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Steve Walker

Arts Reporter

Since 1998, Steve Walker has contributed stories and interviews about theater, visual arts, and music as an arts reporter at KCUR. He's also one Up to Date's regular trio of critics who discuss the latest in art, independent and documentary films playing on area screens. 

In addition, Walker has taught creative writing and film criticism classes at the Kansas City Art Institute and currently teaches at the University of Kansas. His writing has appeared nationally in The Sondheim Review, The Advocate and Theater Week, and locally in The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Business Journal, Ingram's, The Pitch and Review.

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Up to Date
10:25 am
Fri July 27, 2012

Up To Date's Film Critics' 'Three To See'

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By and and Cynthia Haines and Robert Butler

Looking for a great independent, foreign, or documentary film to see the weekend of July 27-29, 2012? Up to Date's critics share their three favorite showing on area screens.

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Performance
5:00 am
Thu July 26, 2012

Local Actors Moonlight In Other Artistic Careers

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Credit Steve Walker/KCUR
Cheryl Weaver in the American Heartland dressing room with some of her costumes for "BINGO: The Winning Musical".
Credit Courtesy of the actor
Actor Peggy Friesen, who moonlights as a harpist.
Credit Steve Walker/KCUR
Costumer Cheryl Weaver next to one of a "BINGO" character's green-themed costumes.
Credit Don Ipock
Cheryl Weaver (right) and Vanessa Severo in KC Rep's "August: Osage County"
Credit Don Ipock
Cheryl Weaver (center) in a family fracas in KC Rep's "August: Osage County".
Credit Don Ipock
Peggy Friesen (right) in one of her many "A Christmas Carol" roles at KC Rep.
Credit Don Ipock
Peggy Friesen (in red dress) awhirl in KC Rep's "Xmas Carol".
Credit Shane Rowse / American Heartland Theatre
Jennifer Mays, Deb Bluford, and Stasha Case wearing Cheryl Weaver's costume choices for "BINGO".
Credit Shane Rowse/American Heartland Theatre
Florida colors the directive for Cheryl Weaver's costumes for "BINGO".
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Given the growing theater scene in the metropolitan area, professional actors can make a pretty good living here. But there is steady competition and there are down times between jobs.

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Up to Date
11:40 am
Fri July 20, 2012

Up To Date's Film Critics' 'Three To See'

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By and and Cynthia Haines

Looking for a great independent, foreign, or documentary film to see the weekend of July 20-22, 2012? Up to Date's critics share their three favorite showing on area screens.

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Film
9:34 pm
Thu July 19, 2012

'Headhunters' An Artful Movie About Art Thieves

Art and murder meet head-on in "Headhunters"
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Since the early death at 50 of Stieg Larrson, the author of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, crime novel fans have been hunting feverishly for his successor.

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Performance
5:00 am
Thu July 19, 2012

Missouri Tragedy, Kansas Suburbs Get Fringe Festival Focus

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Credit Jeff Paltz
Smashing Frames' "Gust", part of the 2012 Fringe Festival
Credit Alisha Morris
The Fringe takes on Occupy Kansas City in Smashing Frames' "People Speak".
Credit Steve Walker, KCUR News
Suzanne Welch and Jim Sturgill offer "Prairie Village Home Companion" at this year's Fringe Festival
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Though the 8th annual Kansas City Fringe Festival is increasingly drawing groups from out of the area, more than half of this year's 87 performance and film offerings originated with Missouri-based artists, while about a quarter hail from Kansas.

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Performance
6:54 pm
Sun July 15, 2012

Celeste Holm, Dead at 95, Had Missouri Rep Credit

Credit nndb.com
Celeste Holm, who died this weekend at 95, did Missouri Rep show in 1989.
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Actor Celeste Holm, who died in New York this weekend at 95, won an Oscar for Gentleman's Agreement and was nominated twice more, including for her supporting role in All About Eve. 

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Up to Date
11:00 am
Fri July 13, 2012

Film Critic's Steve Walker and Cynthia Haines's "Three To See"

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Still from "Monsieur Lazhar," the story of an Algerian immigrant who substitutes in a Montreal school.
Jack Black stars in "Bernie" along with Shirley McLaine
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By and Cynthia Haines and Greta Wendelin

Looking for a great independent, foreign, or documentary film to see the weekend of July 13-15, 2012? Up to Date's critics Steve Walker and Cynthia Haines share their three favorites showing on area screens.

Cynthia Haines: Moonrise Kingdom, Your Sister's Sister, Monsieur Lazhar

Steve Walker: The Intouchables, Moonrise Kingdom, Bernie

Up to Date
11:44 am
Fri July 6, 2012

Up to Date's Film Critics' "Three To See"

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By and and Cynthia Haines and Bob Butler

Looking for a great independent, foreign, or documentary film to see the weekend of July 6-8, 2012? Up to Date's critics share their three favorite showing on area screens.

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Film
4:21 pm
Sat June 30, 2012

Young Hearts Beat Wild In 'Moonrise Kingdom'

Credit Focus Features
Kara Hayward & Jared Gilman plot their escape to "Moonrise Kingdom"
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In Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson's first live action film since The Fantastic Mr. Fox,  his stop-motion animation offering, the director has created one of the most artful and inventive movies in many moons about the crazy, throbbing pulse of first love and how piteous the fool who stands in its way.

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Up to Date
9:59 am
Fri June 22, 2012

Up To Date's Film Critics' 'Three To See'

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By and and Cynthia Haines

Looking for a great independent, foreign, or documentary film to see the weekend of June 22-24, 2012? Up to Date's critics share their three favorite showing on area screens.

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Film
6:28 am
Fri June 22, 2012

Religious Tension Squelched With Song In 'Where Do We Go Now?'

Credit Sony Pictures Classics
Keeping a Village At Peace: "Where Do We Go Now"
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Director Nadine Labaki's Where Do We Go Now? is a darkly comic and provocative riff on the suggestion that if women ruled the world, war would be a thing of the past.

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Performance
5:00 am
Tue June 19, 2012

Shakespeare Festival Doubles Down With Two Shows In Rep

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Credit Brian Collins / fixation media
Bruce Roach (left) with co-stars in "Antony and Cleopatra"
Credit Brian Collins / fixation media
Kim Martin-Cotten and John Rensenhouse in "Antony and Cleopatra"
Credit Brian Collins / fixation media
Kim Martin-Cotten and John Rensenhouse in "Antony and Cleopatra"
Credit Steve Walker
The set for "Antony and Cleopatra"
Credit Steve Walker
The "Midsummer Night's Dream" set on the flip side of the set for "Antony and Cleopatra"
Credit Steve Walker
The two-sided set: "Antony" on the left, "Midsummer" on the right
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This year's Heart of America Shakespeare Festival is going back and forth between comedy and tragedy on alternate nights, returning to a two-show season performed in repertory, which it hasn't done in a decade. 

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Film
10:16 am
Fri June 15, 2012

Up To Date's Film Critics' 'Three To See'

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By and and Cynthia Haines

Looking for a great independent, foreign, or documentary film to see the Memorial Day holiday weekend of June 15-17, 2012? Up to Date's critics share their three favorite showing on area screens.

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Performance
5:00 am
Wed June 13, 2012

Blood And Sonnets Fuel The Living Room's 'Titus Andronicus'

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Credit Paul Andrews
Mark Robbins and cast members of "Titus Andronicus" at The Living Room
Credit Paul Andrews
Titus Andronicus as played by Mark Robbins
Credit Steve Walker
Eryn Bates Preston and Kyle Hatley at The Living Room
Credit Steve Walker
The Living Room performance space at 1818 McGree
Credit Steve Walker
Eryn Bates Preston at the piano for "Titus Andronicus"
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For twenty years, Shakespeare in the park has been as reliable a part of a Kansas City summer as the heat and humidity.

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Up to Date
12:08 pm
Fri June 8, 2012

Up To Date's Film Critics' "Three To See"

Judi Dench in "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel."
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By and and Cynthia Haines

Looking for a great independent, foreign, or documentary film to see the Memorial Day holiday weekend of June 8-10, 2012? Up to Date's critics share their three favorite showing on area screens.

You can click on the highlighted links for Steve Walker's film reviews.

Cynthia Haines: Monsieur Lazhar, Kid on a Bike, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

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