KC Rep Breaks Ground on Spencer Theatre Renovations Today

The Kansas City Repertory Theatre (KC Rep) today announced groundbreaking ceremony for renovations of Spencer Theatre will be held on site at 10 a.m., Monday, April 27. Spencer Theatre is home of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre and is located in UMKC's James C. Olson Performing Arts Center. UMKC Chancellor Leo Morton, KC Rep Board Chair Scott Boswell, KC Rep Artistic Director Eric Rosen, KC Rep Executive Director Angela Gieras, and Angela Smart representing Hall Family Foundation will be the featured speakers.

The Spencer Theatre renovations will enhance the audience experience and include the new lighting and acoustic design; a new stage floor; and 5,500-square-feet of new construction, including new restrooms, second floor lounge, and a beautiful expansion of the lobby of the performing arts center. Little has been done to modernize the space since it opened in 1979.

The KC Rep 50th Anniversary Celebration capital campaign goal of $5 million was surpassed this past February and as design work continued on the project, KC Rep elected to raise the fundraising goal to $5.5 million. This will allow KC Rep to truly transform its main stage theatre in order to meet contemporary audiences' expectations.

Fundraising for the $5.5 million renovation of Spencer Theatre and lobby has raised $5,029,300 million to date, according to officials with Kansas City Repertory Theatre and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Foundation. Because the original goal was met prior to the March 1 deadline, construction now can begin on May 18 following the conclusion of UMKC commencement ceremonies and will be completed in time for Kansas City Repertory Theatre's 2015 production of A Christmas Carol.

A challenge grant from the David T. Beals, III Charitable Trust, Bank of America for $250,000 has been made to help KC Rep meet its new fundraising goal.

Angela Lee Gieras, Executive Director of Kansas City Repertory Theatre, said, "We are incredibly grateful for the leadership of the donors who have contributed so generously to the success of this project thus far. Because of their commitment to theatre excellence, we were able to approve a new goal of $5.5 million in order to meet the additional needs of the renovation. Furthermore, we are pleased to welcome the David T. Beals, III Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee to the campaign and hope the Kansas City community will be inspired by its challenge grant of $250,000. With the support of all those who believe KC Rep's is at the heart of a great theatre town. The success of this renovation campaign will enable us to serve UMKC and our audiences, artists and advocates for generations to come."

UMKC Chancellor Leo Morton stated, "Our vision is for all theatre-goers - artists, audiences and students - to experience Spencer Theatre as a leading institution of dramatic arts."

In addition to the Hall Family Foundation's $3 million lead gift, commitments to the project include major gifts from:

· Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation

· Gary Dickinson Family Charitable Foundation

· Stanley H. Durwood Foundation

· Donald J. Hall, Sr.

· Laura and David Hall

· Ellen and Irv Hockaday

· Linda and Topper Johntz

· Miller Nichols Charitable Trust

· Sosland Foundation

· Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts

· Sunderland Foundation

· Dr. Linda Hood Talbott

· Sue and Bert Trucksess

· William T. Kemper Foundation for the Arts

About Kansas City Repertory Theatre

Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, one of the nation's oldest and most respected regional theaters, is the heart of a great theatre town. KC Rep produces theatrical excellence, creating and sharing stories at the center of our nation's creative crossroads. KC Rep advances the art form while cultivating passionate audiences, artists, and advocates to invest in our region's creative future. We build community by connecting people through productions and outreach that educate, entertain, challenge and inspire.

Lauded by The Wall Street Journal, TIME magazine, Variety and the Toronto Sun, the Rep produces mainstage plays and special events at Spencer Theatre, where it serves as the professional theatre in residence at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), and Copaken Stage located in downtown Kansas City. Kansas City Rep employs more than 250 professional artists, technicians and administrators, and serves more than 100,000 patrons and 12,000 school children annually. Kansas City Repertory Theatre is led by Artistic Director Eric Rosen and Executive Director Angela Lee Gieras.

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