176:. Prior to the founding of the Missouri Rep, the residents of Kansas City and the surrounding metropolitan area had been virtually devoid of any source of locally based professional theatre for several decades. The founding of the Missouri Rep served as the impetus which led to the revival of professional theatre in the area. Following in the wake of the Missouri Rep, numerous other professional theatre companies established in the city since the 1970s have found lasting success, such as the Unicorn Theatre, the Coterie Theatre, the New Theatre, and the American Heartland Theatre. In 1989, the Kansas City-based art journal Forum wrote of McIlrath's influence: "Before her arrival, there was no legitimate, locally produced, professional theatre in Kansas City. Now the city boasts 10 equity theatres in a market area of only 1.5 million people. All of those theatres are headed by people who got their start in professional theatre under Patricia McIlrath."
139:, McIlrath found herself dismayed at the divide that existed between her academic theatre training and the demands of professional theatrical production. As a result, she became unquestionably convinced of the necessity to integrate professional theatre training into the curriculum of academic theatre programs in the United States.
184:
McIlrath never married or had any children of her own, but following her retirement devoted herself to a close-knit family consisting of "thirteen nieces and nephews and twenty three grand nieces and nephews." She died on March 4, 1999, at the age of 82, and is buried at
Calvary Cemetery in Kansas
159:
McIlrath's desire to establish both a training ground for professional theatre artists in Kansas City, and a venue in the city at which audiences could attend professional theatre rivaling the caliber of that produced in New York City, corresponded with the work of numerous other well-known members
147:). The company soon changed its name to the Missouri Repertory Theatre, achieved professional status as an Equity organization in 1966, and founded its own touring wing—Missouri Vanguard Theatre—in 1968. McIlrath remained the head of
142:
To that end, McIlrath founded the UMKC Summer
Repertory Theatre in 1964 (the same year in which the private University of Kansas City was inducted into the public University of Missouri system, becoming the
201:
Alice M. Robinson, Vera Mowry
Roberts, and Milly S. Barranger, ed. (1989). Notable Women in the American Theatre: a Biographical Dictionary. New York: Greenwood Press. pp. 618–621.
79:(January 25, 1917 – March 4, 1999) was an American educator and theatre director who was pivotal in the founding of the Missouri Repertory Theatre (known today as the
449:
474:
459:
469:
464:
144:
33:
454:
95:
McIlrath was born in El Paso, Texas, to George David McIlrath, a lawyer, and his wife Ethel in 1917. She graduated from
80:
127:
in 1954 as a professor of theatre and director of its
University Playhouse. In 1959, while professionally directing
169:
124:
405:
Patricia McIlrath, found in The
College of Fellows of American Theatre, Fortieth Anniversary Edition:1965–2005
104:
112:
84:
444:
439:
115:, where she held a faculty position in the Department of Speech and Theatre between 1946 and 1954.
108:
369:
Trussell, Robert; Robert W. Butler (March 5, 1999). "Missouri
Repertory Theatre founder dies".
210:
Trussell, Robert; Robert W. Butler (March 5, 1999). "Missouri
Repertory Theatre founder dies".
356:
The
Enchanted Years of the Stage: Kansas City at the Crossroads of American Theatre, 1870–1930
280:
242:
96:
165:
100:
151:
until 1984, and retired as
Artistic Director of the Missouri Repertory Theatre in 1985.
173:
433:
273:
235:
136:
148:
161:
32:
128:
83:) and in the development of Regional Theatre within the area surrounding
324:
Alice M. Robinson; Vera Mowry
Roberts; Milly S. Barranger, eds. (1989).
294:
Alice M. Robinson; Vera Mowry Roberts; Milly S. Barranger, eds. (1989).
256:
Alice M. Robinson; Vera Mowry Roberts; Milly S. Barranger, eds. (1989).
111:
in 1951 with her Ph.D., which McIlrath earned while on leave from the
418:
Death and Funerals section (March 6, 1999). "Dr. Patricia McIlrath".
339:
Death and Funerals section (March 6, 1999). "Dr. Patricia McIlrath".
223:
Presson, Rebekah (1989). "An Atmosphere of Genius". Forum 14 (1): 8.
407:. The College of Fellows of the American Theatre. pp. 127–128.
326:
Notable Women in the American Theatre: a Biographical Dictionary
296:
Notable Women in the American Theatre: a Biographical Dictionary
258:
Notable Women in the American Theatre: a Biographical Dictionary
358:. Columbia: University of Missouri Press. p. 290.
279:(1st ed.). New York: James H. Heineman. p.
241:(1st ed.). New York: James H. Heineman. p.
384:
Presson, Rebekah (1989). "An Atmosphere of Genius".
58:
39:
23:
272:
234:
328:. New York: Greenwood Press. pp. 618–621.
298:. New York: Greenwood Press. pp. 618–621.
260:. New York: Greenwood Press. pp. 618–621.
8:
309:"Repertory Team is Recruited by U.M.K.C.".
160:of the Regional Theatre Movement, such as
31:
20:
194:
7:
145:University of Missouri-Kansas City
99:in 1933, and received a B.A. from
14:
450:People from Kansas City, Missouri
354:Londré, Felicia Hardison (2007).
275:Who's Who of the American Theatre
237:Who's Who of the American Theatre
475:American women theatre directors
460:Northwestern University alumni
1:
135:at the Rita Allen Theatre in
81:Kansas City Repertory Theatre
313:. June 21, 1964. p. 2E.
271:Walter Rigdon, ed. (1966).
233:Walter Rigdon, ed. (1966).
491:
470:American theatre directors
465:Stanford University alumni
123:McIlrath was hired by the
125:University of Kansas City
30:
16:American theatre director
455:Grinnell College alumni
107:before graduating from
105:Northwestern University
403:Davis, Jed H. (2005).
373:. pp. Cover, A10.
113:University of Illinois
77:Patricia Anne McIlrath
25:Patricia Anne McIlrath
85:Kansas City, Missouri
69:Kansas City, Missouri
53:Kansas City, Missouri
420:The Kansas City Star
371:The Kansas City Star
341:The Kansas City Star
311:The Kansas City Star
212:The Kansas City Star
109:Stanford University
214:. pp. Cover, A10.
103:and an M.A. from
97:Paseo High School
74:
73:
482:
424:
423:
415:
409:
408:
400:
394:
393:
381:
375:
374:
366:
360:
359:
351:
345:
344:
336:
330:
329:
321:
315:
314:
306:
300:
299:
291:
285:
284:
278:
268:
262:
261:
253:
247:
246:
240:
230:
224:
221:
215:
208:
202:
199:
185:City, Missouri.
166:Zelda Fichandler
101:Grinnell College
65:
50:January 25, 1917
49:
47:
35:
21:
490:
489:
485:
484:
483:
481:
480:
479:
430:
429:
428:
427:
417:
416:
412:
402:
401:
397:
383:
382:
378:
368:
367:
363:
353:
352:
348:
338:
337:
333:
323:
322:
318:
308:
307:
303:
293:
292:
288:
270:
269:
265:
255:
254:
250:
232:
231:
227:
222:
218:
209:
205:
200:
196:
191:
182:
157:
121:
93:
70:
67:
63:
54:
51:
45:
43:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
488:
486:
478:
477:
472:
467:
462:
457:
452:
447:
442:
432:
431:
426:
425:
410:
395:
376:
361:
346:
331:
316:
301:
286:
263:
248:
225:
216:
203:
193:
192:
190:
187:
181:
178:
174:Tyrone Guthrie
170:Michael Murray
156:
153:
120:
117:
92:
89:
72:
71:
68:
66:(aged 82)
60:
56:
55:
52:
41:
37:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
487:
476:
473:
471:
468:
466:
463:
461:
458:
456:
453:
451:
448:
446:
443:
441:
438:
437:
435:
422:. p. B5.
421:
414:
411:
406:
399:
396:
391:
387:
380:
377:
372:
365:
362:
357:
350:
347:
343:. p. B5.
342:
335:
332:
327:
320:
317:
312:
305:
302:
297:
290:
287:
282:
277:
276:
267:
264:
259:
252:
249:
244:
239:
238:
229:
226:
220:
217:
213:
207:
204:
198:
195:
188:
186:
180:Personal life
179:
177:
175:
171:
167:
163:
154:
152:
150:
146:
140:
138:
137:New York City
134:
130:
126:
118:
116:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
90:
88:
86:
82:
78:
62:March 4, 1999
61:
57:
42:
38:
34:
29:
22:
19:
419:
413:
404:
398:
389:
385:
379:
370:
364:
355:
349:
340:
334:
325:
319:
310:
304:
295:
289:
274:
266:
257:
251:
236:
228:
219:
211:
206:
197:
183:
158:
149:UMKC Theatre
141:
132:
122:
94:
76:
75:
64:(1999-03-04)
18:
445:1999 deaths
440:1917 births
162:Margo Jones
434:Categories
189:References
91:Early life
46:1917-01-25
155:Influence
129:Sophocles
392:(1): 8.
133:Electra
172:, and
119:Career
386:Forum
59:Died
40:Born
281:670
243:670
436::
390:14
388:.
168:,
164:,
131:'
87:.
283:.
245:.
48:)
44:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
