Debra Skodack
Contributor
Flatland contributor Debra Skodack is a freelance writer in Kansas City.
Stories by Debra Skodack
Up From the Ashes: Warwick Theatre Revival Draws Applause
Two years ago, John Cleary met a fellow Kansas City actor for drinks. Their conversation centered on the fate of the Metropolitan Ensemble Theatre. A large portion of the ensemble’s home, the Warwick Theatre, was ash, charred timbers and soot-saturated costumes and props — remnants from a recent massive fire. The destruction was so great…
New Johnson County Sculpture Memorializes ‘Trail of Death’
It’s common for Aaron Squadroni to interact with people interested in his art. But usually it’s completed work in a gallery, not an unfinished piece near a lake. Squadroni, along with Leah Yellowbird, created Fire Keepers Circle, a new public artwork commemorating the Potawatomi Trail of Death. The piece is in Heritage Park in Olathe….
Caregiving Squeezes Households Between Young and Old
Melissa Johnson knows her life is hardly unique. The Oak Grove, Missouri, woman cares for her infirm 72-year-old mother, who lives in her own home nearby. She calls her mother daily. She brings dinner to her several times a week. Johnson, who coordinates care with her aunt, a team of therapists, and a nurse, is…
Recycling Program Turns Plastic into Park Benches
Several cities in the Kansas City area have gotten park benches made out of recycled plastic bags, thanks to a program supported by Trex Co. Inc.
Future of Work: The Great Divide
The COVID-19 pandemic accentuated and accelerated a growing divide between people who can work remotely and those in professions that require them to work in-person.
Finding A ‘Peaceful Place’ in the Long Shadow of the Hyatt Skywalk Tragedy
The Skywalk Memorial Foundation, which helped create a memorial near the site of the Hyatt skywalk collapse, is winding down its affairs following the 40th anniversary of the disaster that killed 114 people in 1981.
Surging Interest in African American Genealogy
Interest in African American genealogy is growing, and the Kansas City area is fortunate to have numerous organizations dedicated to preserving, sharing and celebrating those family histories.
Kansas Firefighters Go West to Fight Fires, and COVID-19
Dozens of Kansas firefighters have been battling wild fires in the West, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with no end in sight.
A Different View of Celebration at the Station This Memorial Day
Kansas City Symphony musicians reflect on the pivot from a live Celebration at the Station performance to a highlights broadcast on KCPT forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ‘Other’ Opera Stars
The show can't go on at the Lyric Opera without 'supers,' the extras that flesh out the on-stage production.