Kansas City Rep Honors Gary Neal Johnson With Dr. Mac Award
Veteran Kansas City actor will receive the honor at the KCRep Gala this month.
Kansas City Repertory Theatre has announced that longtime Kansas City actor Gary Neal Johnson will receive the Dr. Patricia McIlrath Award for Arts Advocacy, known as the “Dr. Mac” Award.
The award is named for Patricia McIlrath, the founding artistic leader of Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and recognizes individuals whose work has made a lasting impact on the cultural life of the Kansas City community.
KCRep Artistic Director Stuart Carden said the honor recognizes Johnson’s decades-long career and his contributions to the theatre and the broader arts community.
Johnson first appeared with KCRep in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in 1973 and has performed in more than 100 productions with the company. His roles have included productions such as Nicholas Nickleby, All My Sons, Our Town, The Miracle Worker, Cabaret, August: Osage County, Death of a Salesman, and Last Days of Summer.
He is especially known to Kansas City audiences for portraying Ebenezer Scrooge in KCRep’s annual production of A Christmas Carol, a role he performed for 25 years in more than 1,100 performances.
The Dr. Mac Award honors artists and supporters whose work has helped shape and sustain the performing arts in Kansas City. Johnson will receive the award during the 2026 KCRep Gala, An Emerald Evening in Oz, on Saturday, March 28 at the The Midland Theatre.
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