Bww Preview: The Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City Announces Their 42nd Season

The Unicorn Theatre announced their 2015-2016 season. The 42nd season of intimate, inspiring, and invigorating new plays opens on August 26, 2015. In addition to a full line up of new productions to Kansas City, the Unicorn will also continue the In-Progress New Play Reading Series, bringing scripts in development and under consideration for production in upcoming seasons before the public.

The Oldest Boy runs August 26 - September 20, 2015 on the Levin Stage. When Tibetan monks believe they've found the reincarnation of a high Buddhist Lama in a young American boy (played delightfully by a Paul Mesner puppet), his mother and her Tibetan husband must decide whether to hold on to their son or let him be taken to India for a life of spiritual training. An exploration of love, a family must make one life-altering choice as a faith searches for its next spiritual leader.

The Brothers Size opens on the Jerome Stage October 14, running through November 8, 2015. In this lyrical tale of brotherly love, pulsing with the rhythms of the Louisiana bayou, younger brother Oshoosi Size struggles to restart his life after leaving prison by seeking the help of his steady older brother Ogun Size. This drama is the first production of McCraney's work in Kansas City, exploring West African Yoruba mythology, poetry, music, and dance. This modern tale chronicles the search of one man finding his place in the world, battling with fear and desire on the elusive road to freedom.

Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play, a co-production with UMKC Theatre, runs from December 2 through December 27, 2015 on the Levin Stage. The enduring power of theatre is displayed in this post-apocalyptic dark comedy about the evolution of pop culture into the mythology of a future era. In this first production of Washburn's work in Kansas City, the grid has fallen and society is reconfiguring itself around new ideals. With the stories of The Simpsons, gunfights and campfire stories, this imaginative play races through time and our collective memories.

Buyer & Cellar takes to the Jerome Stage from December 9 through December 27, 2015. An outrageous new comedy imagines the bizarre job taken by an underemployed Los Angeles actor in a private mall in Barbra Streisand's Malibu basement. Will this employee ever really bond with the megastar, or will he have to find another way to pay his dues? This campy comedy examines the underside of fame, the true cost of celebrity, and the secrets of Babs' basement.

How To Steal A Picasso, a world premiere on the Levin Stage, runs from January 27 through February 14, 2016. A crazy comedy set in the Motor City, a family of quirky artists struggle for purpose in a world where art can be valued as a public good, a shrewd investment or even as a radical action, in this audience favorite from our In-Progress New Play Reading series. When the Detroit Institute of the Arts reveals their plan to sell their most revered Picasso, the painting suddenly goes missing. Could the thief be prodigal son, Johnny? Radical activist, Casey? Could it be the highly medicated mother, Belle? Or is it the impassioned father, Otto? The Smith family must band together in this new comedy about one formidable canvas.

The Whale runs from March 2 through March 27, 2016 on the Jerome Stage. In this first Kansas City production of MacArthur Genius Grant winner Samuel D. Hunter, a 600-pound man in Idaho is desperate to reconnect with his estranged daughter but remains hidden away in his apartment, perpetually eating. When he finds his daughter again, he discovers she is a massively unhappy teen with a biting tongue. This moving play uncovers one man's path to discover the unexpected beauty of life.

The Ghosts of Lote Bravo, a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, runs April 20 through May 8, 2016 on the Levin Stage. In Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, young girls often disappear. Many turn up murdered. Juanda Cantu's daughter, Raquel, is one of those girls. Through visions offered by La Santa Muerte, Juanda is shown Raquel's past only to discover that her daughter had hopes, dreams and courage Juanda knew nothing about. The Ghosts of Lote Bravo, Bettis' first production in Kansas City, is a play about great hope in the midst of relentless violence, poverty, and grief.

Heathers, the Musical runs from June 1 to June 26, 2016 on the Levin Stage. Based on the classic 1989 film, Westerberg High is ruled by a stylish junta: Heather, Heather, and Heather, the hottest and cruelest girls in all of Ohio. However, misfit Veronica Sawyer rejects their evil regime for a new boyfriend, the dark and sexy stranger J.D., who plans to put the Heathers in their place - six feet under.

Season subscription are on sale. Call the box office at 816-531-7529 Ext. 10 or online at the Unicorn Theatre website. Photo by Steve Wilson.