The Barn Players to Present Gender-Inclusive Production of 1776

The Barn Players will present a gender-inclusive production of 1776, opening August 8 at the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center in Overland Park, KS. This groundbreaking staging of the Tony Award-winning musical by Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards runs through August 17 and offers a fresh, urgent perspective on America’s founding.

In this reimagined production, gender-diverse performers portray the nation’s founders, amplifying the show’s themes of justice, resistance, and representation. By recontextualizing the historical drama with a contemporary, inclusive lens, the production aims to engage 21st-century audiences in conversation about whose voices shape our democracy.

“1776 has always been about courageous, flawed people standing up for a vision of freedom,” said representatives from The Barn Players. “By casting this story through a gender-diverse ensemble, we’re bringing new immediacy to those ideals—and inviting everyone into the conversation.”