Meet actor and Kansas City native Mark Patton. During the 1980s, he was an openly gay actor in Hollywood. After starring in Nightmare on Elm Street 2, his big-screen career took a hit because of homophobia in Hollywood. Patton is back in town for a screening for one of his movies, Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.
Central Standard
People don't make cameos in news stories; the human story is the story, with characters affected by news events, not defined by them. As a columnist and podcaster, I want to acknowledge what it feels like to live through this time in Kansas City, one vantage point at a time. Together, these weekly vignettes form a collage of daily life in Kansas City as it changes in some ways, and stubbornly resists change in others. You can follow me on Twitter @GinaKCUR or email me at gina@kcur.org.
Matthew Long-Middleton has been a talk-show producer, community producer, Media Training Manager and now the Community Engagement Manager at KCUR. You can reach him at Matthew@kcur.org, or on Twitter @MLMIndustries.