Amy Abels Owen caught the theater bug at the age of eight. It happened in downtown Kansas City, where her aunt and grandmother took her to see the touring Broadway production of Annie. “I absolutely fell in love,” said the St. Joseph native, who has been general manager of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre since 2019. “I knew then and there that I had to somehow be connected to theater, in any way possible.” 

Like many youngsters who later become theater professionals, Amy at first assumed that she would be acting, singing, and maybe dancing onstage. “But when I got into college, I was introduced to all sorts of other avenues related to theater,” she said. “And the two of those avenues that I really enjoyed were props and stage management.” She earned her bachelor’s degree from Missouri Western State University and subsequently earned a master’s of fine arts degree in stage management from the UMKC Conservatory. 

Several influential women were mentors along the way. She studied stage management for opera with Christine McCurdy, subsequently serving as assistant stage manager for a UMKC production of La Bohème. And Lamby Hedge, who taught at Stephens College and at Missouri Western, came into her life at the right time. 

“I was having a hard time deciding between props and stage management at the time, and she was a really great mentor,” Amy said. “She saw my strengths, and she also directed the first show I stage managed, Little Shop of Horrors. One of the main reasons that I moved into the path of stage management is because I learned so much from Lamby during that experience.” 

Thus her first significant job, as production stage manager for The Coterie, seemed a natural move; Amy remained with that company for more than 12 years.

Also of importance was the Central Exchange Emerging Leaders program, a year-long advancement course for local women professionals who want to “take their leadership skills to the next level,” as the website states. Amy attended shortly after other members of the Rep staff had taken part: Angela Gieras, executive director at the time, was in the program two years earlier and Mollie Alexander, the KC Rep’s then-development director, also attended the course.  

As she began to “lean into” her values, she found that she could do what needed to be done “without struggling to meet other people’s expectations.” 

It was a transformative experience for Amy, one that inspired her to begin identifying and codifying her core values. “The speakers in that program … talked about how important it was for us to be clear about our mission, our vision, and our values,” she said. The Central Exchange program “made a major shift in my presence here at KC Rep: It has helped me in negotiating, it has helped me in getting out of my own way, it has helped me sleep at night.” 

In her first years at the Rep, she served as assistant to the executive director and education director, transitioning in 2019 to the post of general manager. One of the first things she had to confront in her new position was COVID-19. 

Amy led the company’s Safe Return Plan: Her team created strategies to bring staff back to in-person work and to gradually resume live theater. “Christmas of 2020 we were not able to produce A Christmas Carol on stage,” she said, “so we pivoted to a filmed version.” 

Her current activities include contracting artists and negotiating contracts; submitting those contracts to Actor’s Equity union and partners; and communicating compensation schedules to the finance team. “I am the organization’s go-to expert on our union rules, if there is ever a question as to what we can or can’t do.” 

Throughout her career, Amy has seen her role as that of bridge-builder. “In stage management, I was a bridge between the creative team behind the scenes and the creative team on the scene — as well as the administrative team.” 

Her position as general manager is similarly “connective” in nature. “Although my direct report is to the executive director … I’m a bridge between administration and production, between production and artistic. … I’m there to help people in one department understand another department, or to explain a union rule around this or that topic.” 

Amy maintains a strong belief in the importance of theater in our society. “The role of theater has always been to share stories and cultures,” she said, “to allow us to learn about other perspectives, and to hold up a mirror to ourselves. … Not only to entertain, but more importantly, to make us think.” 

In film, you can always do another take if something doesn’t go as planned. “In a live performance, the audience is invited to witness the story as it unfolds, complete with any imperfection,” she said. Live theater is, moreover, an amalgam of many art forms. “We don’t just use words: We incorporate language patterns, music, song, dance, captured images … to highlight moments and enhance the storytelling.” 

Amy is encouraged by the way that local companies here “care and support each other within the community.” She also celebrates the richness and variety of Kansas City theater. “There is really something for everyone: theater for young audiences, for folks who want unique storytelling, for those who want big musicals, for folks who want to enjoy it with their whole family … theater that is thought-provoking and pushes boundaries, theater that is light and heartwarming.” 

For tickets to upcoming shows at Kansas City Repertory Theatre, including season tickets for the 2025-2026 season, call 816-235-2700 go to kcrep.org.

To reach Paul Horsley, performing arts editor, send an email to paul@kcindependent.com or find him on Facebook (paul.horsley.501) or Twitter/Instagram (@phorsleycritic).