About Us

Now in its 45th season, Kansas City Repertory Theatre is one of the Midwest region’s premier professional theatres. The professional theatre-in-residence at UMKC, the Rep has two performance spaces: Spencer Theatre, which is located just four blocks east of the Country Club Plaza, and Copaken Stage, located in the heart of the Power & Light District.

This season, Kansas City Repertory Theatre welcomes back its fourth Artistic Director, Eric Rosen, who founded the nationally recognized About Face Theatre in Chicago.

Rep productions will represent what Rosen values most in theatre & vitality, vibrancy, emotion, beauty, and brilliant storytelling. The season begins September 11, 2009, with contemporary composer Stephen Sondheim’s brilliant musical "Into the Woods". Also at Spencer Theatre are Jules Verne’s beloved classic "Around the World in 80 Days" and Kansas Native William Inge’s hilarious "Bus Stop".

Copaken Stage, located in the heart of the new downtown Power and Light District, presents David Cale’s "Palomino", a brilliant new play that follows a beautiful, literate, and mysterious Irish Central Park carriage driver. Nathan Jackson’s emotionally powerful "Broke-ology" focuses on the struggles of the next generation in our city. The season closes with "Venice", a new musical by Matt Sax and Eric Rosen, which boasts a powerful and highly original score of hip hop music, R&B, art song and opera! Also, the Rep presents the pre-Broadway world premiere of "A Christmas Story, the Musical!", which will surely be a Christmas present for all ages!