Kwofe Coleman - Legacy, Culture and Community

On this episode of The Rundown with Rene Knott, Rene sits down with Kwofe Coleman, President & CEO of the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis, for a powerful conversation about the past, present, and future of The Muny.

As one of St. Louis’ most treasured cultural institutions, The Muny represents more than world-class performances under the stars. It represents generations of memories, access to the arts, community pride, and a shared St. Louis experience that continues to bring people together year after year.

Kwofe Coleman shares insight on leadership, stewardship, innovation, and what it means to carry forward the legacy of an institution that has shaped the cultural fabric of our region for more than a century.

This conversation highlights the people, purpose, and vision behind The Muny — and why its story continues to matter.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Well, he started out not as a Muni kid, but as a Muni employee. Now he runs the Muni with an opportunity to change the summer experiences of thousands of people, not just in St. Louis, but around the world who've come to St. Louis for this show. So this episode of the Rundown 29.

SPEAKER_03 0:18

We spent down the Here he is.

SPEAKER_02 1:16

I usually reach out and shake hands beforehand, but because of our city situation, I'll I'll let it slide. I'm just gonna nod at you.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

That's gonna have to be plenty for today. I gotta ask you, what does the term showtime mean to the man that runs the Muni? Oh wow. No one's ever asked me that. What is the term showtime? Uh it's starting. It means it's go showtime, I guess go time are the same thing. Um I think if you really want to be philosophical about it, it's the time the audience is settled, you know, it feels right the show's about to start. But it it's just the beginning, it's the kickoff. Uh it's it's the inauguration of that night, I guess you could say it. But uh it's my favorite moment. It is show starting. Everyone's here now. You know, the the magic is about to start, and God, I've been lucky to have uh a few of those moments in my time here. Well you said you've been here since sixteen? Since I was sixteen, so just two years ago. So no, this will be summer twenty-eight. Wow. You went up there. I yeah, yeah. I've done this ramp here.

SPEAKER_03 2:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

My first job was here. My first job was pushing wheelchairs up and down this ramp. So I I grew up in this house, I grew up in this place. So it's uh it's been home in a lot of different senses of the word, and and I'm glad to have a position now where we can kind of shape what the future looks like. As the 16-year-old, did you think one day I'm gonna be running this place? One day I'll be the guy calling the shots? No. As a 16-year-old, I don't even think I was thinking. Okay. But uh there was a point I'd say after high school and college where I thought of the possibility of this maybe being a career. Like either it was a I would say an in and out thought, but you just saw that it was more than a show on stage. People were coming together, people are enjoying their time here. Uh but uh obviously I thought of that just gotta be like sophomore junior year in college, but then I let that go. Uh the plan was to go to law school. So there was just kind of a thing that, man, that would have been nice had I chosen that path, but I didn't. And so that was um yeah, it kind of came and went until it became a reality. But I guess maybe my subconscious knew because I I could never let go of the place. There are many I went to college in Atlanta, so after high school, in theory, many people stay and they do classes in the summer or they stay there. I just kept being drawn to come back here uh to work every summer. So maybe um like I said, my subconscious was driving was driving the boat and I just didn't know it, but it it it's turned out. It turned out to be uh my job in life. It's a dream, so it's a gift in that way. But 16-year-old me was just happy to have a job, you know, make a little money. But that that was it. I I didn't I I can't give myself the credit for seeing the full picture at that young.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

At the age of sixteen, you probably had a different appreciation for the plays and the acting and everything that happens behind you.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

Yeah. How did that evolve for you over the course of time? That's a that's a good one. So at 16, I just loved the fact that I could come here at night. Uh there were like 200 ushers, right? So you're making friends with people that you had all the on the same age. I was making friends. I didn't understand that I was building a community at that point, but at that point that that's what it was for me. Then you get to uh 16, 18 a few years later, you're starting to see that it it means something else. You know I I said to someone just uh yesterday, it was 2005, so I probably would have been here six or seven seasons at that point, and we did uh Aida. It was 05 Aida, and Simone, who is the daughter of Nina Simone, played Aida. And I was over right over here, like the A7 sign, something and walking a wheelchair across and see singing, and I I can tell, like I remember that moment. I was like, wait a minute. Like that's that's something I I I have like zero artistic talent. So so when I when you hear someone singing like that, I was like, this is this is mind blowing. And the next night I got an assignment so I could sit and watch the show, and I remember that. That was a moment where I was like, this is something special. Yeah. I had no clue what all it took backstage to put it together, but um I I'll always that's like a moment in my mind that made me stop and really pay attention. Because as an usher, as a young person, your focus is out this way. Uh and I turned and looked at looked at the stage and I I that's yeah, 2000, that's 20 something years ago, and I still remember it. What does it take to put a show on? There's gotta be an army of people here at the community. Yeah, I mean, I want to start by saying I I get this gift of having this job to represent it, but man, the the number of people there are 35 full-time staff, right, which is small, but we get to 1,300 in the summer just to make this happen because everything is produced here. So when we say this is a show for and by the people of St. Louis, we we mean that. So uh the all the the crews that build the sets, paint the sets, the costumes, the orchestra, the ushers, food and bath, all these people are coming together. Uh if there's one word, what does it take to make this happen? It's it's trust. Yeah. Sure. Oh yeah. There's no time. I'm not I can't check behind everybody. We can't check behind each other. We have to believe that the next person's piece is ready to go. And so, you know, it you it trust, pe we operate at a level of excellence. Like that's that's the bottom line. It just has to be. Uh, because you're gonna fill this house with 11,000 people and they didn't come to see a maybe show, they came to see a really good show. Yeah. Um so it's a lot of hard work. You can't do this if you don't love it. Yeah uh because the hours are wild. You know, it's summer. We're here. We start at like nine in the morning. We start in the morning, we go home tomorrow every day, you know. That's crazy. So uh but yeah, people trust each other, people love it here. Uh I'm at twenty-something seasons and and that's not the highest. We have a lot of people that have been here for a long time because uh it means something to them. So when people meet you for the first time, excuse me, people meet you for the first time and they realize it's a young black man that's running to Muni. Are they surprised? Well, the name's Kofi, so that's it. Um I think more uh um age for sure. Okay. Well, what do you say? And both age age and race for sure. I think b uh uh what I look like probably is is preceded by my name, if you get it. So that that's the thing. But I think I I'm in a unique position uh as a as a young man of color to run a theater of this size for sure. I think uh I started as president when I was thirty-eight, so I was really young. Uh so this is my fifth season. But I say I was thirty-eight in age, but because I've been here since I was sixteen, uh uh the amount of experience in this particular theater makes me a uh a a Wiley veteran. Uh some some would say. Um but I I'm proud to bring an identity to this job. Okay. Um because the whole place, the whole thing is about representing the whole community. And uh our staff all looks different. We have 35 people. I said we all look different from different parts of this community. So at that deciding table, there are a number of different opinions and viewpoints. But um on a national scale, yes. If I walk into like a national theater conference um or anything like that, um there's some so there's some surprise. I'm like, yeah, that's me. That's right. Um but yeah, it's something uh it's something I'm immensely proud of. It's um I get to be me and my job, my authentic self, and we ask everyone in the company to do that. And uh I'm just glad to be of this community and representative that way.

SPEAKER_02 8:10

Is there uh responsibility as a role model too? Because I was talking to you earlier about our kids over at Live for Life Gym and having you come over and speak to them and and you know, give them some pointers and motivation. When you look at who you are in this community, growing up in this community and everything else, do you feel as though uh you you hold a certain light, a certain torch to light the way for others?

SPEAKER_01 8:34

Yeah, I think we Yes, I think that's part of that's part of the deal. You know, and I and I don't I haven't accomplished anything that anyone else can't accomplish. You know, I mean, given the right circumstances and time and hard work, anyone could be in this anyone could be sitting in this chair with you. But I think that when you find yourself in any of these positions, there is a responsibility to a show up every day uh and do the best job and represent the best way, but also open pathways for everyone else that may or may not look like you. So yeah, there's a responsibility to be uh a role model because I have been blessed with the opportunity of visibility. You know, so when people can see you, what they see you doing is important so that uh the next version of you and I, they they see both of us. I think you could answer the question, I think, in a very much the same way. It's it's about uh creating less about being a lighthouse and more about creating a path, I think, or lighting the path, I guess, is so that there's someone else can do it. There's not look, I put my pants on the same way as the next guy, you know, in the morning. So it's not it's not some unique set of skills, it's uh opportunity and taking that opportunity and doing your best with it. And running with it. Yeah, running with it. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:40

We'll have more with OV in just a second. Gonna take a quick break now uh to think to thank our sponsors.

SPEAKER_00 9:47

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SPEAKER_02 10:17

Continuing our conversation now with Kofi, and um, we're talking about being a role model in our community. Who's been your role role model in our community? Who's kind of given you the strength to put to push forward?

SPEAKER_01 10:27

I mean, I I would for sure start with my my parents. My parents over first generation, my sisters and I. So my parents are immigrants, they came into this uh this country, this city with with nothing, um, and have made a path. I have two older sisters who are both physicians. We've we are wow we're blessed to have uh experienced some success because our parents taught us the meaning of hard work. Uh in this community, I'm I'm fortunate to call uh to call Dave Stewart a mentor and a friend and and his whole family. I think when you look at how you lead and work with faith um and with kindness and and and lead and work with joy, that he em he embodies that. So just uh getting to know him a little bit and his family and see the work that they've done and understand what true generosity and true blessing looks like has been great. Uh my predecessor here, uh Danny Reagan, he did this job for 50 something years. Wow. Um and that when you look at what hard work looks like um there. So I'm I'm fortunate. And I I also fully believe that we take something from every experience that we have. For every person that you have, uh a moment with good, bad, the ugly, you put a little something in your toolkit. So in some ways, uh I think everyone I've encountered uh helped in some way. I I'm a slew high grad and I I I couldn't do this without a shout out to Mr. Clark. I still call him Mr. Clark as a dean of students because he was terrifying. And so uh as a grown man, if I still see him, I tuck my shirt in the city. Sir Mr. Clark. Um he was there, uh Spencer McCall. There are a lot of people that have just touched my life in different moments that have that have been uh helped helped to shape the moment. But uh, you know, it's all about what's in front of you, just taking it taking a chance and betting on yourself more than anything else. Um interesting that you say your sisters are doctors. Yeah. How do they feel that now you have a honorary doctorate degree? Oh, let me tell you the first thing you're wash you. The first three phone calls I made were to my were to my sisters. I was like, we're all doctors now. Oh no, I it it was uh the the the event was not too long ago and they both flew in town to surprise me. It was great. Um we like I said, we're we are first generation, so though there's not a lot of us here in this country. So we were tight-knit growing up. You know, that it was the immediate family of the five of us. And and so uh we celebrate each other uh in the best ways possible because we all know what it took to get to these these places. So I uh I was honored to receive that doctorate. But yeah, well, I'm competitive. I my parents deserved a third doctor. And I was not going to med school. So here we are. I've not performed surgery on the ISO I'm not doing a doctor. I'm not doing against chemistry. I'm not doing none of that. So uh no, it worked out, but it it's great to uh to celebrate that with them and and just uh it's an honor in this. I thought when I got the email about it, I was sure it was a joke. Really? It was positive it was a joke. It's a real thing. So they sent a second email, which is basically like this is for real. He wouldn't have shown up. Uh you were told me about the story during the ceremony. You're hanging out with Andy Cohen? Yeah. Did not know who Andy Cohen was, is that right? No, I no, I knew he I knew who he was. I did not realize I didn't realize that Andy was from St. Louis until all this started with uh with the doctorate. So we had a great time. Uh what a what a just a funny, hilarious, great guy. But he also, the message he gave to the students about uh about the high, about the how, not the why, like of of your future. Just don't focus on the outcome, focus on the path. That was just a really meaningful thing. So I want to give him credit uh because those we were getting there as as old grads, honorary doctors. We're the senior members, the vintage ones. But the but the young people in the audience to hear that I think from a person that they can connect with uh in this day and age, with with what's on with pop culture and and and and his command he has of media was was really great. So I enjoyed it. We uh we got caught on the jumbotron having a lot of convers. I forget that when he's the honorary person, the camera camera the whole time. I had questions. Yeah. And so uh it was a good time. But it was a it was an honor to to be up there with him and uh and all the uh the awardees. Michael McDonald was up there too. Um the voice the the he's got a smooth voice. The dinner the night before uh he sang a couple of songs. It's like, all right, well, that's why you have five Grammys. So I had none. This is why I'm behind the scenes at the music. Correct. I do paperwork.

SPEAKER_02 14:39

Now you you listen to what Andy had to say to the audience, and obviously there are words that you live by as well. What words are the ones that have guided your path?

SPEAKER_01 14:49

Um probably believe in yourself. Yeah. That's that's the the number one. Um we've always we were always raised that if another person can do this thing, there's no reason why you can't. Okay. Um I think that dreams aren't things that you hope for, they're things that you manifest. I think you can do that. But I think belief in yourself, uh, even if that belief is not uh widespread from other other places, uh is is the key one. I think that um to do the best you can for the person next to you every day, whether or not you know them. Um that that phrase that you don't know what a person's going through is so true. So if you have the opportunity to be a bright spot for just a moment in their day, I I don't pass up the opportunities to share a little bit of joy. Does it what does it take? What does it hurt? So um I think that the energy you put out in the world is the energy that comes back to you. So all those opportunities, you just try to do the best for the person next to you, stranger or not. And I think if we all do that, uh you start a ripple effect of of of positivity and think we just as a as a society, yeah, we're we're in a better place that way. Just a couple more for you. One, this is my very first time in the Muni. And I've lived here since 2004. That's shameful. I'm no that's not that bad. Yeah, no, it's pretty bad. I you know I'm 21 years.

SPEAKER_02 16:05

It yeah, yeah It's been a while. It's been a while. So why should I come in the summer of 2026?

SPEAKER_01 16:11

What about the summer of 2026 that has you jacked and ready to go? Okay, well, number one, you have to come because it's been too long. Okay, all right. You got me there. But easy enough. I think that this this season, uh, when we put this the summer together lineup together, it's there's a lot of joy in the season. I keep talking about it because I think the world needs that right now. So the seven shows we have are just gonna bring people together a lot to celebrate. Uh if you're gonna pick one show, come come see Meet Me in St. Louis. Okay. It's literally about St. Louis. Yeah. So if you miss Meet Me in St. Louis in St. Louis at the Muni, I I don't I don't know if we can continue this friendship. So I don't want to make it that that heavy, but it feels that heavy. But it feels heavy. But for a community to see a show that like they're basically in the show is is a really great, great opportunity. So I think come see this because I think you see uh representation of St. Louis here. We have 11,000 seats. There are free seats, there are box seats. That's every socioeconomic uh piece of this society is here behind us every night. And so if you want to feel like you're embedded in the heart of this community for a night, come come see a show. I started working here. I wasn't a musical theater fan. I've never been in a show. I just love the sense of community that's out here. So I love it. I know you love community. Oh, yeah. So you've been missing out on one of the greatest aspects of it. See you don't have to keep pointing it out.

SPEAKER_02 17:23

No, I just wanted to say 21. After the summer, you won't be able to say it again. I really hope that's true. Hey, what have the those concerts done for the muni? Gosh, I think that's a whole different audience altogether, too, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 17:35

It is, it is. I think it will two things. It it brought a new audience, but it's also like gives us a uh a button at the end of the season. It's like a real celebration. The show the summer shows are were wonderful. But yeah, this one night concert where it's a thing you can't miss. It it completes, I think, our tradition. So we did concerts back uh 70s, 80s, and into the early 90s, and then we stopped for a while. Okay. Um so to bring them back, I tell people when I became president, it's a question they ask me number one. Like when are you bringing concerts back? So just give me a second. Um so this will be our third year of it. It's opened up a new audience, it's it's let us as an as an organization uh exercise a different muscle. Producing theater is one thing, producing a concert, some of the same assets but in a different way. I like to watch the staff see themselves uh uh flex a different muscle and and achieve excellence in a different way. So you know a whole other group of people come out for this one night instead of sitting in the seats and digesting the show, they're standing up, they're they're involved in a concert. It's just a great night. Um and it and it's a button at the end. So this year it's gonna be Lionel Ridgie. Yeah. Um you gotta come see them. So it you have to be twice. I will tell you this about the connection to the Lionel Ridgie. When I first started dating my wife and I've been married for 39 years, um Hello, that was our song. That's you singing on the album? Uh pretty much not. Pretty much not. Well, now you now you gotta you gotta come out for this help. I don't I don't have quite as good of a Lionel connection, but maybe after this, maybe after this.

SPEAKER_02 19:04

I would love to go see it. It's quite a catalog. I will finish with this one for you. This is season 108. A lot of history here. When people look back on season 108, what do you want them to say about the mini?

SPEAKER_01 19:16

Um when they look back on 108 specifically, I hope they feel like it was a celebration. Uh I hope that in a time where sometimes the definition of society feels relatively fractured sometimes. I hope that they feel like our summer season or the time that they had here was a moment where they didn't feel that fracture, where like they remembered together more than apart. Um I think that's our job. Anything that brings people together, whether it's theater or the sports teams we have, any opportunity to gather together, uh, those are so important right now because we have identified ourselves so specifically, we the way that we we draw ourselves is because they become dividing lines. We need to erase some of that. So I hope that 108, season 108 feels like that for people. I hope that's what they remember. Uniting place behind us. With uh I think uniting place. It is, it is. It's uh it's uh it's great. It's a beautiful thing to look at because when you fill it up with people, uh you remember what a comedian looks like. So thank you, man. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 20:13

Appreciate this. Of course. Uh as a guy who's never been on stage as far as a performer, do you ever stand there, look up and go, Oh my god, how do they do this?

SPEAKER_01 20:21

All the time. Oh yeah. All the time. I tell you, I sometimes uh I live in the central West Century and I drive through here at night, like on the way home, and like the immenseness of the place, sometimes like, oof, I gotta go to work. Um but yeah, it it's um days like this when you look at it, it it is a little bit breathtaking. But there's there's not a better time than when you look at it that's full of people. Yeah. That's that you can't beat. So I couldn't imagine it though. It's pretty standing on stage in front of all those faces. Well, you won't have to imagine it, it's just gonna come up. And I and I'll double for lounge.

SPEAKER_03 20:56

We gotta stop it for you.