Unicorn Theatre enhances the Kansas City community by developing and producing high-quality, thought-provoking plays that have never been seen in the region. We illuminate social issues by shining a light on diversity and inclusive stories which include race, religion and gender identity. Unicorn creates opportunities for the advancement of emerging and established actors, directors, playwrights, designers, technicians and administrative staff.
Cynthia Levin
Producing Artistic Director
Cynthia Levin is in her 43rd season with the Unicorn. Over the years she has served as a director, actor, designer or producer for over 300 productions.Read More
Favorite Unicorn Shows: My Name is Asher Lev, Falsettoland
Jason Kralicek Managing Director
Jason Kralicek proudly plays the role of Managing Director of Unicorn Theatre.Read More
Favorite Unicorn Show: Bat Boy: The Musical
Nathan Gwartney Director of Marketing
Nathan is proud to be a part of Unicorn Theatre and is grateful for the opportunity to work with such an amazing staff and dedicated arts community. As an actor, director, producer and arts administrator, Nathan has been a part of over 150 stage productions over the last 24 years. Read More
Favorite Unicorn Show: Red
Skylar Pappenfort Director of Development
Taylor Jene Sullivan Production Manager
Tanya Brown Resident Stage Manager
Tanya is our amazing Resident Stage Manager. The stage manager is the person who runs the show (literally!) Read More
Favorite Unicorn Show: Too many to choose
Andy Peveler Technical Director
Michael LeDesma Box Office Manager
Josh Grinlinton Social Media Coordinator
Dublin Levin Director of Emotional Support
OUR MISSION
OUR VISION
By producing provocative new plays Unicorn Theatre fosters the next generation of great American writers and artists, creating innovative and intimate theatrical experiences that transcend the ordinary. We inspire the community to think and feel deeply; to see the world in new and different ways. Unicorn strives to be one of the preeminent homes for new plays in the country.
OUR ANTI RACIST STATEMENT
As a theatre company with a predominantly white staff and board, Unicorn commits to serve as an ally to communities of color. We know that formal, institutionalized statements offering solidarity without accountability are not enough and have the potential to do further harm. Therefore we commit to the following steps:
- We will continue to program stories that illuminate social issues, highlighting diversity and inclusive stories which include race, religion, and gender identity.
- We will include more BIPOC voices on our board and staff and we will seek out resources beyond our current scope to achieve this goal.
- We will increase percentage of employment of BIPOC artists and technicians.
- We will create and secure funding for an apprenticeship program to bring young local BIPOC to the Unicorn who are seeking additional experience in Administrative and production work.
- We will promote an environment that actively works against racism, harassment, discrimination and white supremacy.
- We will begin board and staff anti-racism learning and we will seek professional outside support in the future.
- We will examine where we spend our dollars with outside vendors and seek out partners who are also committed to anti-racist practices and accountability.
- We commit to listening to and learning from communities of color and calling ourselves out as we discover where we are not doing and have not been doing enough.
- We acknowledge that these commitments need to be measurable and have timelines associated with them. We will review these goals regularly and hope to have made significant progress on these goals in the next 13-18 months depending on when live theatre can resume.
We acknowledge that Unicorn Theatre is on the unceded land of the Kickapoo, Osage, Kaw, and Sioux peoples. We acknowledge their elders both past and present, as well as future generations. Unicorn Theatre also acknowledges that it was founded upon exclusions and erasures of many Indigenous peoples, including those on whose land this institution is located. Kansas City Missouri is also on land where enslaved Africans have lived and been subjugated to free labor. This acknowledgement is part of our commitment to beginning the process of working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism.
WORK WITH US / EMPLOYMENT
AUDITIONS AND DESIGNER SUBMISSIONS
AUDITIONS
If you are new to Kansas City or want to update us, we would love to hear from you. Please send the following items to our Production Manager, Taylor Sullivan, at tsullivan@unicorntheatre.org.
1) Headshot
2) Resume
3) Video of a contemporary monologue, no Shakespeare please.
Unicorn Theatre will not be holding seasonal auditions this Spring and will be scheduled for the Fall.
For any questions about auditions or design opportunities, please contact Taylor at tsullivan@unicorntheatre.org.
We cast roles for Actors’ Equity Association members and some non-AEA actors. EMC points may be earned.
Note: All contracts are for local hire. We do not provide housing, air fare, or per diem.
DESIGNER SUBMISSIONS
If you live in the Kansas City area and would like to submit a design portfolio, please e-mail your resume, cover letter and portfolio to tsullivan@unicorntheatre.org. For further questions, please contact (816) 783-7529, x 15
CAREERS
There are currently no positions available.
APPRENTICESHIPS
Scholarships for travel and living expenses available
Are you pursuing a career as a director or stage manager? Are you interested in learning more about marketing or fundraising? Whatever your passion is, the Unicorn is a great place to do an apprenticeship. We would love to tailor an apprenticeship to your theatrical goals. Please send us a resume and cover letter telling us your story and what you would like to learn about.
Submit application to:
Taylor Jene Sullivan
Production Manager
Phone: 816.783.5515
Email: tsullivan@unicorntheatre.org
INTERNSHIPS
Administrative Internship Information: Unicorn Administrative Internship Description
Development Internship Information: Unicorn Development Internship Description
Literary Internship Information: Unicorn Literary Department Internship Description
Marketing and PR Internship Information: Unicorn Marketing and PR Department Internship Description
Production Internship Information: Unicorn Production Internship Description
To inquire about an internship please contact tsullivan@unicorntheatre.org.
NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT
We don’t just produce plays, we develop new works. The Unicorn is a proud founding member of the National New Play Network (NNPN), an alliance of not-for-profit professional theatres that champions the development, production and continued life of new plays for the American theatre. Since 1998, NNPN has fostered the work of dozens of new voices in the American theatre and its unique network has created a longevity most plays never find. In addition to new plays we have helped develop with the NNPN, the Unicorn has commissioned many new works with the help of funders like the National Endowment for the Arts.
Learn more about the NNPN at www.nnpn.org.
PLAY SUBMISSIONS
Unicorn Theatre utilizes the New Play Exchange to read and evaluate new works. If you don’t yet have a NPX profile, you can sign up here.
We receive hundreds of plays each season and we do our best to read and respond to every single one. So that we can best serve and respond to the works we receive, we will no longer accept unsolicited plays outside of the In-Progress New Play Reading Series.
THE IN-PROGRESS NEW PLAY READING SERIES
To be considered for the In-Progress New Play Reading Series, scripts must be submitted though NNPN’s New Play Exchange (NPX). Only submissions made though NPX will be considered – no hard copy or email submissions, please.
The submission window for this year’s Reading Series is now closed. The next opportunity will open in April, 2020. If you’re on NPX and your play fits what we’re looking for, you’ll receive a notification with instructions once the opportunity is available. Simply tag your play and it’ll be off to us for consideration!
WHAT’S THE UNICORN LOOKING FOR?
Unicorn Theatre prides itself on producing bold new plays that grapple with today’s issues including (but not limited to) women, the LGBTQIA community, diverse and minority populations. We look for works that are issue-oriented and socially significant. We are interested in plays with contemporary themes that speak to diverse audiences. We do not typically produce a large number of musicals or theatre for young audiences.
Only full-length plays (not 10 minute plays, not short one acts) that have not been professionally produced will be considered. Samples are not eligible for consideration through NPX.
Be sure to check out our mission and vision statements before submitting. The best way to get a sense of what works we look for is by reading up on our production history.
WHY NPX?
NNPN started NPX to flip the script on the way new plays get shared and discovered. As a Founding Core Member of NNPN, we believe NPX plays an important role in connecting us with exciting new works from both familiar and unfamiliar voices.
NPX is a cloud-based script database, enhanced with a robust search-and-filter mechanism, crowd-sourced recommendations of plays, and personal script and coverage information storage, plus the connectivity of a social networking site.
Read more about NPX here!
If you have questions about submitting your play to us through NPX, please contact literary@unicorntheatre.org.
