Oh, What a Lovely War!

In a unique collaboration between the National WWI Museum, UMKC Theatre and the Kansas City Actors Theatre, we bring you one of the 20th century’s theatrical masterpieces. A carnival of song, battle and heartbreak as the war to end all wars blazes its way on to the stage at America’s national museum dedicated to that war.

The Kansas City Actors Theatre (KCAT) celebrates its sixth season of performing classic and modern classic plays. Founded and still led by local working artists, KCAT is a collective of actors, stage managers, designers and community members who are dedicated to a theatrical experience of the highest quality while focusing on the craft of the actor and the words of the playwright. Beginning in 2005, KCAT has staged 18 productions reaching over 20,000 people in nearly 300 performances. Every year since its inception, KCAT has been acknowledged as having produced the Best Play of the Year or been named the Best Theatre Company by the area’s critics and publications. Among the cited productions have been “The Cripple of Inishmaan” (2005), the Talley Trilogy (2006), “Dinner With Friends” (2007) and “Glengarry Glen Ross” (2009). This season’s “True West” was cited by the Kansas City Star as the “don’t-miss-theatre” production of the summer.

The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial is the only American museum solely dedicated to preserving the objects, history and personal experiences of a war whose impact still echoes today. Through thousands of artifacts—from hand grenades to handkerchiefs, from howitzers to rare flags—the Museum tells the deeply personal stories of tremendous sacrifice, technological breakthroughs and the horrors and heroics of war. With one of the greatest collections of World War I artifacts anywhere in the world, the Museum uses its world-class collection, along with interactive technology, to tell the story of the war through the eyes of those who lived it. The Museum and its Over There Café are located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Call 816-784-1918 or visit ww.theworldwar.org for details.

UMKC Theatre has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top graduate theatre training programs in the country. The program trains a select group of highly talented actors, designers, stage managers and dramaturgs for careers in the performing arts. Graduates from the UMKC program are invited to the most prestigious New York competitions and auditions to exhibit their work and secure positions with national and international performing companies. The program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) and is a member of the University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA).

The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 14,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a three-part mission: visual and performing arts, health sciences, and urban engagement. UMKC has been designated as Missouri’s Campus for the Arts.

Director – Barry Kyle
Scene Design – Erin Walley
Costume Design – Suzanne Mann
Lighting Design – Richard L. Sprecker
Sound Design – Ryan Matthew Hall
Stage Manager – Taylor Alissa Marun