KBIA: KANSAS CITY THEATER ARTISTS HOPE THEY CAN HOLD ON LONG ENOUGH TO TURN THE LIGHTS BACK ON

For live theater, the audience is essential. 

"You come to a show, you sit next to a stranger, you guys are laughing at the same thing, or you're intrigued by the same thing, or you're saddened or angry by the same thing," says actress Chioma Anyanwu. "It brings people together and we cannot come together right now. So that's really, really strange to be in that position."

Anyanwu, a 2018 graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City's MFA Acting program, postponed a move to New York City to take on the role as Brenda Blair in "Noises Off!" at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre. The show was slated to open on March 27 for previews, with opening night this Friday. But as rehearsals entered their final weeks, the production was canceled due to the coronavirus.

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