After eight years of service to The J and the community, Keith Wiedenkeller, director of Arts and Culture and managing artistic director of The Lewis & Shirley White Theatre, has announced his retirement, effective this July.
Wiedenkeller’s tenure has been marked by significant growth, artistic innovation and community engagement within The J’s Arts and Culture program.
"Keith's leadership and commitment to excellence have made our Arts and Culture programming and our theater one of the best in the entire region,” said Carly Stein, chief operating officer of The J. “In the past eight years, he has elevated the quality, diversity and scope of our offerings while cultivating strong relationships within our Kansas City theater community that will ensure continued success for years to come. We are deeply grateful for Keith’s leadership and the incredible legacy he leaves behind."
Wiedenkeller joined The J in July 2017, stepping into his role after working for AMC Theatres for 30 years, followed by a brief stint as the CEO of the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City, and several years consulting for various nonprofit organizations. He credits his decision to leave the corporate world to a desire to “make a life” rather than just a living, or, as he put it, “move from success to significance.”
“It was the right time, the right place and the right opportunity,” he said, describing the role as a natural fit for his eclectic background in business, the arts, leadership and community-building. “Thankfully, Jim Sluyter (president and CEO of The J) and Scott Slabotsky (producer and Theatre Committee chair emeritus) had the foresight and imagination to see that.”
Wiedenkeller’s leadership has led to some of the most ambitious and successful developments in The J's arts programming, with all of The White Theatre’s 10 most popular shows occurring during his tenure. One of his proudest achievements has been the team’s unwavering commitment to professional-level theater, even in a community theater setting, which has become a defining feature of The J’s arts programming.
By hiring talented staff and fostering a culture of excellence and inclusion, The White Theatre’s offerings have expanded, with the number of events – both public and private – almost doubling annually. This shift, along with business strategies such as tiered ticket pricing, subscriber packaging and adding variety and performances to show runs, has resulted in a significant boost to the program's financial performance, with ticket sales now almost triple what they were prior to Wiedenkeller’s arrival.
In recent years, Wiedenkeller and his team introduced the award-winning New Works Initiative, winner of Jewish Federation’s Program of the Year, creating from scratch a multi-faceted program to bring Jewish stories “from page to stage” that might not otherwise have been developed.
“The idea started with a casual conversation with my wife, Anne, and quickly moved to my team saying, ‘we should do this,’” he said. “They recognized it was going to be extra work – an added show every year above and beyond what we were already doing – and yet we kept coming back to our commitment to developing programming that aligns with our mission to build community. In this instance, that meant developing stories that are explicitly Jewish across a whole spectrum of styles and themes, from Jack Mandelbaum’s remarkable story depicted in ‘Surviving Hitler’ to Victor Wishna’s wacky ‘Best Hanukkah Show Ever’ to our very own ‘Jewish Nutcracker.’”
Another highlight of Wiedenkeller’s tenure has been the expansion of youth arts programs. Under his leadership, The J’s Stages program for youth theater was born and has grown rapidly. What started as an item on Jim Sluyter’s “wish list” became an experimental initiative and has now blossomed into a well-rounded program, offering hundreds of youth opportunities to shine on stage as well as behind-the-scenes. Working closely with The J’s Arts Education Director Maggie Osgood Nicholls, Wiedenkeller and the team have experienced tremendous success with Stages and built on the momentum Osgood Nicholls has created over the years with Encore, The J’s award-winning dance and acrobatics program.
Importantly, Wiedenkeller also championed ground-breaking partnerships with community organizations like the Black Repertory Theater of Kansas City (BRTKC), Kansas City Actors Theatre (KCAT), The Coterie, Culture House, The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Theater League. These alliances have helped enrich programming, expand audiences and enhance The J’s ability to deliver high-quality, diverse arts experiences.
Reflecting on his tenure, Wiedenkeller credits any successes he’s had with two leadership principles.
“Number one: showing up — being present at the important moments, leading by example; and number two: selecting the right people … and trying to stay out of their way,” he said.
Ultimately, Wiedenkeller says he is most proud of building a legacy that will continue even after his retirement, especially with regards to his current team, led by Emilie Kodanaz, Justin Dudzik and Osgood Nicholls.
“I believe the hallmark of a good leader is when things keep going well, even after you leave,” he said. “Together, we’ve created something so special and remarkable here, something that will continue to serve this community long after my ‘curtain call,’ and I’m confident the team we’ve developed will continue to take it to new heights.
“While I won’t miss the sometimes-crazy schedule and demanding hours, I will certainly miss the people: my theater team, our amazing volunteers and artistic teams, and my wider J family,” he said. “None of this would have been possible without their unwavering commitment, creativity and support.”
As for what comes next, in addition to offering limited transition support to his successor, Wiedenkeller plans to focus on spending time with his family and traveling – experiences he has deferred during his busy years at The J.
“It’s all about time with the people we love; that’s what matters most,” he said. “After all, as the saying goes, you never heard of anyone thinking, at the end of everything, ‘I wish I’d spent more time at the office.’”
The J is now conducting a search for the director of Arts and Culture position. More information on the search is available at thejkc.org/careers.