Community Conversations use opera to discover our shared humanity, on and off the stage. We invite the culturally curious to explore the “here and now” implications of productions in a series of free events featuring live music and stimulating conversation. No prior opera knowledge necessary!
Upcoming Events
Everything Changes
Michael and Ginger Frost Production Arts Building
712 E 18th Street, Kansas City, MO 64108
- Friday, September 12, 2025, 6:00–8:00 pm
- Registration Cost: $11
What makes a Cinderella story? Join folk and fairy tale expert Naphtali Faris to explore how Cinderella stories have evolved over time, deepening your connection to Lyric Opera's upcoming production of Rossini's Cinderella. This event will explore the tale's enduring appeal across cultures and generations through live storytelling experiences. See the premiere of Fire Tale Productions’ Yeh-Shen—a captivating shadow puppet retelling of the ancient Chinese “Cinderella”—and make your very own shadow puppet to take home.
Naphtali Faris is the Assistant Director for the Jannes Library at the Kansas City Art Institute. She is currently finishing her PhD in Information Studies from Dominican University in River Forest, IL, and has worked for Mid-Continent Public Library, Kansas City Public Library, Missouri State Library, and St. Louis Public Library. Naphtali speaks regularly about folk and fairy tales, youth readers’ advisory, youth services, and early literacy strategies. She has presented at WorldCon, Planet Comicon, and the Public Library Association Conference. Naphtali served on the Printz, Newbery, and Caldecott Award committees.
FireTale Productions explores cultural myths and stories through a modern lens and creates original works inspired by the question: What stories of hope and cautionary tales do we want to leave for future generations? Using the art of shadow puppetry and oral tradition, we bring what has been lost to light and reveal the magic, connection, and relevance of being human in the world today. The simplicity and accessibility of the medium invites participants to engage their imaginations and delight in the transformation of ordinary materials into fantastical forms and characters.
Ritu Nanos sees the world through stories. Her South Asian heritage opened the door to her culture’s mythology shared by oral tradition, as well as her time studying classical Indian dance. Shadow puppetry can be traced to Indian storytelling, and this connection inspired her to co-found FireTale Productions in 2023. Her background includes puppetry arts, martial arts, dance, and storytelling. She has produced The Ramayana: A Retelling and Wood Dragon: A Chinese New Year Celebration for FireTale’s shadow puppet theater. Her current passions include creative works that engage the community and death work. She is the owner of White Ocean Arts, one of the few female-owned dojos in the U.S.
Mikal Shapiro is a Kansas City-based artist, musician and co-founder of FireTale Productions, an emerging shadow puppet theater established in 2023. Their work includes experimental and documentary filmmaking, performance, and puppetry arts. In addition to their own works, Shapiro has performed as a puppeteer for Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s Amahl and the Night Visitors and St. Louis-based kids show Little Celia and Friends. They received their Master of Fine Arts in Film, Video, New Media, and Animation from School of the Art Institute of Chicago. They continue to produce creative work at their Midtown studio in Kansas City.
Eyes Full of Magic
The Museum of Kansas City
3218 Gladstone Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64123
- Saturday, November 1, 2025, 10:30 am–12:30 pm
- Registration Cost: FREE
Join Lyric Opera of Kansas City and The Museum of Kansas City for an immersive gathering exploring Japanese American relations, past, present, and future. Deepen your connection to the upcoming production of Madame Butterfly by meeting Miss Shizuoka—a cherished friendship doll gifted from Japan to Kansas City—and viewing an original costume from Boston Opera’s 1910 production of the opera, starring Kansas City soprano Alice Nielsen. Enjoy a rich morning that includes a panel discussion, Japanese cultural performance, food, and beverage.
Akiko Takeyama is Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Director of the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Kansas. She is the author of Staged Seduction: Selling Dreams in a Tokyo Host Club (Stanford University Press, 2016), which was shortlisted for the 2017 Michelle Rosaldo Book Prize by the Association of Feminist Anthropology. Her new book, Involuntary Consent: The Illusion of Choice in Japan's Adult Video Industry (Stanford University Press, 2023) received an Honorable Mention for the John Whitney Hall Book Prize by the Association for Asian Studies. The prize recognizes outstanding scholarly work in Japanese studies.
She currently works on consent issues in sexual violence.
Lisa Shockley has over thirty years of experience in the museum field, primarily in curation and collections management. Her specialties are clothing and textiles, and late nineteenth to twentieth century history. Having worked for two different museums with Friendship Dolls in their collection and as a curator for a doll museum, she has a special interest in Friendship Dolls.
In addition to history, Lisa also has a degree in theater and a minor in vocal performance. She loves working with the costumes and the history of Alice Nielsen, Broadway's first recognized star, who left musical theater to become a well-respected opera singer and producer.
Kris Imants Ercums is Curator of Global Contemporary and Asian Art at the Spencer Museum of Art, where he has curated over thirty exhibitions and twelve artist residencies since 2007. He earned his PhD in Chinese art history from the University of Chicago in 2014. His curatorial work explores transnational perspectives and queer artistic practices, including a project begun during a 2018 research residency at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. He is currently co-curating Street Nihonga: The Art of Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani with Maki Kaneko, opening at the Spencer Museum in February 2026.
Previous Events
Community Conversation: The Voice of Your Heart
- Thursday, February 20, 2025, 6:00–7:30 pm
- The Museum of Kansas City, 3218 Gladstone Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64123
Curated by oral historian and Chicana scholar Christina Loya, this event will delve into the rich tapestry of Mexican American identity and the multifaceted story of immigration in Kansas City. This interactive evening—with food, drink, and live music—will span the historic roots of Mexican American communities in our region, including an in-depth look at the Bracero Program and its significant impact on Mexican labor migration. We will also examine the evolving presence and influence of these communities in the present day and envision the future of our shared culture.
Community Conversation: Love and Division
- Wednesday, February 21, 2024, 7:00–9:00 pm
- Greenwood Social Hall, 1750 Belleview Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64108
Join Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Greenwood Social Hall for an unforgettable evening in which we transcend time and space to explore the enduring mysteries of love and division. From ancient literature and civilizations to the star-crossed tale of Romeo and Juliet to artistry in Kansas City today, these themes persist and resonate deeply within us all. This free interactive evening will feature live music, wine, and the opportunity to contribute your written and expressive voice in a poetry workshop.
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