease, as well. They were sympathetic to me since it was my first time and all. Little did I know that later audiences wouldn’t be so nice (once I went onstage with ass-less pants, showing off my gluteus maximus at which coasters were promptly thrown, but that’s a long story).

I walked up to the mic stand and took out the mic. For some strange reason that I don’t know to this day, there is always a stool on a comedy club stage. I grabbed the stool and said “I’m gonna sit on this!” which got a laugh for some strange reason that I can’t figure out to this day. I did the Vanillacuddy bit, which tanked. I did the list bit, which tanked as well. The audience was there just staring at me, expecting

me to do something really cool. Just like sex.

I don’t remember what I said at the end, but I remember putting the stool and the mic back. As I left the stage, I felt accomplished, com-plete, not feeling like I conquered the Matterhorn, but feeling like I just got a kiss from the hottest chick in town.

After the show, Dan Loomis gave me some really good advice: never gauge your first time. The first time is all about getting onstage and doing it. It’s not about the funny. It’s about acting on a dream that you’ve had and getting it done. Worry about the funny when you do it the second time, he said. Even then, I knew that I was going to go up a second time, and a third, and a fourth, and on to national TV (which I’ve done) and national radio (which I’m in the process of doing on The National Lampoon Radio Hour). I could write about how important persistence is, but that would be another article.

The whole point of this piece was to convey to you readers what do-ing stand-up is like. Well, when it’s going well, it’s exciting, pleasing, and very, VERY vindicating. It’s like being at the office Christmas party and you just pleased your boss. When it’s sucking, it’s like free-falling off the Empire State Building without a parachute, net, or someone to catch you. That’s one thing that actors have over comics. Whenever they’re inadequate, they always have someone to get their backs. Comics don’t. When I’m inadequate, there’s always some one there laughing at me. Just like sex. R

audience, whereas an actor sees them for the first time in character stepping out of the wings. I say the comic has the advantage here. They have at least half an hour to read a room before they get on stage; the actor does not. So I’m sitting there pooping in my pants, waiting to get on stage. And then the host, Dan Loomis, calls my name. SHOWTIME! Like I said, I had NO material prepared. Well, no, I prepared a little bit.

They had those paper triangle thingies that advertise what drinks they were selling. They had a new drink called Vanillacuddy, which I thought sounded funny. That’s what cows get drunk off of. Get it? Cuddy? Cows chew cud. Well, it was funny at the time. The other bit that I wrote on the fly was a list that I was going to read out loud. It was a list of 4 things I needed to do that day. Number 3 was com-mit suicide, number 4 was get some eggs and milk on the way home from the suicide. Damn, I was dark even then. I had some stuff written out, which was good. However, I still didn’t know what the hell I

American Heartland TheatreMarried Alive! by Book & Lyrics by Sean Grennan, Music by Leah Okimoto: Mar 3-Apr 22: 8pm Tue-Sat; 2pm Sat-Sun; 1pm Wed; 7pm Sun; 4pm Sat. Marriage! Family! Kids! Run! Hide! Married Alive! is a wacky new musical revue that looks in on two marriages, newlyweds and a more... um... experienced couple. From new babies to empty nests, from job stress to domestic bliss, Married Alive! is a funny, affectionate outrage. Follow these couples as they experience life from Niagara to Viagra. $17 to $32.50 depending on day of performance, American Heartland Theatre, 2450 Grand Blvd, (816) 842-9999, www.ahtkc.com (Suitable for Everyone)

Bell Road Barn Players*Over the River and Through the Woods by Joe DiPietro: Mar 23-Apr 8: 8pm Thr-Sat. Nick is a single, Italian-American guy who faithfully sees both sets of grandparents every Sunday for dinner. Nick’s parents have moved to Florida, making this Sunday ritual very important to his extended family. But when Nick suddenly announces that he has been given an important promotion which will require his relocation to Seattle, the grandparents set in motion a scheme to keep Nick from moving.…”a hilarious family comedy.” “Loaded with laughs every step of the way.” Directed by Joyce Halford. $10, Jenkin & Barbara David Theatre, Alumni Hall, (816) 587-0218, www.bellroadbarn. com (Adult Fare)

Blue Springs City Theatre*Once Upon a Mattress - our Children’s Production: Feb 24-Mar 5: 7:30pm Thr-Sat; 2pm Sun. Once upon a time...in a kingdom far away... Lived a prince named Dauntless, who never had his say. He had to hurry up and marry. And if he didn’t tarry, Lady Larkin, who was wary, could be with her Sir Harry. Dauntless met his gal named Fred, whom he dearly wished to woo and wed, But the Queen stepped in and said, “First Fred must head to bed, instead.” Now the Queen, she did not jest. She only wanted what was best. There was a surreptitious test... Wanna know the rest? Directed by Martha Maggio. $8 adults & $7 children 12 and under and seniors 65+, Blue Springs Civic Center, 2000 Northwest Ashton Drive, (816) 228-0137, www.bsct.info (Suitable for Everyone)

CenterStage TheatreAngels in America, part 1 by Tony Kushner: Mar 4-12: 7:30pm Sat, Wed-Thr; 2pm Sun. Described as the most ambitious American play of our time, Angels in America won the

Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in 1993. It is an epic that focuses on politics, sex, and religion, and transports us from Washington DC, to the South Bronx, Salt Lake City, and Antarctica. This production will mark the first time the play has been performed in Kansas City in ten years. Directed by Mark Swezey. $12 Member/$18 Non-member/$10 Student, The Lewis and Shirley White Theatre, on the campus of The JCC of Greater Kansas City, (913) 327-8000, www.jcckc.org/arts.html (Adult Fare)

CinnamonEyeWaiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett: Mar 23-25: 8pm Thr-Sat; 3pm Sat. CinnamonEye proudly produces the classic tragicomedy. Directed by Kevin Eib. Call for Ticket Prices, Westport Coffee House, 4010 Pennsylvania, (816) 454-4566, Jason_Vivone@ msn.com (Adult Fare)

City Theatre of Independence*The Pirates of Penzance by Jack Weinstock & Willie Gilbert: Mar 2-12: 8pm Thr-Sat; 2pm Sun. This updated version of The Pirates of Penzance took New York by storm when it premiered in Central Park in 1980, leading to a subsequent smash-hit Broadway run. Wacky, irreverent and as entertaining today as it was when it first opened in 1879, The Pirates of Penzance spins an hilarious farce of sentimental pirates,

bumbling policemen, dim-witted young lovers, dewy-eyed daughters and an eccentric Major-General, all morally bound to the often ridiculous dictates of honor and duty. Directed by Therese Riley. Featuring Rebecca Achtenberg, David Argotsinger (Samuel), Kathy Artgotsinger (Kate), David Campanella, Julie Darrington, Camie Davis, Patrick Davis, Alexandra Duncan (Mabel), Elizabeth Ernst, Ray Ettinger (Major General Stanley), Ashley Harrell, Colin Huseby, Khalid Johnson, Jessica Kennon, Shari Kinder (Ruth), Chris Leo (Pirate King), Karen Letsch, Sal Lo Guidice,

Jack McCord, Dean Mehling, Jennifer Olson, Dav Riley, Mark Skolaut (Frederic), Brianna Stark, Hillary Stark (Edith), Emily Walton. Crew: Therese Riley (Director), Jim Vinkenberg (Musical Director), Dick Pond (Choreographer), Maekenna Riley (Stage Manager), RJ Parish (Set Design), Sharon Propst (Publicity Director). $10. Dinner Theatre tickets are: $18 & $13 w/season ticket. $1 discount for senior citizens or groups of 10 or more if picked up 24 hours in advance., Roger T. Sermon Center, 201 North Dodgion, (816) 325-7367, www.city theatreofindependence.org (Suitable for Everyone)

Cobblestone Theatre Co.*The Owl and the Pussycat by Bill Manhoff: Jan 20-Mar 4: 7pm Fri-Sat. From a San Francisco loft, a stuffy author focuses his binoculars on a prostitute plying her trade. He complains to the landlord, has her evicted and finds he has trouble pounding on his door with vengeance. She figures he owes her a pad for the night, an arrangement that leads to hilarity. Directed by Dan DeMott. $29.95 - Adult; $27.95 Senior; $24.95 Student & Military, Cobblestone Theatre Co., 103 W. Francis Street (866) 282-SHOW, www.Cobblestone

TheatreCo.com (Suitable for Everyone)

ComedyCity*Kansas City’s Original Comedy Sports: Mar 2-Jul 29: 7:30pm Thr-Sat. Competitive improvised humor played like a sporting event complete with astro-turf, the National Anthem, referee, penalties, and fouls. Kansas City’s longest running comedy show, running non-stop since 1987. It’s family appropriate humor, suitable for all ages. Featuring varies $13 per show, ComedyCity, 300 Charlotte, (816) 842-2744, www.comedy city.cc (Suitable for Everyone)

Left to Right: Ginette Rhodes, Todd Alan Crain, Kathy Santen, and James Wright star in Married Alive! at the American Heartland Theatre through Apr16.

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“Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how it’s done, they’ve seen it done every day, but they’re unable to do it themselves.” ~ Brendan Behan

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Chaos Theatre Monkeys With Handgrenades: Mar 3-Jul 21: 10pm Fri. Come join in the fun of “Monkeys With Hand Grenades” as performers complete 30 sketches in only 60 minutes in a random order chosen by the audience. The Pandemonium Players are always hard at work writing feverishly for the new upcoming shows. “Monkeys with Hand Grenades” will as always include 15 brand new plays and free pizza after the show!!! $13, ComedyCity, 300 Charlotte, (816) 842-2744, www.comedycity.cc (Adult Fare)

The Coterie Theatre*The Search for Odysseus, adapted from Homer by Charles Way: Mar 7-Apr 1: 10am Tue-Sat; 7pm Fri; 2am Wed; 2pm Wed-Sun. The production retells Homer’s The Odyssey through the eyes of a teenager with enormous contemporary relevance. Telemachus, the son Odysseus left behind when he went to fight the Trojan Wars, embarks on a voyage of his own discovery, urged on by the goddess Athene, herself disguised as a beggar boy. The Search for Odysseus takes the form of a journey through time that includes dynamic masks, puppetry and clashes of swordplay and shields. Directed by Jeff Church and Martin English. Featuring Doogin Brown (Telemachus), Andi Meyer (Penelope, Calypso, Queen Arete), Ralph Prosper (Odysseus, King Alcinous), Vanessa Severo (Messenger, Athene), Heidi Stubblefield (Eurycleia, Nausicaa), Richard Stubblefield (Laodomus, Cyclops, Achilles). Crew: Jeff Church (Co-Director), Martin English (Co-Director), Elizabeth Freeman (Set Design), Matt Hill (Costume Design, Properties), Art Kent (Lighting Design), David Kiehl (Sound Design), Georgianna Londre (Costume Associate), Amy Abels Owen (Production Stage Manager), Laura Claus (Production Assistant). Adult tickets are $12. Youth/Student/Senior tickets (18 or younger, full-time students, or seniors 60 or over) are $8. Group tickets $4.50 per person weekdays; $6 weekends; TARGET 2-for-1 Saturdays during the 2005-2006 season, The Coterie Theatre, 2450 Grand Blvd, Suite 144, (816) 474-6552, www.thecoterie.com (Intended for Children)

Emporia State University TheatreUrinetown by Mark Holman, Greg Kotis: Mar 1-11: 7:30pm Wed-Sat. Directed by Teresa Mitchell. $5-$8, R.Q. Fredrickson Theatre, Roosevelt Hall (620) 341-5374, www.emporia.edu/theatre (Suitable for Everyone)

Farris TheatreChestnut Fine Arts Center Pump Boys and the Dinettes by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel, Jim Wann: Mar 5: 2:30pm Sun. Pump Boys and Dinettes - A Rock ‘n Roll, Country & Blues Musical Revue - is the sort of show that feeds off the energy and pleasure of

its audience, celebrating life and love in a small, southern town. Directed by Brad Zimmerman. Call for Ticket Prices, Farris Theatre, 301 West Main, (816) 776-6684, www.farristheatre.com (Suitable for Everyone)

Full Frontal ComedyBig Laughs, No Whammies: Mar 31-Apr 1: 8pm Fri-Sat. Full Frontal Comedy, professional improvisational comedy troupe, performs short-form games based on audience suggestions. Directed by Tina Morrison. Featuring Shawn Bowers, Bill Case, Jeremy Danner, Tricia Davenport, Tina Morrison, Shelly Stewart, Reed Uthe. Crew: D.K. Evenson, Joshua Davenport. $10, Olathe Community Theatre, 500 East Loula, (913) 403-4340, www.fullfrontalcomedy.org (Adult Fare)

Late Breaking Comedy: Mar 2-11: 7:30pm Thr-Sat. Full Frontal Comedy performs short-form improvisational games based on audience suggestions. “Late Breaking Comedy” will also feature unscripted comedy sketches based on

current events and pop culture. Full Frontal Comedy is aimed at mature audiences and the shows are not intended for children or uptight adults. For tickets, call 816-460-2020. Directed by Tina Morrison and Dave Martin. Featuring Bill Case, Jeremy Danner, Tricia Davenport, Joyce Halford, Dave Martin, Tina Morrison, Shelly Stewart. Crew: Joshua Davenport (Light Board Operator). $12, H & R Block City Stage in Union Station, 30 West Pershing Road, (913) 403-4340, www.fullfrontalcomedy.org (Adult Fare)

Hype7April “I Pity the Fool”s Day Show: Apr 1: 8pm Sat.

April Fools Day and Mr. T - what better combo for a comedy show? Come see the Hypothetical 7, now in their 13th year, performing sketch and improvisational comedy at the Westport Coffeehouse. It’s unre-hearsed, it’s silly, it’s the Hypothetical 7. (We’ll be the ones in the black van with the red swoosh.) Featuring Matthew Reiss, Holly Reiss, Dan Spurgin, Cory Kenneth Johnson, Joe Stephenson, Tommy Todd, Al Bush, Sasha Abu-Ali, Bryan Reynolds, Kristin Moody, Rob Smith. Crew: Jen Harmon. $7,

Westport Coffeehouse, 4010 Pennsylvania, (816) 756-3221, www.hype7.com (Suitable for Everyone)

Improv-AbilitiesMarch Madhouse: Mar 4: 7:30pm Sat. Improv-Abilities will perform an improvised Tournament of Comedy. It is an all-ages show that uses audience suggestions and audience participation, similar to the popular television show “Whos Line Is It Anyway?” Directed by Tim Marks and Aron Carlson. $10, The Lucky Brewgrille, 5401 Johnson Drive, (913) 871-6242, www.kcimprov.com (Suitable for Everyone)

Kansas City BalletIn The Wings: Mar 9-12: 7:30pm Thr-Sat; 2pm Sun. In the Wings is an informal workshop and performance, which features guest choreographers and Kansas City Ballet dancers who create original works specifically for

this production. Following the performance, audience members are encouraged to ask questions with William Whitener, Kansas City Ballet dancers and choreographers about the processes of dance and choreography. $10-$20, Kansas City Ballet Studios, 1601 Broadway, (816) 931-2232, www.kcballet.org (Suitable for Everyone)

Kansas City Repertory TheatreHank Williams: Lost Highway by Randal Myler & Mark Harelik: Feb 25-Mar 19: 8pm Fri-Sat; 7pm Sun, Tue-Thr; 3pm Sat; 2pm Sun, Wed. From the director of It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues comes this acclaimed musical biography of the legendary singer-songwriter. Hank Williams is frequently mentioned alongside Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Elvis and Bob Dylan as one of the great innovators of American popular music. This musical tribute follows Williams’ rise from his beginnings on the Louisiana Hayride to his triumphs at the Grand Ole Opry to his self-destruction by just twenty-nine. Directed by Randal Myler. Single ticket prices $15-$50; subject to show time, seat location, and availability. Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Spencer Theatre in the UMKC Performing Arts Center, (816) 235-2700, www.KCRep.org (Suitable for Everyone)

Lawrence Community TheatreRed Herring by Michael Holliger: Mar 2-12: 8pm Fri-Sat; 7:30pm Thr; 2:30pm Sun. Three love stories, a murder mystery and a nuclear espionage plot converge in a comedy about marriage and other explosive devices. It’s 1952 and Joe McCarthy’s daughter just got engaged to a Soviet spy, while Boston detective Maggie Pelletier has to find out who dumped the dead guy in the harbor--or lose out on a honeymoon. Directed by Jeanne Chinn. Featuring Uta Walter (Maggie), Marion Constantinescu (Frank), Liza Pehrson (Lynn), Case Bruyer (James), Gail Hansen (Mrs. McCarthy), Barbara Johnson (Clerk/Mrs. VanNordstren), Barbara Johnson (Scene Extra/Recorded Voices), Forrest Lowry (Harry/Priest/Herbert/Dr. Kasden), Forrest Lowry (Bartender/Woody/Recorded Voices), Dean Bevan (Andrei), Jane Henry (Mrs. Kravitz), Charlie Neuringer (General Hartwell). $15-$18, Lawrence Community Theatre, 1501 New Hampshire St. (785) 843-7469, theatre. lawrence.com (Adult Fare)

newEarnewEar Ebb & Flow: Mar 24: 8pm Fri. newEar performs music by composers Mark-Anthony Turnage, Robert Carl, John Psathas, Paul Rudy and Ingrid Stölzel. Single Tickets $18, Student $8, Unity Temple on the

Plaza, 707 West 47th Street, (816) 235-6222, www.newear.org (Suitable for Everyone)

New Theatre RestaurantSay Goodnight Gracie by Rupert Holmes: Feb 8-Apr 9: 12pm Sun, Wed; 6pm Tue-Sun. Say Goodnight Gracie is the hit Broadway comedy that invites you to spend a hilarious, heart-warming evening in the uplifting company of the world’s favorite and funniest centenarian, George Burns. His is a story of talent, hard work and a timeless love. Say Goodnight Gracie is Broadway’s third longest running solo performance show and was nominated for a 2003 Tony Award for Best Play and won the 2003-04 National Broadway Theatre Award for Best Play. Directed by Richard Carrothers. Featuring Joel Rooks (George Burns). $25.50-$43.95, New Theatre Restaurant, 9229 Foster, (913) 649-SHOW, www.newtheatre.com (Adult Fare)

Olathe Community Theater*Vital Signs by Jane Martin: Mar 10-25: 8pm Fri-Sat; 2pm Sun. The author of Talking With and other hits has never been funnier or more compelling than in this suite of theatrical miniatures. Over thirty two-minute monologues. A collection of actresses perform a collage about contemporary woman in all her warmth and majesty, her fear and frustration, her joy and sadness. Directed by Don Carlton. $9 adults, $8 seniors and $7 children 12 and under. Olathe Community Theater, 500 East Loula, (913) 782-2990, www. olathetheatre.org (Adult Fare)

Potluck Productions2006 Kansas City Women’s Playwriting Festival by Liz Amberly, Mary Elizabeth Corrigan, Glendora Davis, Gayle Greene, Debbie Perry, Evelyn Jean Pine, Lezlie Revelle, Edith Weiss: Mar 17-26: 8pm Thr-Sat; 3pm Sun. This year’s festival includes the following plays: Turnstiles by Liz Amberly, The Lion’s Call by Mary Elizabeth Corrigan, Decorator Box by Glendora Davis, Moonshine by Gayle Green, A Close Encounter by Debbie Perry, Unit Cost by Evelyn Jean Pine, Death’s Dance Card by Lezlie Revelle, and God’s Religion by Edith Weiss. Join us for a great evening of original theatre! Directed by Andi Meyer. Featuring Dave Bunce, Glendora Davis, Tom Davis, D.K. Evenson, Taylor Gass, John Jessup, Linda Levin, Janell Ratzlaff, Josh Tolley, Mary Wilkins. Crew: Joyce Slater (Set Design), Joyce Slater (Costume Mistress), Dana Pflumm (Props Mistress), Becky DeShepper (Lighting Design). $10, Just Off Broadway Theatre, 3052 Central, (816) 523-5038, www.kcpotluckproductions.com (Adult Fare)

Quality Hill PlayhouseYour Hit Parade: The American Songbook: Mar 3-Apr 2: 8pm Sun-Sat, ; 3pm Sat-Sun; 1pm Wed-Thr. Celebrate the best of the radio and television program Your Hit Parade with songs like As Time Goes By, It Had to Be You, Young at Heart, Dream and more Directed by J. Kent Barnhart. $23-adults; $21-students/seniors/groups, Quality Hill Playhouse, 303 West 10th St., (816) 421-1700, www.QualityHillPlay house.com (Suitable for Everyone)

Shawnee Mission SouthAn Inspector Calls by JB Priestley: Mar 31-Apr 1: 7:30pm Fri-Sat. It is a spring in 1912, where the prosperous industrial family, the Birlings, are enjoying a dinner party. When Inspector Goole calls unexpectedly on Birlings, his startling revelations not only shatter their lives but challenge everyone in the audience to examine their own consciences. Directed by Allison Basinger. $7, SM South Little Theatre, 5800 W. 107th St., (913) 993-7524, smsreptheatre.tripod.com (Suitable for Everyone)

Guys and Dolls by Joe Swerling, Abe Burrows, Frank Loesser: Mar 1-4: 7:30pm Wed-Sat. Guys and Dolls tells the story of Nathan Detroit, who makes a living by running an illegal crap game, despite constant encouragement to go straight by Miss Adelaide, a nightclub singer to whom he has been engaged for fourteen years. Sky Masterson is another gambler who is unwillingly drawn by Nathan into trying to win a bet by taking Sarah Brown, a missionary to Havana, Cuba. Little does he realize that doing so will cause him to fall in love with Sarah and pursue her heart. Directed by Cathy Wood. $7, SM South Little Theatre, 5800 W. 107th St., (913) 993-7524, smsreptheatre.tripod.com (Suitable for Everyone)

The Mystery TrainHey There, Harvey Girl! by Wendy Thompson: Jan 27-Apr 1: 7pm Thr-Sat. Fred Harvey’s famous Harvey Girls were the model of decorum--or were they? Travel back to the days when the men were tough, the range was rough, and a woman’s touch was sorely needed. The Harvey Girls came to civilize the West, but murder is another matter! Starring Torrie Heathcoat, Emily Lauren, and Jessica Whitfield. Directed by Wendy Thompson. $49-$59, The Mystery Train, Hereford House, (816) 813-9654 (Adult Fare)

The cast of The Pirates of Penzance performs at the City Theatre of Independence Mar 2-12. Photo: City Theatre of Independence

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“Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how it’s done, they’ve seen it done every day, but they’re unable to do it themselves.” ~ Brendan Behan

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Chaos Theatre Monkeys With Handgrenades: Mar 3-Jul 21: 10pm Fri. Come join in the fun of “Monkeys With Hand Grenades” as performers complete 30 sketches in only 60 minutes in a random order chosen by the audience. The Pandemonium Players are always hard at work writing feverishly for the new upcoming shows. “Monkeys with Hand Grenades” will as always include 15 brand new plays and free pizza after the show!!! $13, ComedyCity, 300 Charlotte, (816) 842-2744, www.comedycity.cc (Adult Fare)

The Coterie Theatre*The Search for Odysseus, adapted from Homer by Charles Way: Mar 7-Apr 1: 10am Tue-Sat; 7pm Fri; 2am Wed; 2pm Wed-Sun. The production retells Homer’s The Odyssey through the eyes of a teenager with enormous contemporary relevance. Telemachus, the son Odysseus left behind when he went to fight the Trojan Wars, embarks on a voyage of his own discovery, urged on by the goddess Athene, herself disguised as a beggar boy. The Search for Odysseus takes the form of a journey through time that includes dynamic masks, puppetry and clashes of swordplay and shields. Directed by Jeff Church and Martin English. Featuring Doogin Brown (Telemachus), Andi Meyer (Penelope, Calypso, Queen Arete), Ralph Prosper (Odysseus, King Alcinous), Vanessa Severo (Messenger, Athene), Heidi Stubblefield (Eurycleia, Nausicaa), Richard Stubblefield (Laodomus, Cyclops, Achilles). Crew: Jeff Church (Co-Director), Martin English (Co-Director), Elizabeth Freeman (Set Design), Matt Hill (Costume Design, Properties), Art Kent (Lighting Design), David Kiehl (Sound Design), Georgianna Londre (Costume Associate), Amy Abels Owen (Production Stage Manager), Laura Claus (Production Assistant). Adult tickets are $12. Youth/Student/Senior tickets (18 or younger, full-time students, or seniors 60 or over) are $8. Group tickets $4.50 per person weekdays; $6 weekends; TARGET 2-for-1 Saturdays during the 2005-2006 season, The Coterie Theatre, 2450 Grand Blvd, Suite 144, (816) 474-6552, www.thecoterie.com (Intended for Children)

Emporia State University TheatreUrinetown by Mark Holman, Greg Kotis: Mar 1-11: 7:30pm Wed-Sat. Directed by Teresa Mitchell. $5-$8, R.Q. Fredrickson Theatre, Roosevelt Hall (620) 341-5374, www.emporia.edu/theatre (Suitable for Everyone)

Farris TheatreChestnut Fine Arts Center Pump Boys and the Dinettes by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel, Jim Wann: Mar 5: 2:30pm Sun. Pump Boys and Dinettes - A Rock ‘n Roll, Country & Blues Musical Revue - is the sort of show that feeds off the energy and pleasure of

its audience, celebrating life and love in a small, southern town. Directed by Brad Zimmerman. Call for Ticket Prices, Farris Theatre, 301 West Main, (816) 776-6684, www.farristheatre.com (Suitable for Everyone)

Full Frontal ComedyBig Laughs, No Whammies: Mar 31-Apr 1: 8pm Fri-Sat. Full Frontal Comedy, professional improvisational comedy troupe, performs short-form games based on audience suggestions. Directed by Tina Morrison. Featuring Shawn Bowers, Bill Case, Jeremy Danner, Tricia Davenport, Tina Morrison, Shelly Stewart, Reed Uthe. Crew: D.K. Evenson, Joshua Davenport. $10, Olathe Community Theatre, 500 East Loula, (913) 403-4340, www.fullfrontalcomedy.org (Adult Fare)

Late Breaking Comedy: Mar 2-11: 7:30pm Thr-Sat. Full Frontal Comedy performs short-form improvisational games based on audience suggestions. “Late Breaking Comedy” will also feature unscripted comedy sketches based on

current events and pop culture. Full Frontal Comedy is aimed at mature audiences and the shows are not intended for children or uptight adults. For tickets, call 816-460-2020. Directed by Tina Morrison and Dave Martin. Featuring Bill Case, Jeremy Danner, Tricia Davenport, Joyce Halford, Dave Martin, Tina Morrison, Shelly Stewart. Crew: Joshua Davenport (Light Board Operator). $12, H & R Block City Stage in Union Station, 30 West Pershing Road, (913) 403-4340, www.fullfrontalcomedy.org (Adult Fare)

Hype7April “I Pity the Fool”s Day Show: Apr 1: 8pm Sat.

April Fools Day and Mr. T - what better combo for a comedy show? Come see the Hypothetical 7, now in their 13th year, performing sketch and improvisational comedy at the Westport Coffeehouse. It’s unre-hearsed, it’s silly, it’s the Hypothetical 7. (We’ll be the ones in the black van with the red swoosh.) Featuring Matthew Reiss, Holly Reiss, Dan Spurgin, Cory Kenneth Johnson, Joe Stephenson, Tommy Todd, Al Bush, Sasha Abu-Ali, Bryan Reynolds, Kristin Moody, Rob Smith. Crew: Jen Harmon. $7,

Westport Coffeehouse, 4010 Pennsylvania, (816) 756-3221, www.hype7.com (Suitable for Everyone)

Improv-AbilitiesMarch Madhouse: Mar 4: 7:30pm Sat. Improv-Abilities will perform an improvised Tournament of Comedy. It is an all-ages show that uses audience suggestions and audience participation, similar to the popular television show “Whos Line Is It Anyway?” Directed by Tim Marks and Aron Carlson. $10, The Lucky Brewgrille, 5401 Johnson Drive, (913) 871-6242, www.kcimprov.com (Suitable for Everyone)

Kansas City BalletIn The Wings: Mar 9-12: 7:30pm Thr-Sat; 2pm Sun. In the Wings is an informal workshop and performance, which features guest choreographers and Kansas City Ballet dancers who create original works specifically for

this production. Following the performance, audience members are encouraged to ask questions with William Whitener, Kansas City Ballet dancers and choreographers about the processes of dance and choreography. $10-$20, Kansas City Ballet Studios, 1601 Broadway, (816) 931-2232, www.kcballet.org (Suitable for Everyone)

Kansas City Repertory TheatreHank Williams: Lost Highway by Randal Myler & Mark Harelik: Feb 25-Mar 19: 8pm Fri-Sat; 7pm Sun, Tue-Thr; 3pm Sat; 2pm Sun, Wed. From the director of It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues comes this acclaimed musical biography of the legendary singer-songwriter. Hank Williams is frequently mentioned alongside Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Elvis and Bob Dylan as one of the great innovators of American popular music. This musical tribute follows Williams’ rise from his beginnings on the Louisiana Hayride to his triumphs at the Grand Ole Opry to his self-destruction by just twenty-nine. Directed by Randal Myler. Single ticket prices $15-$50; subject to show time, seat location, and availability. Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Spencer Theatre in the UMKC Performing Arts Center, (816) 235-2700, www.KCRep.org (Suitable for Everyone)

Lawrence Community TheatreRed Herring by Michael Holliger: Mar 2-12: 8pm Fri-Sat; 7:30pm Thr; 2:30pm Sun. Three love stories, a murder mystery and a nuclear espionage plot converge in a comedy about marriage and other explosive devices. It’s 1952 and Joe McCarthy’s daughter just got engaged to a Soviet spy, while Boston detective Maggie Pelletier has to find out who dumped the dead guy in the harbor--or lose out on a honeymoon. Directed by Jeanne Chinn. Featuring Uta Walter (Maggie), Marion Constantinescu (Frank), Liza Pehrson (Lynn), Case Bruyer (James), Gail Hansen (Mrs. McCarthy), Barbara Johnson (Clerk/Mrs. VanNordstren), Barbara Johnson (Scene Extra/Recorded Voices), Forrest Lowry (Harry/Priest/Herbert/Dr. Kasden), Forrest Lowry (Bartender/Woody/Recorded Voices), Dean Bevan (Andrei), Jane Henry (Mrs. Kravitz), Charlie Neuringer (General Hartwell). $15-$18, Lawrence Community Theatre, 1501 New Hampshire St. (785) 843-7469, theatre. lawrence.com (Adult Fare)

newEarnewEar Ebb & Flow: Mar 24: 8pm Fri. newEar performs music by composers Mark-Anthony Turnage, Robert Carl, John Psathas, Paul Rudy and Ingrid Stölzel. Single Tickets $18, Student $8, Unity Temple on the

Plaza, 707 West 47th Street, (816) 235-6222, www.newear.org (Suitable for Everyone)

New Theatre RestaurantSay Goodnight Gracie by Rupert Holmes: Feb 8-Apr 9: 12pm Sun, Wed; 6pm Tue-Sun. Say Goodnight Gracie is the hit Broadway comedy that invites you to spend a hilarious, heart-warming evening in the uplifting company of the world’s favorite and funniest centenarian, George Burns. His is a story of talent, hard work and a timeless love. Say Goodnight Gracie is Broadway’s third longest running solo performance show and was nominated for a 2003 Tony Award for Best Play and won the 2003-04 National Broadway Theatre Award for Best Play. Directed by Richard Carrothers. Featuring Joel Rooks (George Burns). $25.50-$43.95, New Theatre Restaurant, 9229 Foster, (913) 649-SHOW, www.newtheatre.com (Adult Fare)

Olathe Community Theater*Vital Signs by Jane Martin: Mar 10-25: 8pm Fri-Sat; 2pm Sun. The author of Talking With and other hits has never been funnier or more compelling than in this suite of theatrical miniatures. Over thirty two-minute monologues. A collection of actresses perform a collage about contemporary woman in all her warmth and majesty, her fear and frustration, her joy and sadness. Directed by Don Carlton. $9 adults, $8 seniors and $7 children 12 and under. Olathe Community Theater, 500 East Loula, (913) 782-2990, www. olathetheatre.org (Adult Fare)

Potluck Productions2006 Kansas City Women’s Playwriting Festival by Liz Amberly, Mary Elizabeth Corrigan, Glendora Davis, Gayle Greene, Debbie Perry, Evelyn Jean Pine, Lezlie Revelle, Edith Weiss: Mar 17-26: 8pm Thr-Sat; 3pm Sun. This year’s festival includes the following plays: Turnstiles by Liz Amberly, The Lion’s Call by Mary Elizabeth Corrigan, Decorator Box by Glendora Davis, Moonshine by Gayle Green, A Close Encounter by Debbie Perry, Unit Cost by Evelyn Jean Pine, Death’s Dance Card by Lezlie Revelle, and God’s Religion by Edith Weiss. Join us for a great evening of original theatre! Directed by Andi Meyer. Featuring Dave Bunce, Glendora Davis, Tom Davis, D.K. Evenson, Taylor Gass, John Jessup, Linda Levin, Janell Ratzlaff, Josh Tolley, Mary Wilkins. Crew: Joyce Slater (Set Design), Joyce Slater (Costume Mistress), Dana Pflumm (Props Mistress), Becky DeShepper (Lighting Design). $10, Just Off Broadway Theatre, 3052 Central, (816) 523-5038, www.kcpotluckproductions.com (Adult Fare)

Quality Hill PlayhouseYour Hit Parade: The American Songbook: Mar 3-Apr 2: 8pm Sun-Sat, ; 3pm Sat-Sun; 1pm Wed-Thr. Celebrate the best of the radio and television program Your Hit Parade with songs like As Time Goes By, It Had to Be You, Young at Heart, Dream and more Directed by J. Kent Barnhart. $23-adults; $21-students/seniors/groups, Quality Hill Playhouse, 303 West 10th St., (816) 421-1700, www.QualityHillPlay house.com (Suitable for Everyone)

Shawnee Mission SouthAn Inspector Calls by JB Priestley: Mar 31-Apr 1: 7:30pm Fri-Sat. It is a spring in 1912, where the prosperous industrial family, the Birlings, are enjoying a dinner party. When Inspector Goole calls unexpectedly on Birlings, his startling revelations not only shatter their lives but challenge everyone in the audience to examine their own consciences. Directed by Allison Basinger. $7, SM South Little Theatre, 5800 W. 107th St., (913) 993-7524, smsreptheatre.tripod.com (Suitable for Everyone)

Guys and Dolls by Joe Swerling, Abe Burrows, Frank Loesser: Mar 1-4: 7:30pm Wed-Sat. Guys and Dolls tells the story of Nathan Detroit, who makes a living by running an illegal crap game, despite constant encouragement to go straight by Miss Adelaide, a nightclub singer to whom he has been engaged for fourteen years. Sky Masterson is another gambler who is unwillingly drawn by Nathan into trying to win a bet by taking Sarah Brown, a missionary to Havana, Cuba. Little does he realize that doing so will cause him to fall in love with Sarah and pursue her heart. Directed by Cathy Wood. $7, SM South Little Theatre, 5800 W. 107th St., (913) 993-7524, smsreptheatre.tripod.com (Suitable for Everyone)

The Mystery TrainHey There, Harvey Girl! by Wendy Thompson: Jan 27-Apr 1: 7pm Thr-Sat. Fred Harvey’s famous Harvey Girls were the model of decorum--or were they? Travel back to the days when the men were tough, the range was rough, and a woman’s touch was sorely needed. The Harvey Girls came to civilize the West, but murder is another matter! Starring Torrie Heathcoat, Emily Lauren, and Jessica Whitfield. Directed by Wendy Thompson. $49-$59, The Mystery Train, Hereford House, (816) 813-9654 (Adult Fare)

The cast of The Pirates of Penzance performs at the City Theatre of Independence Mar 2-12. Photo: City Theatre of Independence

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“I am still of opinion that only two topics can be of the least interest to a serious and studious mood - sex and the dead.” ~ William Butler Yeats

C O M E D Ywas doing. Just like sex.

I put my foot onstage just as soon as my name was called. At that very moment, all my jitters disappeared. I felt calm. Peaceful. At ease. I think that’s because all the positive atten-tion was focused on me. That’s the way it’s been ever since: ulcerat-ingly nervous before stage time, but relaxed onstage. The audience was at ease, as well. They were sympathetic to me since it was my first time and all. Little did I know that later audiences wouldn’t be so nice (once I went onstage with ass-less pants, showing off my gluteus maximus at which coasters were promptly thrown, but that’s a long story).

I walked up to the mic stand and took out the mic. For some strange reason that I don’t know to this day, there is always a stool on a comedy club stage. I grabbed the stool and said “I’m gonna sit on this!” which got a laugh for some strange reason that I can’t figure out to this day. I did the Vanillacuddy bit, which tanked. I did the list bit, which tanked as well. The audience was there just staring at me, expecting

me to do something really cool. Just like sex.

I don’t remember what I said at the end, but I remember putting the stool and the mic back. As I left the stage, I felt accomplished, com-plete, not feeling like I conquered the Matterhorn, but feeling like I just got a kiss from the hottest chick in town.

After the show, Dan Loomis gave me some really good advice: never gauge your first time. The first time is all about getting onstage and doing it. It’s not about the funny. It’s about acting on a dream that you’ve had and getting it done. Worry about the funny when you do it the second time, he said. Even then, I knew that I was going to go up a second time, and a third, and a fourth, and on to national TV (which I’ve done) and national radio (which I’m in the process of doing on The National Lampoon Radio Hour). I could write about how important persistence is, but that would be another article.

The whole point of this piece was to convey to you readers what do-ing stand-up is like. Well, when it’s going well, it’s exciting, pleasing, and very, VERY vindicating. It’s like being at the office Christmas party and you just pleased your boss. When it’s sucking, it’s like free-falling off the Empire State Building without a parachute, net, or someone to catch you. That’s one thing that actors have over comics. Whenever they’re inadequate, they always have someone to get their backs. Comics don’t. When I’m inadequate, there’s always some one there laughing at me. Just like sex. R

audience, whereas an actor sees them for the first time in character stepping out of the wings. I say the comic has the advantage here. They have at least half an hour to read a room before they get on stage; the actor does not. So I’m sitting there pooping in my pants, waiting to get on stage. And then the host, Dan Loomis, calls my name. SHOWTIME! Like I said, I had NO material prepared. Well, no, I prepared a little bit.

They had those paper triangle thingies that advertise what drinks they were selling. They had a new drink called Vanillacuddy, which I thought sounded funny. That’s what cows get drunk off of. Get it? Cuddy? Cows chew cud. Well, it was funny at the time. The other bit that I wrote on the fly was a list that I was going to read out loud. It was a list of 4 things I needed to do that day. Number 3 was com-mit suicide, number 4 was get some eggs and milk on the way home from the suicide. Damn, I was dark even then. I had some stuff written out, which was good. However, I still didn’t know what the hell I

American Heartland TheatreMarried Alive! by Book & Lyrics by Sean Grennan, Music by Leah Okimoto: Mar 3-Apr 22: 8pm Tue-Sat; 2pm Sat-Sun; 1pm Wed; 7pm Sun; 4pm Sat. Marriage! Family! Kids! Run! Hide! Married Alive! is a wacky new musical revue that looks in on two marriages, newlyweds and a more... um... experienced couple. From new babies to empty nests, from job stress to domestic bliss, Married Alive! is a funny, affectionate outrage. Follow these couples as they experience life from Niagara to Viagra. $17 to $32.50 depending on day of performance, American Heartland Theatre, 2450 Grand Blvd, (816) 842-9999, www.ahtkc.com (Suitable for Everyone)

Bell Road Barn Players*Over the River and Through the Woods by Joe DiPietro: Mar 23-Apr 8: 8pm Thr-Sat. Nick is a single, Italian-American guy who faithfully sees both sets of grandparents every Sunday for dinner. Nick’s parents have moved to Florida, making this Sunday ritual very important to his extended family. But when Nick suddenly announces that he has been given an important promotion which will require his relocation to Seattle, the grandparents set in motion a scheme to keep Nick from moving.…”a hilarious family comedy.” “Loaded with laughs every step of the way.” Directed by Joyce Halford. $10, Jenkin & Barbara David Theatre, Alumni Hall, (816) 587-0218, www.bellroadbarn. com (Adult Fare)

Blue Springs City Theatre*Once Upon a Mattress - our Children’s Production: Feb 24-Mar 5: 7:30pm Thr-Sat; 2pm Sun. Once upon a time...in a kingdom far away... Lived a prince named Dauntless, who never had his say. He had to hurry up and marry. And if he didn’t tarry, Lady Larkin, who was wary, could be with her Sir Harry. Dauntless met his gal named Fred, whom he dearly wished to woo and wed, But the Queen stepped in and said, “First Fred must head to bed, instead.” Now the Queen, she did not jest. She only wanted what was best. There was a surreptitious test... Wanna know the rest? Directed by Martha Maggio. $8 adults & $7 children 12 and under and seniors 65+, Blue Springs Civic Center, 2000 Northwest Ashton Drive, (816) 228-0137, www.bsct.info (Suitable for Everyone)

CenterStage TheatreAngels in America, part 1 by Tony Kushner: Mar 4-12: 7:30pm Sat, Wed-Thr; 2pm Sun. Described as the most ambitious American play of our time, Angels in America won the

Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in 1993. It is an epic that focuses on politics, sex, and religion, and transports us from Washington DC, to the South Bronx, Salt Lake City, and Antarctica. This production will mark the first time the play has been performed in Kansas City in ten years. Directed by Mark Swezey. $12 Member/$18 Non-member/$10 Student, The Lewis and Shirley White Theatre, on the campus of The JCC of Greater Kansas City, (913) 327-8000, www.jcckc.org/arts.html (Adult Fare)

CinnamonEyeWaiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett: Mar 23-25: 8pm Thr-Sat; 3pm Sat. CinnamonEye proudly produces the classic tragicomedy. Directed by Kevin Eib. Call for Ticket Prices, Westport Coffee House, 4010 Pennsylvania, (816) 454-4566, Jason_Vivone@ msn.com (Adult Fare)

City Theatre of Independence*The Pirates of Penzance by Jack Weinstock & Willie Gilbert: Mar 2-12: 8pm Thr-Sat; 2pm Sun. This updated version of The Pirates of Penzance took New York by storm when it premiered in Central Park in 1980, leading to a subsequent smash-hit Broadway run. Wacky, irreverent and as entertaining today as it was when it first opened in 1879, The Pirates of Penzance spins an hilarious farce of sentimental pirates,

bumbling policemen, dim-witted young lovers, dewy-eyed daughters and an eccentric Major-General, all morally bound to the often ridiculous dictates of honor and duty. Directed by Therese Riley. Featuring Rebecca Achtenberg, David Argotsinger (Samuel), Kathy Artgotsinger (Kate), David Campanella, Julie Darrington, Camie Davis, Patrick Davis, Alexandra Duncan (Mabel), Elizabeth Ernst, Ray Ettinger (Major General Stanley), Ashley Harrell, Colin Huseby, Khalid Johnson, Jessica Kennon, Shari Kinder (Ruth), Chris Leo (Pirate King), Karen Letsch, Sal Lo Guidice,

Jack McCord, Dean Mehling, Jennifer Olson, Dav Riley, Mark Skolaut (Frederic), Brianna Stark, Hillary Stark (Edith), Emily Walton. Crew: Therese Riley (Director), Jim Vinkenberg (Musical Director), Dick Pond (Choreographer), Maekenna Riley (Stage Manager), RJ Parish (Set Design), Sharon Propst (Publicity Director). $10. Dinner Theatre tickets are: $18 & $13 w/season ticket. $1 discount for senior citizens or groups of 10 or more if picked up 24 hours in advance., Roger T. Sermon Center, 201 North Dodgion, (816) 325-7367, www.city theatreofindependence.org (Suitable for Everyone)

Cobblestone Theatre Co.*The Owl and the Pussycat by Bill Manhoff: Jan 20-Mar 4: 7pm Fri-Sat. From a San Francisco loft, a stuffy author focuses his binoculars on a prostitute plying her trade. He complains to the landlord, has her evicted and finds he has trouble pounding on his door with vengeance. She figures he owes her a pad for the night, an arrangement that leads to hilarity. Directed by Dan DeMott. $29.95 - Adult; $27.95 Senior; $24.95 Student & Military, Cobblestone Theatre Co., 103 W. Francis Street (866) 282-SHOW, www.Cobblestone

TheatreCo.com (Suitable for Everyone)

ComedyCity*Kansas City’s Original Comedy Sports: Mar 2-Jul 29: 7:30pm Thr-Sat. Competitive improvised humor played like a sporting event complete with astro-turf, the National Anthem, referee, penalties, and fouls. Kansas City’s longest running comedy show, running non-stop since 1987. It’s family appropriate humor, suitable for all ages. Featuring varies $13 per show, ComedyCity, 300 Charlotte, (816) 842-2744, www.comedy city.cc (Suitable for Everyone)

Left to Right: Ginette Rhodes, Todd Alan Crain, Kathy Santen, and James Wright star in Married Alive! at the American Heartland Theatre through Apr16.

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MARCH 2006 • 512 • KCSTAGE

R E V I E W S

“All the world’s a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed." ~ Sean O'Casey

C O M E D YContinued from page 10

3. Consider all the aspects of the show. Set, lighting, sound, props, and costumes. Those people would like to hear feedback also. (Once again, consider the theatre’s budget.)

4. Always trust your feelings. Did it leave you feeling good about the production?

5. How about directing? Did the director cast the right people in the roles? Did “it” over direct? Were people too choreographed? Under directed? Did they present a good picture? Did they use all that was available to them?

6. Intangibles: We only want to hear a review of the play. Not your bad experience at the concession stand when you wanted coffee and they gave you decaf or your run-in with the usher that’s been sharing the same mistress with you.

The Review System

This brings us to where to review. The top site to review shows is be-yond doubt, KC Stage. With their online review system has set the standards for reviewing shows and letting people know what the masses think of your show. How-ever; it is flawed. (Gasp!) They have gone out of their way to make sure it is more honest though – kudos to them on that front. Yes, it has been abused over and over again (much like my ex).

How do we correct this? Good question, glad ya asked, unfortu-nately it’s not an easy question to answer. There are a few options though.

1. Keep it the same, and everybody be honest. (Right, with all the egos out here, that’s gonna happen)

2. The community theatres in the area have talked about putting a panel together so that we are not all doing the same show at the same time. If such a panel was formed, could the same repre-sentative from your theatre be the person to submit reviews of other theatres? You know, a “designated reviewer” – they get a free ticket to other theatres’ shows and offer up an honest review to KC Stage. Each theatre would really have to offer up an extremely honest person that is probably retired; this would give them ample opportunity to attend shows.

3. Keep the system the same, but if you are a member of the cast and/or crew, you are not eligible to vote.

4. KC Stage should hire a full time employee to do nothing but re-views. One person’s opinion, but at least it’s fair.

Final Word

KC Stage and I would be inter-ested in hearing what you think about these ideas and if you are in favor of any of them, either on the discussion board or by writ-ing the magazine itself. My final sentiment is that something must be done to make it all legit. Let us know. Please. Thank you. R

Continued from page 4 Dying is Easyby Kyle Parris • kparris@kcstage.com

Okay, stop me if you’ve heard this one before. True story!

Way back in 1998, back when Clin-ton was president and still young enough to bang hot chicks without popping pills, I started to do stand-up comedy on open-mic nights. It was at Stanford’s, which at the time was still located in Westport AND the only comedy club in town. Ex-cuse while I reminisce about the good old days of the Westport club, TWO Tivoli theaters, and watching the idiots walk out of the Have A Nice Day Disco Beer Garden from my perch at Buzzard Beach. Okay, I’m done.

Anyway, the whole point of the following article is to convey what its like to do stand-up. It can be, well, an experience to say the least. Nothing can typify that experience than one’s first time. It’s really sort of like sex.

My first time went like this. I called in that Monday afternoon for the open-mic that night, as is required by open-mics around the country. They told me to have three min-utes prepared. I saw no need to do any preparation since I was a genius improviser. And I was a special genius at improv because I'd never done it before. But surely it wasn’t that hard. I had come up with jokes all the time on the fly at work. So I travel up there. The Westport Stanford’s had two levels. The downstairs was the res-taurant, the upstairs was the club. So I go to the club. Like frat broth-ers watching football, the comics were all sitting together going over

each others’ jokes. One thing that I’ve learned over the years is that we comedians are our own devi-ant fraternity, the funny Skull and Bones Society. More like the broke Skull and Bones people, actually. I was told I had to pay the waitress 10 bucks to get onstage. This is a jack they put all the comics through every week. The only way to get out of it was to bring three people. Oth-erwise, the management made us pay to play, just like strippers. Then we had a meeting. This is where the guy running the show told all the new comics the four basic rules for stand-ups:

1. When the person who’s before you has their name called, YOU should get over to the side of the stage so the host doesn’t have to come looking for you.

2. When YOUR name is called, your time starts, so don’t do any Vegas walks (A Vegas walk is when a com-ic takes their sweet-ass time getting to the stage, stopping to hi-five their people in the audience).

3. When there’s a minute of your time left, a timekeeper will be in the back lighting a flashlight. When you see it, nod your head to them so that they know that you see it. When there’s 30 seconds left, you’ll get another light. Again, nod your head. When you see a light going off frantically, that means get the (bleep) off stage.

4. Most importantly, NEVER go over your time. Usually at open mics there are about 20-25 comics going up and the owners want ev-erything done in an hour and a half. You do the math.

The last two rules are always bro-

ken. Most open-mic comics spend minutes sucking onstage and think that they can retrieve themselves by telling the one last dick joke. It will be sooo damn funny that it will make up for the 3 minutes of suckitude. And not only one comic does this, about 20 of them do. And that bogs down the show terribly, making it incredibly bor-ing. If you readers come to see me at an open-mic night, bring a pil-low and a good book. You’ll need it. Well, at least for the comics that aren’t me. Speaking of me, as my first stand-up performance ap-proached, I walked around with frazzled nerves.

I felt like I did back in high school doing speech tournaments. My excitement was so great that it nearly turned into abject fear. I still feel that way, even after per-forming on national TV. It’s more than just nervousness. Like I said, it’s just like sex. It’s like knowing that you’re with the hottest babe in town, you’re in her bedroom, you’re making all the right moves, but in the back of your mind you’re thinking that you’ll peak too early and come up short, if you know what I mean. The host called the name of the person before me, so I went to the designated seat over to the side of the stage.

I must point out that comedy clubs don’t have a backstage. They have a small greenroom, which is usually the owner’s office. So any costume changes that I do have to be done in the restroom. And I sit in the audi-ence with my costume. That’s the difference between comedy clubs and theaters. A comic spends that entire evening in the midst of the

UMKCTape by Richard Belber: Mar 18-Apr 2: 7:30pm Tue-Sun; 2pm Sun. Jon, an aspiring filmmaker on the verge of hitting it big, hooks up for the weekend with his best friend from high school, Vince, now volunteer fireman who makes money selling dope. Over the course of the evening, Vince finally gets Jon to admit that ten years ago he date-raped Amy Randall, a girl whom they both dated in high school-only then to reveal that he’s taped their entire conversation. Directed by Joseph Price. Adults $12, Seniors $10, Students $6, Studio 116, 4949 Cherry, (816) 235-6222, www.umkc.edu/theatre (Adult Fare)

Unicorn TheatreCrowns by Regina Taylor: Mar 10-Apr 2: 7:30pm Tue; 8pm Wed-Sat; 3pm Sun. Crowns focuses on Yolanda, a young Brooklyn girl who is sent down South to stay with her grandmother. As Yolanda encounters her grandmother and her grandmother’s friends in the rituals of preparing for and going to Sunday church service, she begins to discover connections to older traditions and a deeper spirituality. Crowns is a soul-stirring tribute to the unique cultural phenomenon that fuses faith with fashion by celebrating African-American women and their church hats. $15-$25, Unicorn Theatre, 3828 Main Street, (816) 531-7529, www.unicorntheatre.org (Adult Fare)

Union Station Kansas City, Inc.Kansas City Repertory Theatre Give ‘em Hell, Harry by Samuel Gallu: Mar 31-Apr 9: 8pm Fri-Sat; 3pm Sat. The Rep brings to life one of the most important figures in Kansas City history–Harry S. Truman, the haberdasher who became president. Come to the Oval Office as this unpretentious Missourian copes with the challenges of leading America. The man who doted on his daughter, answered to his better half, and never became too grand to chat with neighbors at his Independence home. Gary Neal Johnson will portray Truman in this show to be produced in the H&R Block City Stage Theatre in Union Station. Directed by Larry Carpenter. Featuring Gary Neal Johnson (Harry S. Truman). Tickets available from KC Rep Box Office 816-235-2700 or toll-free at 888-502-2700 or online line at KCRep.org, H & R Block City Stage, Union Station, (816) 460-2020, www.unionstation.org (Suitable for Everyone)

PERFORMANCES

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4 • KCSTAGE “Never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth.” ~ Henrik Ibsen

R E V I E W SMARCH 2006 • 13

S P O T L I G H TContinued from page 3

movements on the words if, is, or, we and go. For example, “if” is a loaded word. It implies conse-quences. I can do that musically. “Is” is a state of being-it’s just a mo-ment in time. I chose “go” for the fi-nal movement because I wanted an action word. Using words makes writing more fun.

What’s the life of a composer like?

I basically need a lot of quiet, alone time. Life can be hectic and it’s easy to leave your passion on the bottom of the pile, so I try to write every day. The amount of writing time changes, but creating that space every day grounds me. If I don’t keep it going constantly I always have to reenter the piece, which takes a long time.

What is your favorite thing about being a composer?

My favorite thing is working with performers. Music is a language, and it only exists when it is played, so it’s all about interpretation. The notation is often subjective, and good players will bring it to life. The only problem with new music is the audience can’t tell if it’s done wrong, so you want to work with someone you respect, who will work hard to make it come alive and have a better idea of what you’re trying to say. For instance, three or four years ago I wrote a piece for newEar and the pianist was a good friend. They performed it and she said they loved the work, but they hated the end. She didn’t know I had written fifteen differ-ent endings and I couldn’t choose.

Firecracker DVDs may be reserved at www.amazon.com. Region 1 DVDs are scheduled to be released May 23.

For a clip of Gary Huggins’ movie First Date, go to http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/jan/13/date_sundance/?arts. The short, shot entirely in KC, KS, was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival.

A Mississippi production company will be shooting part of a feature-length documentary about solid-body electric guitars in Springfield, MO.

Corinne Brinkerhoff, 1998 graduate of Lawrence High School in Lawrence, KS, will have the first script she has ever written used for an episode of Boston Legal. It will air in February. The show’s creator David E. Kelley read the script, purchased it, and then shot the episode over 8 days in Nov 2005.

The Fox affiliate in Wichita, KS is looking for an anchor/reporter for their new 9pm news. Contact Art Scott at art@mediorecruiter.com.

A production company was looking for a script supervisor and second assistant director for a million-dollar feature shooting in the KC area in May.

PBS aired a documentary shot in Easton, KS. Jesse James was a part of the American Experience series.

Confederate States of America, the Kevin Willmott movie shot in the KC area, will be screened in New York City on Feb 15 and in KC at Screenland Theatre Feb 24. It will also be screening in other cities across the nation. Box office numbers in those first couple of weeks will determine whether the movie will expand beyond the sixteen markets in which it is scheduled to play.

Auditions for the short Just for the Drive were held in KC. Tentative shooting days are in April. R

Compiled by Larry Levenson • llevenson@ kcstage.com

Continued from page 3I-RATE or Reviewing the Reviewby Jack L. McCord • jmccord@kcstage.com

A few months back I was asked if I would write an article on the cur-rent KC Stage review system. Origi-nally, I thought this would be a neat way for me to get into the KC Stage stable of writers and knowing how much Richard loves me, well… he might leave the magazine to me in his will. Yeah, right.

Writing has always been some-thing I’ve wanted to do. Reviews are something from my past, kind of. I used to write movie reviews for the military when I wrote for the American Forces Radio Tele-vision Service. This background gives me a bit of experience at writ-ing reviews and I thought I would share it with you all… plus, I was asked to.

Reviewing a play is an art form within itself. The reviewer must ask him or herself (there, I ap-peased you feminists, from here on out the reviewer will be re-ferred to as… “it”), “What kind of theatre is this?” Are you reviewing a school play, community theatre, academic or professional? Sure, a play is a play is a play, but it is not fair to compare a high school kid who’s just gotten into the world of Thespis to an actor that has spent 30 years in the theatre.

It was 25 years ago when I first got a review in the print of a local newspaper. I was in the military and the Whidbey News Time, (Oak Harbor, WA) gave me a review that was very good. I was extremely pleased with myself. They later came and did a wonderful feature on just me, myself. I was thrilled,

I had found my market, I was the king of the hill and the peasants were throwing coins at my feet.

Then, one of the old timers, God rest his soul, told me, “they never give this theatre a bad review. If you’re in it… you’re great.”

It turned out that the owner of the newspaper was one of the trustees of the theatre and the last reporter that actually spoke his heart and gave a bad review… well, we don’t know where he is today.

This brings us to the whole reason for this article (betcha was won-derin’ what the heck this was all about). You people don’t know how to review… and you cheat on top of it! Okay, if it makes it easier on you… I’ve cheated too. There’s been ballot stuffing and people us-ing computers at libraries to set up fake accounts and all kinds of illegal reviewing techniques.

What we need to do is become hon-est. And I’m gonna tell ya how.

How to Review

1. Consider the theatre group you are watching. Don’t compare my high school performance of Romeo and Juliet with that of the Ashland, Oregon production.

2. Never compare community theatre with Equity (professional) productions. The community the-atre never has anywhere near the budget of the professionals. (Note: You can compare them if the com-munity theatre minus the budget still out does those making a living at it. Hey, everyone roots for the underdog.).

Arts Advocacy Dayby Angie Fielder • afiedler@kcstage.com

The arts are always the first to go. Ask any high school student who is into the arts, and you’ll get a quick response on how theatre, music, and painting will inevitably take a budget back seat to almost any other program the school does. But it’s not just in schools - in any budget in any municipality, the arts seem to constantly struggle to be recognized as being needed just as much as any other public entity. With audiences dwindling due to several issues (not the least of which is the multitude of options people have for their leisure time), several arts organizations de-pend on public funding for most of the budget.

However, the Americans for the Arts has decided the time is ripe for changing all that. Their organi-zation is dedicated to arts advocacy, with resources such as media and government contacts, and helps promote “Arts Advocacy Day.”

Arts Advocacy Day has been going on for nineteen years now, usually in March, and the purpose is to bring together organizations together in Washington, D.C., with the goal of developing stronger public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts. This year’s day, actually two – Mar 13 and 14, in-cludes a day of legislative training, with information on the current arts issue and how to lobby Congress for increased public funding. R

For more information visit the Ameri-cans for the Arts Web site at www.americansforthearts.org, or by calling 202-371-2830.

F I L M C L I P S A D V O C A C YF R I N G EFringe Festival Applications Now AvailableKC Fringe Festival is now ac-cepting performance art applica-tions online at www.kcfringe.org through Monday, May 1. The ap-plications for all other genres will be released at a later date.

Submit your application by March 31 to receive $100 off. Venues will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Completed applications may be mailed to: KC Fringe Festival, P.O. Box 415001, Kansas City, MO 64141-5001.

The KC Fringe Festival will be July 27-30 at venues throughout the Crossroads District and Down-town. After a very successful first year in 2005, the KC Fringe Festival returns this summer with greater visibility and a more educated community.

For additional information and to submit changes in any of the information in the application, please contact the KC Fringe of-fice at (816) 516-4750 or e-mail info@kcfringe.org. R

Click!www.artsmarketing.org“ArtsMarketing.org is a comprehensive web portal that organizes practical marketing information in a format that is easily accessible to novice, intermediate and expert marketers alike. It serves as a resource for teachers and students in arts administration/arts management programs and for all members of the arts community, across all artistic disciplines. Through ArtsMarketing.org, artistic peers and marketing professionals address daily marketing needs and longer-term marketing issues.” RContinued on page 12 Continued on next page

MARCH 2006 • 314 • KCSTAGE “Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them.” ~ Dion Boucicault

S P O T L I G H TS P O T L I G H TContinued from previous page

F I L M C L I P SIngrid Stölzelby Bryan Colley • bcolley@kcstage.com

Ingrid Stölzel is a composer whose music has been performed by ensembles such as Third Angle, newEar, Califor-nia E.A.R. Unit, Adaskin String Trio, Oakwood Chamber Players, Hartt Contemporary Players, and Synchro-nia. She has been invited to the Oregon Bach Festival, Ernest Bloch Festival, Music 01 and 03, Chamber Music Conference of the East, Otterbein Contemporary Music Festival, Hil-degard Festival, Women Composers‚ Showcase, New Jersey City University, Bard Composers/Conductors Institute, Indiana State Contemporary Music Festival, and James Madison Annual Contemporary Music Festival and has done residencies at the Ragdale Foun-dation and the Atlantic Center for the Arts. She has had masterclasses with James MacMillan, Jennifer Higdon, Joan Tower, David del Tredici, Martin Bresnick, Louis Andriessen, Donald Crockett, Krzysztof Penderecki, Mi-chael Torke, Tan Dun, Fredric Rzewski, and R. Murray Schaefer. A native of Germany and permanent resident of the United States, Stölzel is currently on the Board of Directors of the newEar Contemporary Music Ensemble, and is the program manager of the Youth Symphony of Kansas City.

Tell us about your educational background.

I moved here from a town near Baden Baden, Germany in 1991 to attend UMKC and got a Bachelor in Music. In 1995, I went to Hartford, CT to attend the Hartt School of Music for my master degree. Now I’m back at UMKC working on my doctorate. It’s been wonderful go-ing back to school. I missed having a group of colleagues and getting

weekly feedback. I have a different perspective now. The progress is measurable, and it’s more inten-sive. Plus, the composition depart-ment has grown a lot and is now ranked as one of the top programs in the country. It’s great to work in that environment.

How long have you been with newEar and what do you do for them?

I joined newEar in the 1997-98 season, and I’m on the board in charge of marketing and public-ity. We have about a 150 people at each concert, and we are trying to reach new audiences by perform-ing in new venues. We also had a great experience performing at the Crossroads First Friday last September. The audience is eclec-tic, from Art Institute students to little old ladies.

What’s the audience’s perception to new music?

There’s a general perception that it’s difficult, but new audiences usually think it’s great once they are there. They’re surprised by the variety and the wide range of pieces. It’s rare for us to perform anything over fifteen years old. Older music is great, but it doesn’t reflect what we experience today. New music can be more relevant to our lives today.

Tell me about your piece being performed in March.

I start with a concept when I com-pose. I find inspiration in words, and try to encapsulate what they mean. My piece is called “Two Letter Words”. It’s a piece in five

I just picked an ending, and they could tell that I’d settled. I took it back and reworked the ending un-til I had it. I feel lucky to work with performers that know my work and let me know when something isn’t working. Another thing I like about being a composer is that I get to be in the audience when the work is performed. I get to experience it from their perspective. Plus I like control, and I have no control at a performance. It’s my rare moment to let go. I like that feeling.

What are some highlights of your career?

I have really enjoyed working with master composers. For instance, I spent a week in Milan last October with James MacMillan and stud-ied with him every day. I’ve also enjoyed writing for many talented ensembles, such as the California EAR Unit, which is sort of a Los Angeles version of newEar, except they tour.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a vio-lin and piano piece called “Here There”. My relatives visited over Christmas and I spoke German for two weeks. I felt like I was between two places because of my family and language, so it’s kind of mel-ancholy.

What’s the difference between classical music in Germany and the United States?

The biggest difference is that clas-sical music is a big part of the cur-riculum in Germany, part of the common knowledge and culture.

Classical CD sales are much higher too, over five percent. Here it’s less than one percent. There’s more funding for the arts. They still have radio orchestras, and they’re very popular. Germany is also very avant-garde compared to the U.S.

Tell us about your work with the Youth Symphony.

I’m the program manager and it’s a great job. I’m around talented kids who make classical music a part of their lives. It gives me hope for the future.

Which composers are your favor-ites?

It depends on the day. Brahms makes me homesick. I like John Adams and Benjamin Britten. As for new music, I’ve enjoyed Steven Stucky. When I heard his Pulitzer Prize winning Second Concerto for Orchestra, I knew it was a mas-terpiece, something that would be around for a long time.

How do you go about getting or-chestras and ensembles to perform your work?

It’s hard. It starts with friends, kind of grassroots, and there are also summer festivals and contests. The tricky part is that it’s hard to shop a piece that hasn’t been recorded, but most people want to premiere a new work, and it’s even harder to get a second performance.

Does living in Kansas City make a difference for a composer?

I want to believe it doesn’t matter. Some people say that on the coast you get a little more action. I’m sure in New York you can hear new music performed every night.

But Kansas City is a great town for a composer, lot’s of talented per-formers and I think it’s an exciting time for the arts in Kansas City with lots of collaborations and big plans in the making.

Does having your work published help get it performed?

I’ve had several pieces published through Arsis Press, which spe-cializes in women composers, but I only publish older works because once it’s published, you can’t shop the piece anymore. You also make more in royalties if you self pub-lish, but it’s hard to constantly put yourself out there. It takes up a lot of time that you could be writing.

Many contemporary composers use electronic instruments and computers in their work. Is this something you do?

I don’t do it. I love acoustic music and the interaction between the composer and performer. I guess I’m more tuned to melody and harmony than the sound of it. But I enjoy works that use different media, where you find crossover and grooves. One of the pieces ne-wEar is doing in March is for piano and drum set by John Psathas. It’s a great piece with a lot of give and take, verging on rock and jazz. Steven Mackey has a concerto for electric guitar and orchestra. There are electric string quartets. It has the potential to grab audiences and it’s very pluralistic. There are no rules anymore. We can do any-thing. R

newEar will be performing Stölzel’s “Two Letter Words” at the Unity Tem-ple on the Plaza at 8pm, Mar 24. Visit their website at www.newear.org.

Barry Corbin (War Games, Northern Exposure, Lonesome Dove) will be the Trail Boss for a trail ride near Medicine Lodge, KS to benefit the movie Trail End. The event is Mar 31-Apr 2 and will be taped for broadcast on Best of America by Horseback, which airs on the RFD cable network. Corbin will star in Trail End scheduled to shoot in May in Kansas. Please visit www.justhank.com/trailride.htm.

The Lawrence Journal-World named Lawrence, KS filmmaker Kevin Willmott one of the Top 10 Kansans. For the story, go to http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/dec/30/top_10_kansans_2005/

CBS was accepting applications for Survivor in KC. On Jan 20, KCTV-5 hosted a casting call at the Nebraska Furniture Mart in KC, KS. Brandon Bellinger, former Survivor contestant from Manhattan, KS, was present as a guest.

Diane Lane and Johnny Knoxville were in Cape Girardeau, MO filming Killshot in January. There were a few rainy days; however, the movie stayed on schedule.

HGTV is looking again for living space to feature in their show, reZoned. The show is about non-residence buildings, like firehouses, that have been turned into living area. If you have such a residence and owned it while it was being transformed, contact Heidi at hclark@highnoonentertainment.com.

A television show to be shot in the Hutchinson, KS area was looking for production assistants.

Radio Disney held auditions in Wichita, KS for their performing artist group, RD Frequency.

Crew is needed for the short movie Widget & Faux to be shot from mid-April to the end of May. Contact redhorsefilms@yahoo.com in Topeka, KS for information. Additionally, the same production company is seeking actors of varying ages for different short-movie projects throughout the year. Locations for these projects will be in the KC, Lawrence and Topeka areas.

Continued on page 13

Continued on page 13

2 • KCSTAGE “Every absurdity has a champion to defend it." ~ Oliver Goldsmith MARCH 2006 • 15

M U S I C A L F E S T I V A LM U S I C A L F E S T I V A LContinued from page 2Theater League to Host New Musical Festival

by Kate Egan • kegan@kcstage.com

“Kansas City forty years ago was more representative of the national stage than might be supposed – certainly more representative than it now is, though it was then a much smaller city.”

Remarkably, those words appeared in the Kansas City Times on New Year’s Day of 1924. The theater critic was speaking of how notable Kansas City was on the national theater landscape in the 1880s. Kansas City sat on the western edge of the legitimate and vaudeville touring cir-cuits, frequently the only stop between St. Louis and California for shows traveling that far. The city was known as the last civilized stop on the way west and remained a regional draw for the best possible entertain-ment. Then the nation changed, and the stage with it.

While Kansas City has in recent years been the sleeper hit of the arts communities around the nation, the city is quickly returning to the limelight of the national stage as it was twelve decades ago. Theater League has announced plans to lead an effort to elevate the city further this summer with a festival of new musical works.

Theater League, which is based in Kansas City and operates Broadway series in ten cities coast to coast, will sponsor a two-weekend festival in July of staged readings of new musicals. The Kansas City Cross-roads Musical Theater Festival will be held on Fridays

and Saturdays, July 14, 15, 21, and 22 in four venues around the Crossroads Arts District. Seven new works have been selected from the more than 60 entries sub-mitted literally from around the world.

Mark Edelman, President and founder of Theater League, says the inspiration for the festival came

from a variety of sources. After attending readings of new musicals for years to see what new pieces were emerging, Edelman has been impressed with sev-eral recent works that have come from festivals includ-ing Thoroughly Modern Millie and the new musical Drowsy Chaperone that has had great success at the L.A. Music Center and is headed for Broadway. In mounting this festival in Kansas City, Theater League is providing an important opportunity for both the arts commu-nity and the authors and composers from around the world. Edelman states, “It’s really important for the composers and lyricist. New York City festival au-diences are full of friends and industry-types, not a very representative musi-cal theater audience, at least not the kind that buys tickets. These teams need to see their work far away

from New York, in front of audiences that know and love musical theater and won’t be afraid to share their true feelings about the work.”

Edelman selected Chris McCoy as artistic director of the festival. After a national call for submissions, McCoy and other Theater League staff members were charged with sorting through the entries. According to McCoy, “Each piece was reviewed by two sepa-

rate adjudicators who ranked them based on score, script, and general produce-ability. A shortlist of top ranking musicals was created and these were reviewed by the entire selection committee. Although each piece was selected on merit alone, the eight final selections span the gamut of the musical theater genre. There is a children’s musi-cal, a pop-opera, a rock musical, a country-western piece, vaudeville,

even a mock fairy tale. As artistic director, I couldn’t have hoped for a more diverse selection.”

Recently announced were the teams that will be directing the selected pieces, all ranking among the top directors and musical directors in the area and with a variety of special-ties. The teams are as follows: Linda Ade-Brand and Andy Anderson, Amy Coady and Molly Jessup, Er-nest Williams and Anthony Bernal, and Steven Eubank and Chris Leavy. Each team will direct two works.

McCoy and the Theater League staff are very pleased with the re-sponse to the festival thus far. Mc-Coy continues, “What I love about the artists who are involved are the number and diversity of arts organizations represented. Linda Ade Brand brings a tremendous amount of experience as both a talented, professional director and director of UMKC’s musical theater conservatory. Amy Coady of Musi-cal Theater Heritage adds a writer’s perspective as a graduate of the prestigious BMI Lehman Engel Mu-sical Theater Workshop. Likewise, Ernest Williams brings the knowl-edge of staged reading festivals as manager of the Coterie’s young playwright’s festivals. Steven Eu-bank represents the multitude of grassroots fringe organizations that have popped up all over the Kansas City area recently.”

The directors involved in the proj-ect seem equally pleased to have the opportunity to work on new pieces and meet the pieces’ writers, com-posers, and lyricists who will be on hand for the three staged readings of each piece in July. Linda Ade Brand, director, shares her excite-

Here are the seven works that will be presented:

The Count of Monte Cristo, book and music by Philip de Blasi (Santa Monica, CA), lyrics by Jane Landers (New Fairfield, CT)

Frog Kiss, book and lyrics by Charles Leipart (New York, NY), music by Eric Schorr (New York, NY)

Route 66, book by Jerold Goldstein (Bridgeport, CT) & William Squier (Stamford, CT), music by Fred Stark (South Salem, NY), lyrics by William Squier (Stamford, CT)

Thorstein Veblen’s Theory of the Leisure Class, book & lyrics by Charles Leipart (New York, NY), music by Richard B. Evans (Tiburon, CA)

Too Good to Be True, lyrics & book by Amy Coady (Kansas City, MO), music & book by Gerald Stockstill (New York, NY)

Maccabeat, music by Harvey Shield; lyrics by Richard Jarboe and Chayim Ben Za’ayev, book by Mr. Ben Za’ayev from a story by M. Edelman, based on portions of the 1st Book of Maccabees (Apocrypha)

Dakota Sky, music and lyrics by Deborah Wicks La Puma (Rancho Palos, CA), book by Kathleen Cahill (Salt Lake City, UT)

ment about the festival. “I love new works – be they plays, musicals, or operas – and was so excited when I learned that Theater League was doing this festival. With the wealth of singer/actor talent in Kansas City, this is a perfect match. You just never know what will come out of a festival like this. As we are the fourth largest theatre com-munity in the US, it’s only right that we take a part in supporting the future of the art form.”

The wealth of talent that Brand speaks of will also be given the unique opportunity of originat-ing roles in new works. Theater League will be operating under the AEA staged reading code for the festival, though both Equity and non-Equity actors are being encouraged to audition. Pieces will be rehearsed for only four days prior to the readings in July. Audi-tions for the festival will be held on March 3-4 in the UMKC Annex on 51st Street, Room 205.

Edelman sees this summer festival as an annual event. “I hope we will take what we learn from Cross-roads 2006, improve it for 2007 and present these festivals in several other Theater League markets. It gives the composer/author teams more input to improve their work even further.” Specific details are continually being announced re-garding the festival.

The Kansas City Crossroads Mu-sical Theater Festival is poised to shine a spotlight on Kansas City and the Midwest as a whole, a re-minder that musical theater thrives and influences the national stage, and that there is no longer any such thing as the flyover zone. R

Theatre for Young America Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter: Mar 14-18: 12pm Thr-Fri; 10am Tue-Fri; 2pm Sat. Beatrix Potter’s classic fable about an adventurous rabbit in Mr. McGregor’s vegetable garden comes to life in a high stepping musical comedy. Peter’s sister’s, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail come to their brother’s aid using the power of Fine Arts! Age appropriate: Pre School and up. $7.50-Public, $5.50-TYA & USKC Members, $5 groups (15+), H & R Block City Stage, Union Station, (816) 460-2020, www.unionstation. org (Intended for Children)

William Jewell College Theatre*A Conception of Love by Francis Warner: Mar 30-Apr 1: 8pm Thr-Fri; 2pm Sat. This comedy pictures life for Oxford students, dons and their lovers. Directed by Kim B. Harris. $6, Peters Theater, Brown Hall, (816) 415-7590, wjctheatre@william.jewell.edu (Suitable for Everyone)

Light Shadows by Francis Warner: Mar 29-Apr 2: 8pm Sat, Wed. British playwright Francis Warner’s drama originally commissioned for Canterbury Cathedral, pictures a meeting between Nero and the apostle Paul. Directed by Kim B. Harris. Call for Ticket Prices, Peters Theater, Brown Hall, (816) 415-7590, wjctheatre@ william.jewell.edu (Suitable for Everyone)

Wyandotte PlayersParallel Lives: The Kathy and Mo Show by Mo Gaffney and Kathy Najimy: Feb 24-Mar 4: 8pm Fri-Sat. 10$ general admission, Corinth Dance Center, 4047 Somerset Drive, (913) 449-2301, www. wyandotteplayers.com (Adult Fare) R

PERFORMANCESContinued from page 12

Continued on page 15

KCSTAGEVolume 08 • No. 3 • Issue 78 • March 2006magazine@kcstage.com • 816-361-2325PO Box 410492 • Kansas City, MO 64141-0492

Apr Submission Deadline: Mar 10www.kcstage.com

CREWManaging Editor ........................ Richard BuswellGraphic Design ................................Bryan ColleySubscriber Rep ......................Tricia Kyler BowlingWebmaster ....................................Scott BowlingMarketing....................................... Angie FiedlerLackey ............................................. Diane Bulan

C O N T E N T S

SPOTLIGHTIngrid Stölzel .................................... 3

FEATURESTheatre League to Host New Musical Festival.....2I-RATE or Reviewing the Review .........................4Dying is Easy.....................................................5Arts Advocacy Day...........................................13

NOTESFirst Annual Great Plains Theatre Conference ....1Fringe Festival Applications Now Available ........4Fine Arts Education Day ..................................16

STAND INSAuditions ........................................................17Calendar...........................................................8Callboard .......................................................17Click! ...............................................................4Film Clips .........................................................3Performances ...................................................6

© Copyright 2006 by KC Stage. All material contained in this publication is the property of KC Stage. Any use, duplication, or reproduction of any or all content of this publication is prohibited except with the express written permission of KC Stage. KC Stage is a member of the Just Off Broadway Theatre Association. Printing by CopyMax. R

MARCH 2006 • 116 • KCSTAGE “The question actors most often get asked is how they can bear saying the same things over and over again,night after night, but God knows the answer to that is, don't we all anyway; might as well get paid for it." ~ Richard Brinsley Sheridan

G R E A T P L A I N SE D U C A T I O NThe First Annual Great Plains Theatre Conference Metropolitan Community Col-lege in Omaha, NE is proud to announce the first annual Great Plains Theatre Conference featur-ing three-time Pulitzer Prize-win-ning playwright Edward Albee. The conference will be held May 27-Jun 3 at the college’s historical Fort Omaha Campus.

The eight-day event will feature workshops of new plays, panel discussions, master classes and evening performances at Omaha’s new world-class Holland Perform-ing Arts Center. A highlight will be the presentation of the first Edward Albee Great Plains Play-wright Award, which honors an established playwright. This year’s recipient will be Tony and Pulit-zer Prize-nominated playwright Arthur Kopit, author of Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You in the Closet, I’m Feelin’ So Sad and the book for the musical Nine.

The conference is expected to draw many nationally-know play-wrights and actors including Acad-emy Award-winning actor Patricia Neal, Tony award-winning actor Lloyd Richards, actor Courtney B. Vance, and Tony award-winning playwright and screenwriter Ter-

rence McNally, author of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (1987) and Love! Valour! Compassion! (1994).

Albee, considered America’s great-est living playwright, is known for works including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Zoo Story and The Sandbox. A member of the Dramatists Guild Council, he has received three Pulitzer Prizes for drama for A Delicate Balance (1966), Seascape (1974), Three Tall Women (1990-1991); a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement (2005); the Gold Medal in Drama from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters (1980); as well as the Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts (both in 1996).

Albee and Dr. Jo Ann C. McDow-ell, who became President of Met-ropolitan Community College on Jul 1, 2005, originally conceived the idea for a national theater Con-ference in 1993 while McDowell was serving as president of Prince William Sound Community Col-lege in Valdez, Alaska. The Last Frontier Theatre Conference has been held at PWSCC for the past 12 years. In continuing with the spirit of the Theater Conference, Albee and McDowell created the Great Plains Theatre Conference to foster educational opportunities for developing playwrights and actors and to stimulate the appreciation and preservation of theater arts.

Omaha area theater companies will be participating in the event. Omaha is home to more than 35 theaters in-cluding the nation’s largest commu-nity theater, the Omaha Community Playhouse. R

Fine Arts Education Day The Missouri Alliance for Arts Edu-cation (MAAE) will hold Fine Arts Education Day in Jefferson City on Mar 8. The MAAE invites anyone interested in promoting fine arts education in public schools to at-tend. Contact Debbie Corson at dhcorson@swbell.net to register.

The purpose of the event will be to educate legislators on the im-portance of supporting fine arts education in public schools. Spe-cifically, advocates will ask legis-lators to support an appropriation of $545,000 to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Edu-cation for implementation of the Fine Arts Assessment.

The members of the Missouri General Assembly will be asked to show their support for fine arts education by funding the fine arts component of the Missouri Assess-ment Program, or Fine Arts MAP. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has requested a line item of $545,000 in its fiscal year 2006 budget to support the implementation of this test to the state’s fifth graders.

The test is a state-of-the-art mul-timedia exam that is regarded as a national model and was developed by fine arts teachers from all regions of the state. It is administered as a video and the students have the opportunity

to hear music and observe close-up views of artwork.

Due to the economic downturn in 2002, the implementation of the test was not funded and put on hold. The MAAE wants to lift that hold and begin assessing Missouri’s stu-dents on their knowledge and skills in the fine arts.

After the implementation of the Fine Arts MAP was put on hold and school budgets were reduced, the arts were a subject that was often at the front of the line for the budgetary axe.

Research shows that students in arts programs consistently outperform other students in reading, vocabu-lary, language arts, and history and the arts serve as a gateway to greater success in other subjects.

Being included in Missouri’s ac-countability sys-tem through the Fine Arts MAP restores the arts as a curricular necessity, reflect-

ing the integral role the arts play in students’ development. Without MAP data, fine arts educators do not have the same tools as their curricular counterparts in Math and Science to determine strengths and weaknesses of not only their students but their own teaching.

The consequences of not funding the Fine Arts MAP are reduced class time for fine arts or the elimi-nation of the curriculum altogether, fewer or no resources allocated to the fine arts classrooms, a reduc-tion in opportunities for students to meet the expectations of the state-mandated Show-Me Standards of education, and reduced support for professional development for the state’s fine art teachers. R

KC Folk MusicMar 10-12 CrossCurrents Culture

2006 Women's Playwriting FestivalMar 17-26 Potluck Productions

www.justoffbroadway.org

MARCH 2006 • 17

A U D I T I O N SBlue Springs City Theatre*Father of the Bride: Feb 27-28: 7pm Mon-Tue. Note on Casting: It will be noticed that the cast calls for two furniture movers (Red and Pete), Tim’s Man and two or three extras who bring in flowers, potted plants, etc. It is possible, with very few minor changes in the text, to increase or decrease the number of minor parts of the sort above mentioned. Directed by Anne Mahoney. Featuring Mr. Banks, mid forties, Mrs. Banks, early forties, Kay Banks, twenty/twenty-one, Ben Banks, eighteen/nineteen, Tommy Banks, fifteen/sixteen, Buckley Dunstan twenty-three, Buzz Taylor, fifteen/sixteen, more cast needed. Blue Springs Civic Center, 2000 Northwest Ashton Drive, (816) 228-0137, www.bsct.info

Encore TheatreMurder at the Ballet by Jeffrey Goffin: Mar 3-6: 7pm Mon; 4pm Fri. Auditions will be cold readings from the script. Production dates are April 28, 29, 30 and May 5, 6, 7. Directed by Virginia Morse. Featuring Babe Archer, private investigator; Liz King, police inspector, Vernon Hopkins, Archer’s secretary; Flaherty, rookie policewoman, Teddy Windermere, custodian at the Theatre, Nadya Kalishnakov, stage manager for the ballet, Karen McCain, director of the ballet; Lucinda Rash, producer of the ballet, Roewena Champagne, sister of the murdered ballet star, Ned Brigantine, dancer with the ballet. Sermon Center, Truman and Noland Roads in Independence, (816) 254-7692, virginiamorse@comcast.net

Improv-Abilities (Professional) Women only! We would like to add 1-4 women to our troupe. Improvisation experience is helpful but not required. Some of our members had little or no acting experience before joining. Must be age 17 or over. We perform both all-ages shows and adult-only shows, at the Lucky Brewgrille and the Improv Comedy Club in Zona Rosa’s Majestic Theatre. Directed by Aron Carlson and Tim Marks. Women interested in auditioning should contact Tim at tim@kcimprov.com. The Lucky Brewgrille, 5401 Johnson Drive, (913) 871-6242, www.kcimprov.com

Kansas City Repertory Theatre (Equity) Open Auditions for Actors’ Equity Members: Mar 9: 11am ThrActors must reserve audition times to be seen. To schedule an audition appointment, Equity actors should call 816-235-6088 weekdays between 11am-7pm. Actors should present two contrasting pieces, not to exceed 5 minutes, and bring a picture and resume. Singers may also prepare 16 bars a cappella – no pianist or other accompaniment will be provided. The productions for the 2006-07 season include Jitney, A Christmas Carol, King Lear, and Love, Janis. For more information or to reserve an audition time, contact Samantha Bradley at 816-235-6088. Room 128, UMKC Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry Street, www.kcrep.com

Leavenworth Players Group (Professional) Murder At The University Of Kansas or I Graduated Magna Cum Deade by Gregory J. Marino: Apr 1: 1pm Sat. We are seeking talented actors with improv chops. Actors should be able to get off-book quickly and work independently. In addition, actors should be able to conduct themselves in accordance with professional standards. Auditions will consist of cold readings of sides. No monologues will be heard. Please be present in the space prior to 1pm as the director has some remarks that he wishes to share with all auditioners. Directed by Gregory J. Marino. Leavenworth Public Library, 417 Spruce, (913) 758-0805, gjmcanlup@hotmail.com

Leawood Stage Co*Oklahoma by Rodgers & Hammerstein: Apr 1-2: 1pm Sat. Actors, Singers, and Dancers. Prepare 16 measures of music from a theatre selection and be prepared to participate in a movement audition. Call backs April 8-9, 1-6pm, same location as auditions. This show will cast adults and children. Leawood City Hall, Leawood Stage Company’s, (913) 339-6700, www.leawoodstagecompany.org

Olathe Community Theater*Fools by Neil Simon: Mar 18-20: 7pm Mon; 1pm Sat; 6pm Sun. Cold readings from the script will be used to audition. Strong comedic and physical comedy expertise is a must! Featuring seven men and three women ages 20-60. Directed by RickL Riley. Olathe Community Theater, 500 East Loula, (816) 932-9146, www.olathetheatre.org

River City Community PlayersHarvey by Mary Chase: Mar 13-14: 7pm Mon-Tue. Readings from the script. Directed by Robert Chung. Leavenworth Performing Arts Center, Historic Hollywood Theater, (913) 758-1509, home.kc.rr.com/oneactor/rccp.htm

The Theatre in the ParkSeason 2006: Apr 1-2: 9am Sat-Sun. Open Auditions Sat, Apr 1, 9am-4pm and Sun, Apr 2, 9am-4pm. Be ready to sing up to 16 bars of the song of your choice. You must bring sheet music an accompanist will be provided. Please, no taped music or a cappella singing. The dance routine will be taught in the gymnasium following the vocal audition. Auditioning by video tape: Those unable to attend auditions may submit a video taped audition performance. Videotapes must be received by the Theatre office by 12pm Fri, Mar 31 and will not be returned. Directed by Tammy Ruder (King), Phil Kinen (Cats), Brian McGinness (Peter Pan), Greg Shaw (Grease), Jay Coombes (Bye Bye Birdie). Oxford Middle School, 12500 W. Switzer Rd. Overland Park, KS, (913) 631-7050, www.theatreinthepark.org

Theater League (Equity) Kansas City Crossroads Musical Theater Festival: Mar 3-4: 10am Fri-Sat. The Kansas City Crossroads Musical Theater Festival, to be held July 10-22 will feature staged readings of 8 new musical theater works under the direction of some of Kansas City’s top directors. Cast will have the unique opportunity to initiate roles portrayed in these new works. Actors of all types over the age of 16 to perform staged readings of new musical theater pieces. Dancing is not a requirement. Please bring: Headshot and resume, and 2 contrasting songs (one ballad, one up-tempo) in the appropriate key and that demonstrate your vocal range. Auditioners may be asked to do a cold reading from the script. Accompanist will be provided. Readings will be conducted under AEA staged reading code. Equity and Non-Equity actors are encouraged to audition. Contact Bess Wallerstein, bess.wallerstein@theaterleague.com or 816-559-5009 for an audition time. UMKC Annex, 301 E 51st St, (816) 559-4007, www.theaterleague.com R

2006 Season, The Barn PlayersDirectors, designers and technical staff needed for 2006 spring/summer season. The season includes Bus Stop by William Inge, Jun 2-4, 9-11, School House Rock, Jr. from the series created by George Newell and Tom Yohe, Jun 29-Jul 2 (continuation of the Barn Players Jr. Series), Orphans by Lyle Kessler, Jul 14-16 (inaugural production of the Barn Alternative Series), The Miser by Moliere, Aug 25-27, Sep 1-3, and Urinetown by Greg Kotis & Mark Holmann, Sep 21, 23, 24, 29, Oct 1, 6-8. Applicants should submit the following by March 15: A letter of interest, to express which show the applicant has interest, and a current resume that includes all production work, including location and year. Contact Beate Pettigrew at bpettigr@jccc.edu or The Barn Players, Inc., 6219 Martway, Mission, KS 66202, (913) 432-9100, www.thebarnplayers.org. Posted 02-08-06. R

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