2014-2015 MainStage Season

September 5-28, 2014
Kephart Theatre

Mary Poppins

Book by Julian Fellows and Cameron Mackintosh
Music and Lyrics by Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman, Anthony Drewe, and George Stiles

The jack-of-all trades, Bert, introduces us to England in 1910 and the troubled Banks family. Young Jane and Michael have sent many a nanny packing before Mary Poppins arrives on their doorstep. Using a combination of magic and common sense, she must teach the family how to value each other again.

SPONSORED BY SUNFLOWER BANK  |  ORCHESTRA SPONSORED BY KATIE & TOM PLATTEN  |  FLYING SPONSORED BY A GRANT FROM THE EARL BANE FOUNDATION

October 17 – November 2, 2014
Sunflower Financial Theatre

Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike

By Christopher Durang

Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia share a home where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives. Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike. Old resentments flare up, eventually leading to threats to sell the house. Also on the scene are sassy maid Cassandra, who can predict the future, and a young aspiring actress named Nina, whose prettiness somewhat worries the imperious Masha.

SPONSORED BY KENNEDY AND COE  |  COLDWELL BANKER ANTRIM-PIPER WENGER REALTORS

November 28 – December 21, 2014
Kephart Theatre

A Christmas Story: The Musical

Book by Joseph Robinette
Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Set in the 1940s, this musical version of the holiday classic film follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts: an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Ralphie plots numerous schemes to achieve his desperate desire for the coveted BB gun. All the iconic scenes from the movie are here, and the delightfully versatile score ranges from gentle ballads to show-stopping numbers.

SPONSORED BY SAINT FRANCIS COMMUNITY SERVICES  |  WELLS FARGO ADVISORS

January 9-25, 2015
Sunflower Financial Theatre

Barefoot in the Park

By Neil Simon

Paul Bratter’s a straight-as-an-arrow lawyer and his new wife, Corrie, is a free spirit always looking for the latest kick. Their apartment is her most recent find — too expensive with bad plumbing and in need of a paint job. After a six-day honeymoon, they get a surprise visit from Corie’s loopy mother and decide to play matchmaker during a dinner with their neighbor-in-the-attic Velasco, where everything that can go wrong, does. The New York Times says it’s ‘a bubbling, rib-tickling comedy.’

SPONSORED BY PKM STEEL

February 13-28, 2015
Kephart Theatre

Clybourne Park

By Bruce Norris

This Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning show explodes in two outrageous acts set fifty years apart. The first takes place in 1959, as nervous community leaders anxiously try to stop the sale of a home to a black family. The second is set in the same house in the present day, as the now predominantly African-American neighborhood battles to hold its ground in the face of gentrification. The Hollywood Reporter says it’s ‘a savagely funny and insightful time bomb.’

Mature subject matter and strong language; recommended for age 13 and older.

SPONSORED BY KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SALINA

April 10-25, 2015
Kephart Theatre

Deathtrap

By Ira Levin

A successful writer is struggling to overcome a a string of failures and a shortage of funds. A possible break in his fortunes occurs when he receives a script from a student, which he and his wife plan to steal. Suspense mounts steadily as the plot begins to twist and turn with devilish cleverness, and with such an abundance of thrills and laughter, that audiences will be held enthralled until the final, startling moments of the play.

SPONSORED BY EDWARD JONES & ASSURANCE PARTNERS

June 12-28, 2015
Kephart Theatre

West Side Story

Book by Arthur Laurents
Music and Lyrics by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim
Based on a conception of Jerome Robbins

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is transported to modern-day New York City, as two young idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence, and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.

SPONSORED BY BANK OF TESCOTT  |  ORCHESTRA SPONSORED BY MOWERY CLINIC