Wichita, Kansas, is home to the Kansas African American Museum. The museum, which turned 25 this year, aims to encourage understanding, inclusion and opportunity.
The museum is branching out to the Kansas City area next month through a presentation of the play "Canaan," which has already sold out three times in Wichita. The production examines the civil rights movement through the lens of 1968 Washington D.C., when the movement took a downturn.
Playwright Micah Ariel Watson, who is from Wichita, said staging the play there was "a fantastic experience."
"It meant a lot to bring a show back to my hometown in my home community," Watson said. "I'm very much am a writer from Kansas, and I'm learning to embrace that even more, so bringing it to Kansas City felt like the next natural step."
- Denise Sherman, executive director of the Kansas African American Museum
- Micah Ariel Watson, filmmaker, playwright, and screenwriter
“Canaan” will be performed twice on Friday, Sept. 16th, at Kansas City Kansas Community College. It will be performed again on Saturday evening Sept. 17 and Sunday afternoon Sept. 18 at The White Theater at The J in Overland Park. For tickets, go to tkaamuseum.org/canaan.