Community Conversations

Community Conversations: Notes of Seville
Wednesday, September 7, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm
Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47^th Street, Kansas City, MO 64112
In partnership with Kansas City Sister Cities Association, Seville Chapter

Carmen is rooted in the culture and geography of Seville, Spain. Seville may seem worlds away from Kansas City, but it’s closer than you think! As our oldest sister city, Seville and Kansas City have influenced each other for more than 50 years. Learn more about this historical relationship in an event featuring discussion, live music, and a walking tour of the Plaza to discover local notes of Seville.

Community Conversations: Sospiro e luce, Breath and Light
Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 7:00-8:30 pm
Simple Empathy, 2018 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64108
In partnership with Simple Empathy

Violetta, the central character of La traviata, is afflicted with tuberculosis. Over the course of three acts spanning several months in the story, we see her grow in relationship and decline in health. In the arms of her lover and with one of her last breaths, she sings, “You will be light and breath to me, and the future will smile on us.” Even at her weakest, Violetta remains hopeful. In today’s world, we could all use a deep breath and a little bit of hope. Join us for a celebration of breath and breath workers in Kansas City.

Community Conversation: Sands by the Silent Sea
Saturday, November 19, 2022, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Dead Sea Artworks, 1714 Holmes Street, Kansas City, MO 64108

“From far away we come and farther we must go.” These mysterious words are those of the Three Magi in Amahl and the Night Visitors. Their song echoes across the cold and silent sands near Bethlehem, the same sands bordering the embryo-shaped Dead Sea. For over forty years, the Dead Sea and its surrounding geography has inspired acclaimed Kansas City artist Shea Gordon as a symbol of birth, death, and regeneration. Though far away, the Dead Sea as manifested in Gordon’s paintings, drawings, sculptures, and other mediums, is present through metaphors of eco-feminism, synchronicity, and coincidence. Join us as we explore the synergy between Amahl and the Night Visitors and Shea Gordon’s art in a free event featuring live music, refreshments, and an exclusive studio tour.

Community Conversation: Screaming to Come to Life
Tuesday, March 7, 2023, 12:00–1:30 pm
Apple, Country Club Plaza

At the center of The Shining is the Overlook, a remote hotel with a storied past screaming to come to life. Through words and music, Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell’s operatic adaptation of the 1977 novel by Stephen King gives voice to the Overlook—its inhabitants and secrets. Join the Pulitzer Prize-winning creators of the opera for an engaging and interactive afternoon. Led by Apple creative staff and equipped with revolutionary music technology, attendees will be invited to share their compositional voices in response to haunting moments from the opera’s libretto.