In the spirit of honoring ancestral legacy, writer and director Rita Rials continues to share a family’s story through this original stage play. A sequel to “Panther Burn,” which was inspired by the true story of her family’s journey from sharecropping in the Mississippi Delta, “North Side of the River” follows their arrival in Lawrence, […]

We are excited about our upcoming production, PANTHER BURN, an original stage play written and directed by local playwright, Rita Rials. This is a full stage production coming to the stage at the Lied Center of KS, this June in celebration of Juneteenth! Sign up to audition here!

Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, The Lion and the Lamb: The Pursuit for a Brighter Tomorrow is a cry to return to values that held us stronger as a community.  Writer and Director, Rita Rials brings her creativity to the stage to deliver a message that we must […]