East alum, professional actor Kip Niven donates library to theater department

photo by Bella Wolfe

East Alum Maggie Niven carted in two dollies and seven cardboard boxes full of scripts, scores and books from her father’s lifework. Kip Niven had died suddenly from a heart attack six months before, and she knew the best spot for his collection was where both she and her father graduated 50 years apart, and where he was inspired to pursue his acting career.

“Shawnee Mission East is where he first became an actor, and what inspired him to pursue a lifelong career,” Maggie said.

After contacting East Director Brian Cappello, she donated her father’s material to East hoping other students can find their passion in theater just like she and her father did. To her, the scripts, music sheets and stage instructions have better use existing where future actors, directors or stage managers will be able to read the source material. 

“Maybe the material will make someone realize they want to direct someday,” Maggie said.

Niven graduated from East in 1963, studied theater at KU and went on to pursue an extensive acting career appearing in movies, TV shows, commercials and plays. He acted in movies and TV shows in the 70s and 80s such as “Magnum Force” and “New Years Evil.” 

When he moved back to Kansas City from New York City in the 90s so Maggie could grow up in the East district, Niven continued to involve himself in the theater community, working with Starlight, KC Repertory Theater and other local organizations. Before he died, he was scheduled to perform in “The Wizard of Oz” at Starlight.

While Maggie was still at East, he led musical theater workshops for the drama department, spoke with the students about life as a professional actor and coached some of Maggie’s friends for their upcoming auditions.

Senior Margaret Veglahn met Niven on a comedy sketch radio show when she was eight. She remembers how he made everyone feel at ease. When someone went in for a handshake, he went in for a hug. He wore a different bowtie every day, and smiled like crazy. At local shows, Veglahn remembers how he would offer to hold the doors and greet audience members as they arrived. 

“He was so supportive,” Veglahn said. “I think everyone in the community felt that.”

On the front of the door to the library in the drama room is a gold plaque that reads, “Kip Niven Memorial Script Library and Theater Archive.” The donations will add to the already existing theater library located in the drama room. Cappello still hasn’t finished unloading and placing the contents of the six boxes since Maggie wheeled them in last month. 

There are TV scripts and film scripts, and what Cappello likes most — about 30 of Niven’s own working scripts. Some of it’s pretty obscure stuff, according to Cappello. Only information a theater student would understand, like ways to integrate character roles into other characters and blocking how-to’s.

On the pages, Niven’s notes, dictations and dramaturgy are found scribbled in the margins and on the back of script pages, giving advice like to laugh on certain words and mumble on others. He includes blocking instructions, as to when an actor should drink from his pretend cup and how not to sound so “sing-songy” in a specific scene. 

For certain projects in drama class such as writing scripts, analyzing scripts, directing plays and designing shows, Cappello believes the new addition to the library will provide resources to the student actors. When he sat down and flipped through some of Niven’s notations, Cappello was in awe of his patience and thoroughness. When a student comes to Cappello who wants to pursue theater after high school, he knows the library will offer a primary source.

“Mr. DeFeo and I can teach these kids until we’re blue in the face, but for them to actually see it, that’s when they’ll get it,” Cappello said. 

When directing a show, Cappello could sometimes realize himself becoming immune to the lines and blocking. He remembered when Niven would sit behind his chair, asking why Cappello had a student move in a certain direction or deliver a line a certain way. His fresh set of eyes that had seen years worth of professional theater offered Cappello the same insight he hopes  the library can offer.

Nivens founded the Equity Actors’ Readers’ Theater, a local group where actors perform classic plays, script-in-hand. In 2010, Cappello and DeFeo began the SME Theater Hall of Fame and inducted three people, one of which was Niven.

“He was someone the local community was really lucky to have because of his high caliber of talent,” Veglahn said. “Because talent spreads more talent.”