Welcome to Kansas City Repertory Theatre!
At KCRep, we believe theatre can be a place of joy — a space where laughter opens hearts, stories bring us closer, and we leave feeling a little more connected than when we arrived. One of the Good Ones by Gloria Calderón Kellett embodies that spirit with warmth, wit, and tremendous heart.
This vibrant comedy celebrates love, family, and the beautifully complicated ways culture and identity shape who we become. With sparkling humor and deep affection for her characters, Gloria invites us to laugh freely while also recognizing ourselves — our families, our hopes, our contradictions — reflected onstage. It is a play filled with delight, generosity, and the radical joy of being seen.
We are thrilled to welcome Laura Alcalá Baker to direct this production. Laura brings courageous humanism, precision, and care to her work. Alongside an extraordinary company of artists, they have created a production that honors both the play’s effervescent comedy and its emotional truth.
After our performances at Copaken Stage, this production will continue its journey as part of our 5th annual KCRep for All free community tour. This program sits at the heart of our mission to be Kansas City’s theatre for all: bringing theatre beyond our stages and into neighborhood community centers, libraries, and gathering spaces across the Kansas City metro — free of charge and open to all.
This tour is especially meaningful as it marks the first time KCRep for All will share a Latine-centered story. That matters — to audiences who see themselves reflected, to young people imagining new possibilities, and to a city rich with stories worth celebrating.
We are honored to share this joyful story with you, both here at Copaken Stage and throughout our community.
See you at the theatre!
— Stuart Carden, Artistic Director
Coming Soon
Q&A with LAURA ALCALá BAKER
Interview by JANA LILES, Director of Marketing & Communications
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey to directing here at KCRep.
A: I come by way of Chicago. Cut my teeth in the storefront scene alongside some of the most brilliant, intentional artists I’ve ever met. Those early days gave me a chance to explore who I was as an artist and what I wanted to say. My cohort was deeply interested in the stories that were not yet being told, not yet represented on the American stage. I started to think about this void as the missing American canon.
I grew up in a mixed household, Mexican American. So identity and community has always been important to me. I’ve been seeking out, developing, and bringing to the stage Latine stories for a decade. It’s my greatest passion on this earth. So when my dear friend and KCRep’s Associate Artistic Director, Morgana Wilborn, called about Good Ones, I knew it was going to be something special.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about your time in Kansas City?
A: Every new city I share art in teaches me something about its community. I cannot wait to see how audiences respond, and I cannot wait to explore. Between the Copaken Stage and KCRep for All Tour, we have such an incredible opportunity to serve audiences all over the city. Also, I’m a sucker for a museum and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has an exhibition on Mesoamerican Art. Catch me there!
Q: What excited you most when you first read the script for One of the Good Ones?
A: So much to be excited about! This family is so lovingly familiar. To see a Latine family thriving and fighting for the love they have for one another is a rarity. Latine stories portrayed on American stages can so often be trauma centered (for obvious reasons). But to get to experience some joy? Oh, what a gift. We need it. Then, the comedy! Gloria is a comedic genius. And this play unfolds with surprise after surprise after surprise. It’s so unexpected. It’s got that “stranger comes to town and disrupts everything” classic American plaything.
Q: At its core, what do you see this play exploring?
A: Oh, what all good plays explore…family, love, belonging. Belonging. I think that’s a big one.
There is this generational struggle with identity that is central to the story. It’s such an incredible demonstration of how multifaceted identity can be. Particularly in a country with so many conflicting census boxes you can get dizzy just looking at it. We feel like we have to decide exactly who we are before others define it for us. This family is navigating that.
Q: How are you thinking about your approach to directing this production?
A: I want to focus on those relationships. Family is so incredibly important in Latine culture. We love fiercely so I want to feel that love right out the gate. Plus, I delight in directing comedy. It’s disarming for an audience, and we want to keep you on your toes! From that first laugh, it’s like everyone takes a big breath and buys in. And this play has so much heart to share. Comedy is a way to engage with serious topics and relationships so that we are better able to know one another.
Q: KCRep is known for telling stories that connect deeply with its community. How do you see this play resonating with Kansas City audiences?
A: It’s been proved time and again that art is a way to build belonging. Stories told by the people with the lived experience of that culture create pathways for empathy and spark dialogue for social change. Some people call that universality. I call it humanity.
On a more serious note, right now the Latine community is under attack. We cannot ignore that is the case. We have to tell our stories to create resonances that remain with the people who bear witness. It’s a comedy, yes, but it’s not making light of our existence. It’s addressing our place in this country and our resilience to keep going. Laughter gives us release when we need it most. The people hunting us in the streets don’t want us to have joy. They want us scared. But every day that we step into the rehearsal room or on to that stage is a small act of bravery. Art is a form of resistance. Joy is a form of resilience. This play gives us both and allows us to commune in a shared deep breath.
Q: What’s next for you and how can our patrons follow your journey?
A: Life is an adventure, and I’m along for the ride! You can follow me on Instagram @labdirecting and check out my website labdirecting.com. I keep updates on what’s up next.
Q&A with Gloria Calderón Kellett
Interview by JANA LILES, Director of Marketing & Communications
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to be a playwright.
A: I began as an actor, and early on I realized there were very few monologues that truly fit me — my voice, my body, my lived experience. So, I finally decided to write one for myself. Then something interesting happened: I started winning monologue slams, and people kept asking me where the pieces came from. The answer was always the same — I wrote it. That led me to writing more, and eventually to creating three monologue shows. I fell in love with the simplicity of small black box theaters: no set, no distractions, just an actor and an audience sharing space. Those shows developed a cult following, and for the first time I felt I could say exactly what I wanted to say onstage.
Agents eventually came, I got signed, and that opened the door to television. But even with all of that, I never wrote a full-length play — until now. Coming back to the theater feels like coming home, and I couldn’t be happier to be here.
Q: What inspired you to write One of the Good Ones?
A: I’ve often been told I’m “one of the good ones”—which is meant as a compliment but is actually a double-edged sword. It implies comparison, judgment, and exclusion, all wrapped up in a smile. I wanted to turn that phrase on its head. This play is really about inversion — about flipping assumptions to create space for conversation in this moment we’re living in. I knew from the start that it had to be a comedy, because I love family comedies and the way they allow us to laugh while telling the truth. That’s where it all began.
Q: At its heart, what is this play exploring?
A: Identity. It’s a buzzy word right now, but one without a simple or universal definition. How we see ourselves, how others see us, and how those things collide—it’s messy, complicated, and deeply human. I’m always drawn to complexity in my work, because that’s where honesty lives.
Q: The play uses humor to tackle complex and emotional topics. Why was comedy an important tool for you in telling this story?
A: Comedy is unifying. My mentor Norman Lear and I shared a deep love of theater and comedy, and what truly bonded us was the belief that laughter brings people together. I’m not interested in tearing anyone down. My goal is to build bridges—to invite people into a shared experience where they feel seen, recognized, and understood.
Q: You have had one previous production of this play (Pasadena Playhouse, 2024). When you saw the play onstage for the first time, what surprised you most?
A: How universal it was. The audience spanned generations and cultures, yet everyone was laughing at the same moments. That kind of collective response is a playwright’s dream.
Q:What do you hope audiences see — or recognize— in the characters onstage?
A: That most people are simply doing their best. Being a person is hard. We’re all navigating our own fears, histories, and blind spots. If this play encourages us to listen to one another a little more generously, then it’s doing its job.
Q: What’s next for you, and how can our patrons follow your journey?
A: You can follow me on Instagram at @gloriakellett. I have new TV shows, movies, and plays all coming soon — and I can’t wait to share what’s next!
