Shakespeare, Western-style, to take over the Alcott Saturday and Sunday

A hilarious, barefootin,’ hollerin’ and laughing version of Shakespeare will be performed Saturday and Sunday at the Alcott Arts Center’s Shakespeare in the Parking Lot production.

“The Merry Wives of Windsor” has been transformed into a western for this production, according to Chris Green of the Alcott Center, 180 S. 18th, Kansas City, Kansas.

She’s been hearing all the hilarity during the rehearsals, and “I just can’t wait to see this,” she said.

The admission charge is a $10 donation, and those attending need to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets.

The play starts at 5 p.m. on the west lawn of the Alcott. Performances will be at 5 p.m. Sept. 18-19 and 25-26.

The director, Bethany Phillips, also put together last year’s show, “The Best of Shakespeare,” Green said. This weekend’s production will include community actors from all over the metropolitan area.

In conjunction with the play, the Alcott will have art galleries open, she said, including one during intermission.

Darryl Woods, a Wyandotte High School graduate, will show some abstract artwork. Woods is mainly known for his sports drawings of the Chiefs, as well as superheroes and Star Wars paintings, and will offer something different this weekend, she said.

Other artwork from Alcott’s collection also will be on display, she said.

Green said there will be social distancing outside. If people are sitting with others who are not normally in their group, they should wear masks, she said. Masks must be worn inside the building at all times, she said.

The Alcott is not yet ADA accessible. On Saturday and Sunday, the restrooms will not be available.

For more information on the production, visit https://www.alcottartscenter.org/ or call 913-233-2787.

Superintendent to go on ‘listening and learning tour’ in KCK

What are the KCK school district’s strengths and what areas need improvement? How should the district prioritize the use of federal ARP and ESSER funds it receives to address COVID-19 related funds?


The school year is underway, and these are just a few of the questions Dr. Anna Stubblefield, KCK superintendent, would like to hear residents’ thoughts on during her upcoming “Listening and Learning” sessions.


The sessions allow parents, students and the public to share their ideas and suggestions related to raising the bar of academic achievement for all students.


Listening and Learning Tour dates


• Monday, Sept. 20
Carl B. Bruce Middle School, 2100 N. 18th St.
6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

• Saturday, Sept. 25
Harmon High School, 2400 Steele Road
11 a.m. to noon

• Thursday, Oct. 7
Washington High School, 7340 Leavenworth Road
6 p.m. to 7 p.m.


• Virtual
Thursday, Oct. 21
6 p.m. to 7 p.m.


“I truly believe in asking questions, listening and learning to understand ‘the story’ prior to charting the course,” said Superintendent Stubblefield said.

“Through the listening and learning tour, I hope to identify areas that we can build on, as well as areas that will need intense focus for improvement. I also will leverage these sessions to get input on how we will allocate ESSER and ARP dollars.”

Guests will be seated around a table to encourage dialogue and to engage the diverse voices in a conversation about the present and future of KCKPS, according to a spokesman. Translation services will be available, and masks will be required during the duration of the sessions.

  • Information from Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools

Kansas Supreme Court upholds Wyandotte County murder sentence

The Kansas Supreme Court today upheld a Wyandotte County District Court ruling in a first-degree murder case.

The Supreme Court affirmed the district court’s ruling denying a motion from Meka Richardson to correct an illegal sentence.

Richardson is currently serving a hard-40 sentence after being convicted in 1992 of first-degree murder. She was convicted of the shooting death of Brenda Wassink.

Richardson filed a pro se motion challenging the 1992 sentence. She argued her sentence was illegal because it did not conform to a law concerning sentencing requirements.

Richardson said the law says requires a jury to unanimously convict her on a premeditation theory, before the judge can convene a separate trial to determine the hard-40 sentence.

Justice Melissa Standridge, writing the opinion, said the Supreme Court unanimously held that the jury instructions and the verdict form in this case conclusively showed the jury unanimously convicted Richardson of premeditated and felony first-degree murder.

The Supreme Court determined that the district court correctly construed Richardson’s motion as a motion to correct an illegal sentence and not as a motion for post-conviction relief.

To see this opinion, visit https://www.kscourts.org/KSCourts/media/KsCourts/Opinions/123045.pdf?ext=.pdf.