TeenTix KC Blog Theater

I had the opportunity to see One of the Good Ones at KC Rep, a dramedy that blends sharp humor with thoughtful conversations about identity, culture, and generational differences. The play centers on a tense and revealing family gathering, where difficult questions about belonging, heritage, and what it means to be American slowly surface through moments of laughter and vulnerability.

After seeing the show, I also had the chance to speak with Natascia Díaz, who plays Ilana, a mother navigating a complicated evening with family and friends. During our conversation, she shared how she prepares for emotionally complex roles, what it’s like working within such a collaborative ensemble, and what audiences might not immediately realize about the play. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Trojan Women MCI is a deeply evocative play with a powerful message and a story you are sure to remember. This play, written by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Ernie Nolan, follows the story of four women: Cassandra, Hecuba, Helen, and Andromache, who are victims of a human trafficking operation run by an unnamed character only ever referred to as “He.” 

I carried a deep appreciation for the consistent references to Greek mythology throughout Trojan Women MCI. A primary example being the character Cassandra, played by actress Haley Knudsen, and her visions of the future that are constantly ridiculed by the other characters. As a Greek mythology enthusiast, the mythological ties deeply appealed to me. However, if you don’t know much about Greek mythology, the Unicorn also offered a wall that was filled with small snippets of information about these characters, as well as their mythological counterparts. On this wall there were also accounts of, and quotes from, various survivors of human trafficking as well as various statistics about the presence of human trafficking across the country. 

I got the chance to interview Angie Janas, who is one of the actors in the traveling side by side performances of The Acting Company’s Great Expectations and A Midsummer Night's Dream. She plays Ms. Havisham and Mrs. Joe (Great Expectations) and then Oberon and Hippolyta (A Midsummer Night's Dream). These are very different shows as Great Expectations is set in history and A Midsummer Night’s Dream is much more mystical. 

When asked what her favorite part of the shows was, Janas said, “For Great Expectations, it would have to be Ms. Havisham, because it was a role that I was really excited to play. Because it's a world premiere, no one's done it before, so it was an opportunity for me to really create the character. Then, to also have nights where I get to go to Fairyland and be Oberon, just to have a really different experience night to night. This is a pretty unique experience for an actor. Usually, you're just doing one thing, and that's kind of all you do, so the opportunity to get to do a lot of different things and get to do it all over the country was really exciting to me.”

The Drum Closet, written by Kansas City’s own Tosin Morohunfola, is a piece that showcases the many struggles of being different in modern society. First we meet Timi, played by Damarion Leonhart, an eager freshman who wants to audition for drumline section leader. His brother, Kareem, played by Parker VanMichael Jones, is a senior and also wants this role. The two brothers are competing not only against each other but against Matt, played by Ben Brewer. It is clear that Matt is a privileged, rich, white kid, while Timi and Kareem are the only two black kids at their school. 

The brothers have incredible chemistry. The show opens with fast-tempo drum rudiments played live by the actors. They show their connection as they circle each other with intense yet friendly body language. At their home, we see photos of Jesus, family, and traditional Nigerian drums in the dining room. Their mother Fatimah (played by Tobi Omodehinde), Timi, and Kareem perform another sequence of drum rudiments, but this time with their traditional Nigerian drums. Fatimah shows insight into her mind by sharing her yearning for her husband who is always away at work, being forced to convert from Muslim to Christianity for safety, and her Nigerian background. Fatimah wants the boys to acknowledge their background and understand that all things have an origin.

The play Casey and Diana, written by playwright Nick Green and directed by Sidonie Garret, left me in awe (and in tears) when I went to see it at Unicorn Theatre. The story follows residents of the Casey House, Canada’s first AIDS hospice, preparing for the visit of Princess Diana. 

Upon arriving at the Unicorn I was immediately greeted by a wall filled with all sorts of news articles, quotes, and information about the AIDS crisis. Reading all the factoids on display gave me in-depth context for the play, especially in terms of the public perspective. During the show, you constantly get a sense of the residents being looked down on; but reading through the newspaper articles really helps to get a sense of where the fear is coming from. Hearing all the negativity and fear around people affected by AIDS really helped me feel how important the visit from Princess Diana must have been for the residents.

Thanks to Teen Tix KC I had the opportunity to experience The Drum Closet at the Coterie Theatre, a coming-of-age play about two Nigerian-American brothers navigating high school, identity, and pressure in a predominantly white Midwestern community. Written by actor, playwright, and filmmaker Tosin Morohunfola, the play follows Timi, a freshman, and Kareem, a senior, as they chase leadership in drumline while learning how to survive school, family expectations, and the unspoken rules placed on Black boys.

I also had the incredible opportunity to interview Tosin Morohunfola and speak with him directly about where The Drum Closet came from and why this story matters so deeply to him.

Dracula arrived at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre Copaken Stage on October 14th, and you may think you know the story, but co-writers Vanessa Severo and Joanie Schultz impress with a brand-new retelling. I attended this show on October 23rd and thought it was amazing.

This version of Dracula follows two doctors, Seward and Van Helsing, as well as the two best friends Lucy and Mina. Drs. Seward and Van Helsing are working with a patient named Renfield, who has been experiencing some strange symptoms that collide with Lucy and Mina’s world sooner than you think.

Leave your field to flower and your cheese to sour, UMKC's performance of Pippin invites you into a world of illusion, wonder, and reflection, where every spotlight hides a question and every smile conceals a truth.

Pippin is a musical that dances between fantasy and philosophy. With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Roger O. Hirson, the show follows a young prince’s quest to find his “corner of the sky,” that elusive place where life finally feels meaningful. Originally directed and choreographed by the legendary Bob Fosse in 1972, Pippin has always blurred the line between theater and reality, mixing Broadway razzle-dazzle with existential searching. Known for its meta-theatrical style, the story unfolds as a troupe of performers led by the mysterious Leading Player tells (and manipulates) Pippin’s tale, pulling the audience into the illusion of performance itself.

A Wrinkle in Time was originally published in 1962 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux and written by Madeleine L'Engle. Since then, it has been recognized around the world, and even is now a movie and plays. Recently it has been adapted by The Coterie Theatre, and stars Phoenix Storm. This adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time did a wonderful job showing every aspect of the story in a one hour play. Not only did each actor show amazing talent, but they took on each character in a beautiful way. From Meg's quiet and safe personality to Mrs. Whatsit’s, played by Erdin Schultz-Bever, outgoing and eccentric personality. Many of the characters were taken over by the “Red-Eyed man” at some point during the show. Yet Charles Wallace, played by Ceci Sellers did an exceptional job transitioning personality, and showing different emotions, when being taken over by the “Red-Eyed man” and embracing the audience in those feelings as well. Erika Baker, the props master did an amazing job creating the huge red eyed man prop, not only did it come to life, but it represented the character well. During the time Charles was overtaken by the “Red-Eyed man” he tried to get Meg to come with him because “everyone was always happy there.” Meg countered with “Maybe if you aren't unhappy sometimes you can’t be happy.” This quote really stuck and shows how you must be sad sometimes so you can truly appreciate the happiness you have in your life. This scene really enchanted and struck the audience. 

I especially enjoyed how the director, Khalia Davis Philp, decided to have actors walk through the seats and audience, giving more to the setting and more for the audience to feast their eyes upon. I’d also like to recognize how each actor - excluding the actors portraying Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin as they were not background characters - was a background character at some point also. These people were Erdin Schultz-Bever, Andrea Hobley, Kisha Henry, Francisco 'Pancho' Javier Villegas and Erik J Pratt. It’s extremely impressive how easily they were able to go from one character to another so smoothly. 

This piece was written by a TeenTix KC teen who is learning about arts journalism. TeenTix KC seeks to engage teens in the arts and amplify their voices. This may be the first time this teen has publicly expressed their opinion about an arts experience. Thank you for reading this, and in doing so, supporting this teen’s development as an arts journalist.

Just Ask! at the Coterie Theatre is a new play about a group of friends trying to save a community garden. In my experience, it’s not typical for children's theater to have such a powerful message but this show really changed my opinion on that. I recently saw Just Ask! and I really enjoyed it, despite being a bit older than the intended audience. The message of just asking instead of judging is very powerful and was delivered in a simple but unique way, which I believe is hard to achieve. 

This piece was written by a TeenTix KC teen who is learning about arts journalism. TeenTix KC seeks to engage teens in the arts and amplify their voices. This may be the first time this teen has publicly expressed their opinion about an arts experience. Thank you for reading this, and in doing so, supporting this teen’s development as an arts journalist.

If you like good fiction, you will like Electric Poe…