We are an award winning theatre company located in Midtown Kansas City, Missouri. We are located inside the historic Warwick Theater, which originally opened in 1914 as a 1000-seat movie theater.
We began like many small theatre company do with vision and determination. Creating by founders Karen and Bob Paisley in 2003. We have grown every year and have produced over 80 titles since our inception.
Our History
Our first venue was the Arts Incubator on West 18th Street in the Crossroads. Two years, three productions, a Playwright's Intensive workshop and several readings later, we had gained enough momentum to leave the Incubator and search for our own space.
We moved into an old garage in 2007 that once repaired buses a few blocks away. Here we finally hit our stride producing a full season of six shows. 2009 saw us move to Midtown for the next decade. That space was only blocks away from our current location near 39th and Main Street. The Warwick is everything we could dream for in a venue. We continue to grow and mature as a company dedicated to bringing thoughtful, well-produced entertainment. Take a trip down memory lane and see more on our history.
ABOUT US
MET's Original location on Main Street and our current location at The Historic Warwick Theatre.
From MET's 3rd Season production of Michael Frayn's "Copenhagen". This starred Cynthia Hyer as Margrethe, Herman Johansen as Bohr and Bob Paisley as Heisenberg.
Our Founders
MET Founders - CEO/Producing Artistic Director, Karen Paisley & Co-founder Bob Paisley
What can you accomplish with $2000, a vision and great talents?
... something remarkable
That is exactly what Karen and Bob Paisley did. With Karen's vision of "what could be" they set out to something that has lasted over 20 years.
"No softballs" means not always taking the easy path. The play selections throughout MET's existence have proven to be consistently salient and of the highest quality. Focusing on Masterworks and contemporary classics, MET has taken big chances and achieved big outcomes.
In 2023, Bob Paisley retired but still is active with MET. Once MET is in your blood, you never are really too far removed. Bob most recently with in the 2025 MET production of the Kenneth Jones' play "Alabama Story", in which he brought the role of Senator E. W. Higgins to life.
Today, Karen continues to lead MET into a new era. Her leadership was pivotable on February 7, 2024, when The Warwick had a devasting fire. Determined, not only to survive, but thrive, Karen saw not just tragedy, not an opportunity to recommit bringing back the same magic when The Warwick first became MET's home.
Perseverance, Professionalism, and Artistic Excellence are synonomous with MET.
BIO - Karen Paisley
Founder, CEO/Producing Artistic Director
kcpaisley1@gmail.com
Karen is the founding Artistic Director of MET, a veteran professional director, performer, writer and award-winning educator. A graduate of UNCG, she earned her Masters Degree in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. Favorite directing and acting projects include Ragtime, One Flea Spare, The Light in the Piazza, The Time of Your Life, Death of a Salesman, Copenhagen, The Woolgatherer, West Side Story, The Crucible, Frankie and Johnny in the Claire du Lune, Hello Dolly, The Wizard of OZ, The Sound of Music and many others.
Our Home - The Historic Warwick Theatre
Recognized by the National registry of Historic Sites, the Historic Warwick Theatre is one of the many Boller Brothers theatres built in Kansas City. With its sister theatre, the Uptown, the Warwick Theatre opened in 1912 in Colonial Revival style. Originally, it seated 1,022 on two floors. One of the noted aspects in its decoration was the rich red velvet draperies that adorned the stage and the matching seating material. The Warwick closed in 1953.
Since then, the original decor has been lost, the raked seats have been leveled and this former icon to the arts in KC took on a restructured life as a retail furniture store.
Now, we are returning this iconic venue to its creative purpose and restoring many of its beautiful finishes making this distinctive building a vital part of the KC artistic landscape for years to come.
After 40 years of darkness the remaining marquee shines brightly once again. Restoration of the "blade" of the marquee is slated for phase 2 of the fire recovery plan. We are excited to share visuals of our progress and plans.
“This resource is located in Jackson County, Missouri. Areas of significance include Architecture, Commerce. Architectural classifications include Spanish Colonial Revival; International; Eclectic; Classical Revival; Spanish Revival; Romanesque Revival; Beaux-Arts; Art Moderne; Art Deco; U-Plan. The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 83001020
Original Boller Brothers' architectural sketch of the Warwick Theatre.