The Initiative

Founded in 2023, Kansas City Theatre Safety Initiative was formed by a group of local theatre artists with the mission to provide an avenue of support for community members who’ve experienced or been affected by abusive tactics among Kansas City-based theatre environments.

Many communities, including Kansas City, work under a culture of Midwest austerity and problem-swallowing, which encourages entrenchment of unhealthy power dynamics and allows abusers to go unchecked until it is too late. This culture of withholding and secrets has often culminated in individual suffering and even loss of life, shattering the confidence of workers, performers, and artists to labor effectively in their community. This is not a healthy dynamic for an artistic community that wants to grow, thrive, and reach its full potential.

We are committed to communicating with leadership teams across the city to come to terms that make sense for all fair-minded players. By giving the average person the feeling that they are acknowledged, respected, and heard by their community, we hope to encourage a more transparent structure with more opportunities for all.

We have built the first draft of a community agreement to outline strategies and solutions that will aid individuals and companies in avoiding incidents which involve unsafe practices. The agreement is crafted in the vein of Not In Our House and other similar movements already established in cities like Chicago, New York, and Minneapolis. The agreement will eventually be sent to all KC theatre companies for mutual commitment, after a process of seeking feedback and edits from the community at large.

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The Mission

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Kansas City Theatre Safety Initiative is to provide public standards in a community agreement, uniting theater artists and companies in an effort to build a safer and more transparent future.

We believe in the power of positive community action and commitment to universal safety standards. Our hope is that this document will provide a clear roadmap for theater artists on every level, allowing them to produce and perform to the best of their capability.

VISION STATEMENT

To create a safer community for current and future generations of theater industry workers in Kansas City.

To establish greater transparency between companies and the artists, workers, employees, independent contractors, etc. that they employ.

To provide support and resources to artists, including avenues to voice their concerns, and a shared language of support and guarantee of rights around their work.

To provide a universal understanding of basic theater safety standards within the community.

View the Agreement

The Committee

KCTSI was formed by a group of theatre artists actively pursuing positive change in our community. We are performers, producers, directors, singers, writers, comedians, improvisors, and compassionate community members. We are deeply driven to provide more safeguards in our community, and to create a social movement that will continue to flow through generations to come.

Our committee is currently lacking in racial diversity and technical theatricians. We are seeking to add representatives of the BIPOC and Tech Worker communities to our committee in 2026. If you are interested in joining the TSI Committee (even if you’ve already let us know!), please email us at kctheatresafety@gmail.com. Responsibilities include attending two in-person public forums and two virtual committee meetings per year.

CURRENT MEMBERS

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Casey Jane

Natalee Merola

Connor Eastman

Katelyn Baron

Ahafia Jurkiewicz-Miles

Coleman Crenshaw

Casey Jane is a dynamic theatre and film artist, working in KC since 2013. She received her Bachelors in Theatre & Communication from Truman State University. She works as an Actor, Producer, Director, Writer, and Content Creator around KC and with her theatre & film company, Rising Tide Productions, which she co-founded in 2018. She’s also a Mom, and works as a Transcriber and Communication Specialist.

Casey Jane

Natalee Merola (she/they) is an actor, singer, and dancer, performing professionally in KC for 15 years. She graduated with a BA in Musical Theatre & Minor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, where she also studied theatre for social change. In 2024, Natalee graduated with their MA in Arts Leadership and Management from Wichita State University. Natalee’s passions lie with presenting body & gender diversity on stage, connecting people of different backgrounds, and dismantling historical systems of inequity in the world of theatre.

Natalee Merola

Connor Eastman is an actor and articulation specialist who has been working in the KC area since 2016. In 2015, they received a Masters in Acting from East 15 school in Loughton UK. Connor has a lifelong passion for the creative arts in all its forms, and believes in its power as a social force and as a form of labor.

Connor Eastman

Ahafia Jurkiewicz-Miles is a pianist and music director in Kansas City. Their ongoing mission: to create and participate in art that welcomes and includes all trans creators, technicians, and performers. They are proud to participate in the KCTSI committee to elevate the voices of our technical theater workers.

Ahafia Jurkiewicz-Miles

Katelyn Baron (they/them) is a producer, director, actor, and writer. After living and learning in the theatre world in NYC and film scene in LA, Katelyn returned to KC to cultivate art that changes minds and shifts perspectives. Currently, they are on the theatre administration side of the table, serving as the Business & Box Office Manager of Kansas City Actors Theatre.

Katelyn Baron

Coleman is an actor, co-founder of Forge Repertory Theatre, and a member of Actors Equity. He believes strongly in rules, equality, and the creative process. He is also passionate about technology and board games.