Season 54: Brave New Worlds
July 1 – August 13, 2023
From the Divine Right of Kings to the awkward banter of young love, TAM’s 54th season explores Shakespeare’s flawed rulers in Richard II and forest-dwelling lovers in As You Like It; Peterson and O’Hare’s modern take on the repercussions of war in An Iliad, Wilde’s effervescent wit & wisdom in The Importance of Being Earnest, and Bartram & Hill’s exploration on the reach of the bonds of friendship in The Story of My Life. TAM’s Brave New Worlds Season is a lesson in humanity that will tickle your funny bone with one hand and pluck your heartstrings with the other.
Richard II
by William Shakespeare
Richard II is dangerously out of touch with his kingdom. He wastes money, raises taxes to support his lavish lifestyle, plays favorites and cares more about his vanity than the common good. When Henry Bolingbroke—father of the future Henry V—challenges Richard for the throne, it’s a fight the king can’t win. But in losing his crown he gains far greater things: his humanity and his soul. Shakespeare’s luminous, poetic masterpiece is the first of four plays that chronicle the House of Lancaster’s rise and the beginning of the Wars of the Roses.
As You Like It
by William Shakespeare
Welcome to Arden. This is the story of Rosalind. Oppressed and exiled from Court under threat of death, she escapes with her cousin, cross-dressed and gartered, into the wild and unpredictable Forest of Arden. Disguised as a boy, she creates a world of her choosing, reveling in her newfound agency and self-discovery. But chance encounters with the love-struck Orlando complicate her new adventure. All the world’s a stage in As You Like It, Shakespeare’s gender-bending comedy, where poetry, mistaken identities, and true loves lost and found abound.
The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde
“A trivial comedy for serious people.” – Oscar Wilde
Jack and Algernon have chosen to lead double lives to evade the tedium of polite society. However, when they attempt to win the love of two women who declare they will only love a man called Ernest – chaos reigns. The Importance of Being Earnest is a tale of mistaken identities, rapid–fire wit, and cucumber sandwiches. There may not be a funnier, more socially insightful play chock–full of eccentric characters than this masterpiece by Oscar Wilde.
The Story of My Life
Music and Lyrics by Neil Bartram, Book by Brian Hill
The Story of My Life Follows the friendship of Alvin and Thomas, two men from a small town. These lifelong friends are reunited after Alvin’s mysterious death. In the abstract world of his mind, Thomas struggles to write Alvin’s eulogy while recounting the many turns that their lives have taken since meeting as children. Alvin searches through manuscripts and stories in Thomas’s mind to lead him on a journey of remembrance.
An Iliad
by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare
An Iliad is a modern-day retelling of Homer’s classic. Poetry and humor, the ancient tale of the Trojan War, and the modern world collide in this captivating theatrical experience. The setting is simple: the empty theater. The time is now: the present moment. The lone figure onstage is a storyteller—possibly Homer, possibly one of the many bards who followed in his footsteps. He is fated to tell this story throughout history.
FALL SHOW
A Celebration of Gilbert & Sullivan featuring Cox & Box
September 14 – 24, 2023
Join us in celebrating one of theater’s most dynamic musical duos! The celebration begins with a curtain raiser of Cox and Box; or, The Long Lost Brothers, a Comic Triumveretta, composed by Arthur Sullivan and written by F.C. Burnand. Then, after the interval, journey through Gilbert & Sullivan’s musical catalogue with songs from your favorite operas, including The Pirates of Penzance, Patience, Ruddigore, H.M.S. Pinafore, and more!
Season Sponsor: The Shakespeare Fund of Theater League of Kansas City
Season Co-Sponsor: Main Street Psychotherapy
Acting Company Co-Sponsor: Kennebec Savings Bank
