Farewell, Coterie Theatre co-founder Judith Yeckel. You brought joy to Kansas City | Opinion

As loved ones and colleagues remember Judith Yeckel some words appear repeatedly: compassionate, creative, practical, visionary, steadfast, loving and generous, to list just a few. The co-founder of the Coterie Theatre in 1979 with Vicky Lee, Judith died Dec. 15 in Portland, Oregon, following complications from heart surgery.

Born to George and Harriet Yeckel, Judith attended the Belinder School in Prairie Village. A picture in the Feb. 24, 1961, Kansas City Star shows her on a class field trip attending the Guadalupe Center with her fellow third graders.

In 1966 Judith trod the boards, in a rare foray into acting, as the Dormouse in the Ivory Tower Players’ production of “Alice In Wonderland” at the UMKC University Playhouse. Other notable cast members were Nedra Dixon as Alice and Edie McClurg as the Duchess.

From there, Judith’s education continued at the Sunset Hill School, now Pembroke Hill, Class of 1970. She graduated cum laude from Mount Holyoke College in 1974 with a bachelor of arts degree in theater. In her senior year, she was given the Genevieve Schmich Award, which honored the senior who gave the most to the dramatic life of Mount Holyoke.

In an opportunity that would herald a lifetime of exploring fresh horizons, Judith went to Midland, Texas, from 1975 to 1976 as a visiting artist to work in the schools and direct for the Pickwick Players. This was another budding combination of theater and education that would guide much of the rest of her life.

Back in Kansas City, she entered the UMKC graduate theater program and received a master’s of fine arts in directing. During those years, the UMKC theater program and Missouri Repertory Theater were closely aligned under the visionary leadership of Dr. Patricia McIlrath.

For the 1978 summer Rep season, an outreach program was created between Missouri Repertory Theater and Hallmark Cards and its Crown Center. Judith and Vicky were tasked to lead the effort, which culminated in a production of “The Hums and Poems of Pooh” performed in the Meeting Place at Crown Center. Its unique source material of A.A. Milne’s poems rather than his stories allowed for new theatrical possibilities, as the UMKC student actors flowed from Victorian make-believe to reality and fantasy. Judith scripted the adaptation. The performances ran in July and August, and a quarter-page advertisement in The Star listed the performance information under the banner, “Let’s-Pretend Theatre.”

The following summer brought the first mention of the Coterie as a theatrical organization. New works, often developed by Judith and Vicky, became regular fare, starting with “Homemade Magic,” “Onions in the Ice Cream” and “Butterfly Ball,” followed by “The Velveteen Rabbit” which featured young actors from drama classes the Coterie offered.

Over the years, a durable group of actors, writers, designers, musicians and technical artists found a home at the Coterie. New talent was welcomed alongside established veterans. More challenging works appeared — “The Miracle Worker,” “The Diary of Anne Frank” and the original operetta for young people, “Harbledown.”

A special highlight was Judith directing the world premiere of Sheldon Harnick’s “Dragons.”

As sometimes happens in a creative life, the urge to move on led Judith to leave the Coterie, but both she and Vicky stayed in touch. And through the ensuing decades, they were celebrated by the theater company for their inspiration and founding vision.

In 1987, Portland beckoned and Judith found a new home with new artistic possibilities. She moved from gentle strength to gentle strength across multiple disciplines.

During this whirl, she met Bob Davis and they married. Working in the arts can help develop an instinct for a moment. When an adoption opportunity arose, Judith and Bob opened their hearts and their home and with the twins, they became a family of four.

Judith Yeckel’s joy and purpose live on in the minds and hearts of those who knew her — and they always will for everyone who was touched by her art.

A memorial service for Judith Yeckel will be held in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday, March 5, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific time (4 p.m. Central). It will be livestreamed at eventcreate.com/e/judithyeckelmemorial Scroll down and click on “Judith’s Memorial Service” on the right. Ross Freese, an actor in Kansas City, is a friend, colleague and admirer of Judith Yeckel across the decades.