College Town. City Life.

Janae Nicole Mitchell (Chantel Robinson). Photo by Don Ipock.

UMKC’s weekly arts, culture and sports roundup

Every week, the University of Missouri-Kansas City offers an array of on-campus activities. It’s nothing new. UMKC has a long legacy of hosting countless culturally enriching events. These activities are part of what give UMKC a vibrant campus life, and make UMKC an arts and culture powerhouse. The influence of UMKC-based and UMKC-trained alumni extends well beyond the campus’ edge, so their activities are listed here as well.

Featured Event: When I Come to Die

From Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s Andrew W. Mellon Foundation playwright-in-residence Nathan Louis Jackson comes “When I Come to Die,” directed by the Rep’s Associate Artistic Director Kyle Hatley.

“When I Come to Die” is a thought-provoking story about the power one action can have over a life. After surviving a lethal injection in prison, death row inmate Damon Robinson struggles to find faith, and struggles to understand why his life has been spared. Befriending the prison’s chaplain, he sets about using his unexpected time on earth searching for answers.

A graduate of Kansas State University, Jackson did his graduate work at The Juilliard School. In addition to “When I Come to Die” (Lincoln Center Theater, 2011), his works include “Broke-ology,” about a Kansas City, Kan. family (Lincoln Center Theater, Williamstown Theatre Festival and Kansas City Rep, staged by Kyle Hatley in 2010), “The Mancherios” and “The Last Black Play.” Jackson has received commissions from Lincoln Center and Roundabout Theater Company, participated in the Kennedy Center Summer Playwriting Intensive and attended the Sundance Institute Playwright’s Retreat.

His television projects include “Resurrection” (currently on ABC), “Southland” (NBC), “Lights Out” (FX) and “Shameless” (Showtime). He is a two-time winner of the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, a recipient of the Mark Twain Comedy Playwriting Award and has been awarded the Kennedy Center’s Gold Medallion.

What: The Kansas City Repertory Theatre presents, “When I Come to Die.” In the play, a death-row inmate struggles to understand why his life has been spared after he survives a lethal injection.
Where: Copaken Stage, 13th and Walnut streets, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Now through March 16.
Get more information on the Kansas City Repertory Theatre website.

Friday, Feb. 21 – Thursday, Feb. 27

What: Studios Inc presents: “Studios Inc: 2013,” a group exhibition featuring the resident artists of 2013, including UMKC’s Barry Anderson, Jarrett Mellenbruch (Studio Art adjunct instructor), Dylan Mortimer (Studio Art adjunct instructor) and Garry Noland (Art History alumnus).
Where: Studios INC, 1708 Campbell, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Now through Feb. 21.
Get more information on the Studios Inc website.

What: Conservatory Connections: Eli Hougland. This collaborative program partners UMKC Conservatory musicians with the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.  The goal of the program is to combine the visual and performing arts within the spaces of the museum to offer exciting new art interactions to the public.
When: 1:30 and 2:30, Saturday, Feb. 22.
Where:
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Bloch Building, Gallery L2, 4525 Oak St., Kansas City, Mo.
Learn more on the UMKC calendar.

What: UMKC Men’s basketball v. Utah Valley.
Where: Municipal Auditorium 301 W. 13th St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7:05 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 22.
Learn more on the UMKC athletics website.

What: Senior Dance Recital: Part 1. Senior dancers Emily Berger, David Cross, Simone DeLozier, Erika Edwards, and Desmond Roach present their choreography, performed by the UMKC Dance Division.
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 22.
Where:
White Recital Hall, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.
It’s free. Learn more on the UMKC calendar.

What: Civil Rights Film and Scholars Series: “The Loving Story.” This is the second film in a series of four nationally acclaimed films that connect the stories of the civil rights movement to spark public conversations about the changing meaning of freedom and equality in U.S. history. Discussion Leader: Adrienne Walker Hoard, UMKC Black Studies Program.
Where:
Miller Nichols Library, iX Theatre, 800 E. 51st St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 2-4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 23.
It’s free. Learn more on the UMKC calendar.

What: The Coterie Theatre presents “Afflicted: Daughters of Salem.” This is a co-production with UMKC Theatre. This play explores the untold story of the Salem girls and the crucible of events that led to the Salem Witch Trials.
Where: Crown Center, 2450 Grand Ave., Suite 144, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Jan. 28- Feb. 23.
Get more information on the Coterie Theatre website.

What: Guest speaker Luz Rivera Martinez presents, “The Future of Corn in Mexico – Food Equity, Labor Rights and Conservation.”
Where: UMKC Miller Nichols Learning Center, Room 452, 800 E 51st St, Kansas City, Mo.
When: 6:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 24.
It’s free. Learn more on the UMKC calendar.

What: Alt Lecture: Leah Silvieus and Judith Levy. This is part of the Alternative Lecture Series. Leah Silvieus is a poet and performance artist who splits her time between Florida and New York, and Judith Levy is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores history, culture, and identity.
Where: UMKC Gallery of Art, Room 203, 5015 Holmes St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 24.
Get more information on the UMKC Art and Art History Department’s website.

What: Opening reception of “Jeanine Cobler: Retrospective.” Her work will be displayed in the Dean’s Gallery of the Miller Nichols Library. Cobler holds a degree in Liberal Arts from UMKC and has served since 2009 as a director and officer on UMKC Friends of the Library board.
When: 5-7 p.m., Feb. 25.
Where:
Dean’s Gallery of Miller Nichols Library, 800 E 51st St, Kansas City, Mo.
It’s free. Get more information on the Miller Nichols Library website.

What: Love Your Body Party. An evening of activities and discussion about maintaining a lifestyle that promotes emotional and mental health as much as physical well-being.
When: 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Where:
MindBody Connection, 112 Atterbury Student Success Center, 5000 Holmes, Kansas City, Mo.
It’s free. Get more information on the UMKC calendar.

What: Senior Dance Recital: Part 2. Senior dancers Kari Hayde, Sarah Herbert, and Natalie Upton present their choreography, performed by the UMKC Dance Division.
When:
7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Where:
White Recital Hall, James C. Olson Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry St., Kansas City, Mo.
It’s free. Get more information on the UMKC calendar.

What: McKinzie Symposium. To kick off this year’s McKinzie symposium, One Nation Under God: The Politics of America’s Religious Diversity, the University of Wisconsin’s Charles L. Cohen delivers a keynote address on the issues facing minority religions in America. Cohen is a professor of history and religious studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the Lubar Institute for the Study of the Abrahamic Religions. The symposium is co-sponsored by the Bernardin Haskell Lecture Fund, UMKC Center for Midwestern Studies, and the UMKC Division of Diversity and Inclusion
When: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27.
Where:
Kansas City Public Library – Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St., Kansas City, Mo.
Learn more on the Kansas City Public Library’s website.

What: UMKC Women’s basketball v. Grand Canyon.
When:
7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27.
Where:
 Swinney Recreation Center, 5030 Holmes St., Kansas City, Mo.
Learn more on the UMKC athletics website.

What: V-Day Book Display. Stop by and check out books and information about the V-Day movement to end violence against women and girls. This is co-sponsored by the UMKC Women’s Center, UMKC’s Violence Prevention and Response Project and UMKC Libraries.
Where: Miller Nichols Library, 800 E. 51st St., Kansas City, Mo.
When: Now through Friday, Feb. 28.
It’s free. Learn more on the UMKC calendar.

What: The Kansas City Actors Theatre presents, “Journey’s End.” Set in the trenches at Saint-Quentin (northern France) in 1918 toward the end of WWI, “Journey’s End” takes the audience right into the dugout of a British Army infantry company. This is a co-production with UMKC Theatre.
Where: Copaken Stage, 13th and Walnut streets, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Now through March 2.
Get more information on the Kansas City Actors Theatre website.

What: Solo exhibition by Christel Highland, current Studio Art/Art History student.
Where: Bespoke Salon, 1919 Wyandotte, Kansas City, Mo.
When: Through March 31.

What: The New Theatre Restaurant presents, “Harvey,” a comedy by Mary Chase.
Where: The New Theatre Restaurant, 9299 Foster, Overland Park, Kan.
When: Now through April 6.
UMKC Connection: Co-owners Dennis Hennessy and Richard Carrothers are both UMKC graduates and both were presented in 2012 with honorary doctorates by the UMKC College of Arts and Sciences.
Get more information on the New Theatre website.

 


  • Recent UMKC News

    $20 Million Scholarship Article in The Kansas City Star

    KC Scholars partnership also in U.S. News and World Report … Read more

    Geosciences Professor’s Research Cited in New York Times

    Fengpeng Sun co-authored study on California wildfire seasons The 2015 … Read more

    Bloch Faculty Interviewed on NBC Nightly News

    Brent Never teaches about Kansas City’s racial dividing line Never … Read more

    More