Kansas City Actors Theatre Announces Seventh Season

The Kansas City Actors Theatre (KCAT) announces its 2011-2012 season, and a return to repertory theatre, and a continuation of last season's professional partnerships.

With a company of seven actors, KCAT returns this summer to a true repertory experience, pairing two productions of the works of the late British playwright and Nobel laureate, Harold Pinter. It begins withThe Birthday Party and alternates with a collection of three Pinter one-acts: The Lover, The Collection, and Night.

Described as "a comedy of menace," The Birthday Party was Pinter's first full-length play and takes audiences to Meg and Petey's seaside guesthouse as they prepare to celebrate their lodger's birthday. Two strangers arrive and upset the proceedings. The Sunday Times critic Harold Hobson, responding to the first production of The Birthday Party, wrote "Pinter, on the evidence of this work, possesses the most original, disturbing and arresting talent in theatrical London."

The Lover is a comic and slightly scandalous look at how a marriage can adapt and change. The Collection, first produced 50 years ago, is an early exploration of a favorite Pinter theme, betrayal. Finally, the reminiscences of a married couple in Pinter's dramatic sketch Night highlight the folly of conflicting memories

KCAT Artistic Committee Chair, Mark Robbins noted, "As a group, we are big fans of the work of Harold Pinter, and we were aware that productions of his work are few and far between in Kansas City. We resolved to devote our whole summer to his work, for the many Pinter fans in our area, as well as to introduce those unfamiliar with Pinter to the dramatic power and dark humor of this groundbreaking playwright."

Many of the same actors and theater artists lend their skills to both Pinter productions. For an added jolt, audiences can have a full repertory experience and see both productions on one of three Festival Days! The actors are mixed and matched throughout both productions, taking on new characters with a brief dinner break in between. The Birthday Party will be directed by Bruce Roach and the directors for the one-acts have yet to be finalized.

In the fall KCAT partners once again with Unicorn Theatre, this time to produce Yasmina Reza's Tony award-winning play, God of Carnage. Two couples meet to have a civil discussion regarding a schoolyard fight between their sons. What results is a savagely hysterical night of tantrums and tears before bedtime - and the kids aren't even there! This sharp-edged new play is a 90-minute thrill ride that takes you into the most dangerous place on earth: parenthood. Mark Robbins directs the play which stars Cinnamon Schultz, Brian Paulette, Melinda McCrary and John Rensenhouse.

The season closes in February when The Actors Theatre returns to one of Kansas City's true gems, the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial, to partner with UMKC Theatre on John Gray and Eric Peterson's Billy Bishop Goes to War. This contemporary classic of Canadian theater uses music and stagecraft to examine how a born loser became one of the greatest Allied flying aces during the Great War and asks what heroism means and what it takes to turn an innocent into a warrior.

Speaking about the season's co-productions, KCAT Board President John Rensenhouse noted that "While working with the Unicorn last year on The Seafarer, both groups discovered what a strong, natural alliance this was. Their strengths fit very well with our strengths and led to a memorable production. Plus it was fun! We are also very thankful for everything UMKC does to help not only us, but many of the theaters in town. It is a privilege to partner in educating their students. And the Museum was a joy to work with. We love producing shows in places people aren't used to seeing them, and the World War I Museum created a wonderful synergy which gave Oh What A Lovely War a thrill it wouldn't have had anywhere else. Theater is a collaborative art and these kinds of connections make it all the more exciting."

KCAT's summer productions will be staged at Union Station's H&R Block City Stage and run from August 16 through September 11. God of Carnage can be seen on the Unicorn Theatre's Jerome Stage from October 19 through November 13 and Billy Bishop Goes to War runs from February 10 through 26, 2012 at the National WWI Museum's stage in Nichols Auditorium.

Season subscriptions go on sale April 29 at www.kcactors.org or by calling the Central Ticket Office at 816.235.6222.

The Actors Theatre is Kansas City's only artist-led, artist-driven theatre company, producing classic and modern-classic plays featuring Kansas City theatre artists.