KCRep Announces Launch of CREATIVE FUTURE FUND 

Kansas City Repertory Theatre (KCRep) announced details on the launch of their five-year capacity building campaign, The Creative Future Fund (CFF). The campaign supports new works, youth education programs, and audience engagement/development at KCRep and has a goal of $5,000,000. Additionally, KCRep officials confirm a new matching gift from Bunni and Paul Copaken which will be a dollar for dollar $100,000 match in support of the New Works (OriginKC) aspect of the Creative Future Fund.

The public launch of the Creative Future Fund will take place at Polsinelli on Monday, September 11 at 5:30 pm. KCRep Board Chair Greg Graves and KCRep Executive Director Angela Lee Gieras will host the event, which will feature bestselling author Jodi Picoult as the special guest speaker. Also representing KCRep will be Associate Artistic Director Jason Chanos, Director of New Works Marissa Wolf and Assistant Artistic Director Chip Miller. Members of the media and their plus ones are also encouraged to attend.

According to KCRep officials, fundraising for the $5 million capacity building campaign has already begun and has raised $3,360,852 to date through a private launch effort which began in the summer of 2015. Among those who have already committed through their major gifts to help KCRep build capacity and broaden programmatic offerings are:

· Hall Family Foundation

· Bunni & Paul Copaken

· Anonymous

· Graves Family Foundation

· The McDonnell Foundation, Inc.

· Laura & David Hall

· The Hearst Foundation, Inc.

· Kauffman Foundation, Muriel McBrien

· Ellen & Irv Hockaday

· Bebe & Crosby Kemper Foundation, UMB Bank, N.A., Trustee

Executive Director of Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Angela Lee Gieras said, "The Creative Future Fund was designed to give KCRep a stronger and more vibrant future by focusing on growing our audience as well as our new works and education programming. We are grateful specifically to Bunni and Paul Copaken and to the other Kansas City families and foundations that have already generously contributed to our long-term success by investing in the fund as well as the art on our stages."

One of the campaign's goals is the expansion of KCRep's OriginKC new works program. Through OriginKC, KCRep provides playwrights the artistic resources they need to develop new, innovative plays of the highest artistic merit. In 2015-16, the program's first year, the OriginKC: New Works Festival staged the world premiere of Rinne Groff's FIRE IN DREAMLAND, a production which is being transferred to New York's famed Public Theatre in the summer of 2018 with KCRep Director of New Works Marissa Wolf taking the helm as director.

KCRep's 2017-18 season begins in September with the OriginKC: World Premiere Musical BETWEEN THE LINES, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer. From the producers of KINKY BOOTS and GROUNDHOG DAY, this delightful new musical will be directed here in Kansas City by Jeff Calhoun (NEWSIES).

"A production like this has the ability to achieve great artistic success now and in the future, giving KCRep audiences a front row seat in the thrilling journey of an incredible new musical," commented Artistic Director Eric Rosen. "We are thrilled to be working with the multiple Tony Award-winning Daryl Roth Productions, one of the most acclaimed Broadway producers, and some of the finest creative talent in our industry on BETWEEN THE LINES."

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