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Arthur Miller
is one of the most frequently produced playwrights in America. From
his first theatrical success with All My Sons in 1947 to
Broken Glass in 1994, his plays continue to energize the stage,
explore the shadowy realm of human motivations, and probe the
conflicts at the bottom of the American dream. He wrote his first
play while in college at the University of Michigan and his writing
helped him to finance the remaining college years while winning him
several awards, including the Michigan’s Avery Hopwood Award and the
Theatre Guild National Award. He received his B.A. in 1938 and soon
after began writing for radio.
Miller’s first professional
production of a play was The Man Who Had All the Luck,
appearing on Broadway on November 23, 1944, and lasting for four
performances. His first stage success, All My Sons, produced
on January 29, 1947, established Miller as a dramatist of much
promise and won him the Drama Critics Circle Award for the best
American play of the season. Death of a Salesman opened on
Broadway on February 10, 1949. The play was awarded the Pulitzer
Prize for drama and the Drama Critics Circle Award and solidified
Miller’s reputation as a leading American dramatist around the
world. The story of Willy Loman continues to be a literary staple
in the classrooms of the world as a theatrical classic. The
Crucible, opened on Broadway on January 22, 1953, and earned
Miller a Tony Award. The works that followed for Miller included
A View from the Bridge and A Memory of Two Mondays
(1955), After the Fall (1963), Incident at Vichy
(1964), The Price (1968), The Creation of the World and
Other Business (1972), and The American Clock (1980). He
has also written two novels, Focus (1945), and The Misfits,
which was filmed in 1960, and the text for In Russia (1969),
Chinese Encounters (1979), and In the Country (1977),
three books of photographs by his wife, Inge Morath. He wrote the
screenplay for the 1980 television production of Playing for Time,
Fania Fenelon’s story of how she survived in Auschwitz by being part
of the Nazi prison camp’s female orchestra. Miller continued his
success with such work as Danger: Memory! Two Plays (1987),
Timebends, a memoir (1988), and the plays The Ride Down
Mt. Morgan (1991), The Last Yankee (1993), and Broken
Glass (1994). Miller was interviewed by Inge festival
participant, Otis Guernsey, in "A Conversation With Arthur Miller"
on Friday, April 21 at 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Inge Theatre.
He also participated in the panel discussion "The Struggle for the
NEA" on Saturday, April 22 at 1:15 - 2:30 p.m. at the Independence
Museum. On Saturday, April 22, Miller was presented with "The
William Inge Festival Award for Distinguished Achievement in the
American Theatre" at 8:00 p.m. in the Inge Theatre.
Table of Contents
Schedule of Events
The Fourteenth Annual
William Inge Theatre Festival and Conference
Schedule of Events
April 20, 21, & 22, 1995
THURSDAY, APRIL 20
10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.--REGISTRATION
in the Margaret Goheen Foyer of the William Inge Theatre, Fine Arts
Building. FILM FESTIVAL featured "Penn Avenue to Broadway›
(documentary on Inge) and other Inge films: Splendor in the
Grass, Picnic, Bus Stop, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, and
Come Back, Little Sheba. Fine Arts Room 1, Fine Arts
Building. FREE
10:00 A.M. - 9:00
P.M.--THE WILLIAM INGE COLLECTION was opened to visitors.
College Library, Academic Building.
1:00 P.M. Tour of "WILLIAM
INGE’S INDEPENDENCE." Met in the Margaret Goheen Foyer, Fine Arts
Building. FREE
1:00 P.M. - 2:15 P.M.
"HOW 'DARK' FARED ON 0STAGE AND SCREEN." A panel discussion
about William Inge’s play, The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs.
Lecture Hall,Academic Building. FEE: $5.00
2:30 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.--"ARTHUR
MILLER AND HIS CRITICS." Dan Sullivan, former critic for The New
York Times and The Los Angeles Times. Lecture Hall,
Academic Building. FEE: $5.00 (ICC students free)
7:30 P.M.
--THE DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS William Inge’s
full-length play performed by Independence community members.
Adults and Students $5.00 (ICC students free). All seats
reserved. William Inge Theatre, Fine Arts Building. (Also
performed on Wednesday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m.)
FRIDAY, APRIL 21
8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
--REGISTRATION in the Margaret Goheen Foyer of the William Inge
Theatre, Fine Arts Building. THE WILLIAM INGE COLLECTION opened to
visitors. College Library, Academic Building. FILM FESTIVAL
continued in FA1, Fine Arts Building. (Check schedule at
Registration Desk) FREE
8:30 A.M. - 10:30 A.M.
--"ACTING WORKSHOP WITH SHIRLEY KNIGHT." Participants brought
prepared scenes for critique. Inge Theatre, Fine Arts Bldg. FEE:
$10.00
"MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP WITH
KAITLIN HOPKINS." Actress and singer, Ms. Hopkins presented the
basics of working in musical theatre. Participants brought prepared
scenes. Music Hall, Fine Arts Bldg. FEE: $10.00
"COLD READINGS WORKSHOP WITH JASON
MILLIGAN AND KEN HANES." Explored how actors make choices when
working on scenes and plays. Playwright Jason Milligan and actor Ken
Hanes (Mike on The Bold and The Beautiful) shared some
secrets on how to make quick acting choices and how to "think on
your feet". Lecture Hall, Academic Bldg. FEE: $10.00
9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.--"I’VE
WRITTEN A PLAY, WHAT DO I DO NOW?" A question and answer session
panel for aspiring playwrights. Attendees visited with Jerome
Lawrence, Robert Anderson, and met the 1995 "New Voices" playwright
Mary Hanes. Moderator David LeVine, theatrical lawyer and former
director of the Dramatists Guild, and agent Bridget Aschenberg gave
other perspectives. Academic Bldg. Classroom # 104 (lower level).
FEE: $5.00
10:45 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.--"A
CONVERSATION WITH ARTHUR MILLER" Mr. Miller discussed the theatre
and responded to questions. Inge Theatre, Fine Arts Building.
FREE
12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M.--A
"NOVEL" LUNCH in the Fireside Room, Student Union. Attendees met
many published authors and their books over lunch. Fee: $7.50
1:15 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.--"THE
BUILDING BLOCKS OF A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN THE ARTS." A panel
discussion led by Jim Halsey, artist manager and agent. Attendees
learned what the essential elements of a successful career are and
how to put together the "team" for success. Music Hall, Fine Arts
Building. FEE: $5.00 (ICC students free)
1:30 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.--SCHOLAR’S
CONFERENCE began. Conference Director: Dr. Jackson Bryer, The
University of Maryland. Lecture Hall, Academic Building. FEE:
$5.00 (ICC students free)
3:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.--Tour
of "WILLIAM INGE'S INDEPENDENCE." Met in the Margaret Goheen Foyer,
Fine Arts Bldg. FREE
7:00 P.M--"DINNER
WITH NEA CHAIR JANE ALEXANDER." A Gala Dinner Party at the
Independence Country Club with actress and Chairperson of the
National Endowment for the Arts, Jane Alexander. The awarding of the
1994 Margo Jones Award and Medal to Ms. Alexander. All seats
reserved. $25.00
SATURDAY, APRIL 22
8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.--REGISTRATION
in the Margaret Goheen Foyer of the William Inge Theatre, Fine Arts
Bldg. FILM FESTIVAL continues in Fine Arts Room 1, Fine Arts
Building.
9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.--"THE
SOPHISTICATION OF THE MUSICAL BOOK, 1920 - 1995." Lectured by Otis
Guernsey. Lecture Hall, Academic Bldg. Fee: $5.00 (ICC
students free)
10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.--THE
WILLIAM INGE COLLECTION opened to visitors. College Library,
Academic Building.
10:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M.--"NEW
VOICES IN AMERICAN THEATRE:1995." Scenes from playwright Mary Hanes’
new play Doin’ Time At The Alamo. Lecture Hall, Academic
Building. Fee: $5.00 (ICC students free)
11:45 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.--"PICNIC
LUNCHEON" at Riverside Park, Main Shelter House. Fee: $7.50
1:15 P.M. - 2:30 P.M.--"THE
STRUGGLE FOR THE NEA." A panel discussion with Jane Alexander, NEA
Chairman;U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum; playwrights Arthur Miller,
Robert Anderson, and Jerome Lawrence; moderated by Dan Sullivan.
Independence Museum, 8th and Myrtle. FREE
2:45 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.--"REVIVING
PICNIC ON BROADWAY." Scott Ellis, Director of the
1994 Broadway revival of PICNIC, is joined by actress Polly
Holliday, who portrayed Flo in PICNIC, to discuss the
production. Lecture Hall, Academic Building. Fee: $5.00 (ICC
students free)
3:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.--TOUR
OF "WILLIAM INGE’S INDEPENDENCE." Met in the Margaret Goheen Foyer,
Fine Arts Building. FREE
8:00 P.M.--"TRIBUTE
TO ARTHUR MILLER." Presentation of "THE WILLIAM INGE FESTIVAL AWARD
FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT IN THE AMERICAN THEATRE.› William Inge
Theatre. All seats reserved. $10.00 (ICC students free)
Table of Contents
Festival Participants
1995 Special Guests and Festival Participants
Robert Anderson
(Inge
Award Recipient in 1985)
participated on the panel "I've Written a Play, What Do I Do Now?"
on Friday, April 21 at 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. in Room 104 of the Academic
Building. He also participated in the panel discussion "The
Struggle for the NEA" on Saturday, April 22 at 1:15 - 2:30 p.m. at
the Independence Museum.
See updated bio in 1998 - Stephen Sondheim.
Bridget Aschenberg is a
dramatic agent at International Creative Management in New York
City. Along with her other clients, she represents the Inge
Estate. She participated in "I've Written A Play, What Do I Do
Now?" on Friday, April 21 at 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. in Room 104 of the
Academic Building.
Gene DeGruson,
(deceased 1997) Director of Special Collections at Pittsburg State
University in Pittsburg, KS, was the compiler of "William Inge: A
Preliminary Checklist," which was published in the First
Printings of American Authors, Vol. 2. He adapted Harold Bell
Wright's first novel, That Imaginary Invalid, which he
directed in 1960 for the Tent-by-The Lake Summer Theatre. His first
book of poetry, Goat's House, was published in 1986. In 1988
he edited The Lost Edition of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle."
He participated as a panel member on "How 'Dark' Fared on
Stage and Screen" on Thursday, April 20 at 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. in
the Lecture Hall.
Carole D'Andrea
appeared in the original Broadway productions of West Side Story
and Gypsy and in the Academy award-winning film of
West Side Story. Her 35 year career as a performer spans all
phases of the entertainment industry. She has directed plays both
on and off Broadway and in regional theatres throughout the United
States including Company, Guys and Dolls, and Damn
Yankees. She taught acting and musical theatre classes in New
York at Carnegie Hall for many years and is currently teaching in
Los Angeles. In television she has been featured in network variety
shows and in sitcoms. She has coached students who are currently in
the Broadway productions of the rock opera Tommy and The
Phantom Of The Opera. She presented "Musical Theatre Workshop
with Carole D' Andrea" on Friday, April 21 at 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. in
the Music Hall.
Scott Ellis, Broadway
director joined Polly Holliday on the discussion of "Reviving
Picnic on Broadway" on Saturday, April 22 at 2:45 - 4:00 p.m. at
the Independence Museum.
See updated bio in 1998 - Stephen Sondheim.
Tim Emert, Kansas
State Senator, hosted "Dinner with NEA Chair Jane Alexander" on
Friday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the Independence Country Club.
Otis L. Guernsey Jr.
interviewed Arthur Miller in "A Conversation with Arthur Miller" on
Friday, April 21 at 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Inge Theatre.
He also presented "The Sophistication of the Musical Book, 1920 -
1995" on Saturday, April 22 at 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. at the Independence
Museum.
See updated bio in
1997 - Neil Simon.
Jim Halsey
is an artist manager and agent, has over 40 years of experience in
the entertainment business. His presentation, "The Building Blocks
of a Successful Career in the Arts," was on Friday, April 21 at 1:15
p.m. - 2:30 p.m. in the Music Hall. The session included a
discussion of the team components that make up the roles in the
music and entertainment business.
Ken Hanes
conducted "Cold Readings Workshop with Jason Milligan and Ken Hanes"
on Friday, April 21 at 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. in the Lecture Hall.
See updated bio in
1997 - Neil Simon.
Mary Hanes
was the William
Inge Festival's
1995 "New Voices in American Theatre"
playwright and her play Doin' Time at the Alamo, which was
read on Saturday, April 22, at 10:00 a.m. at the Independence
Museum. She was on a session panel "I've Written a Play, What Do I
Do Now?" on Friday, April 21 at 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. in Room 104 of the
Academic Building.
See updated bio in
1997 - Neil Simon.
Eileen Heckart
conducted a reading of two one-act plays by William Inge on
Friday, April 21 from 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. in the Academic
Building and was featured in the "Tribute to Arthur Miller" on
Saturday, April 22 at 8:00 p.m. in the William Inge Theatre.
See updated bio in
1997 - Neil Simon.
Pat Hingle
has appeared in numerous Broadway stage productions including his
portrayal of Gooper in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (he played the
part of Big Daddy in a Los Angeles production of the play in 1983),
Rubin Flood in The Dark at the Top of the Stairs for which he
was nominated for a Tony Award, and has also appeared on Broadway in
The Price and That Championship Season, among others.
His many film credits include playing Ace Stamper in Inge’s
Splendor in the Grass, Norma Rae, Baby Boom, The Grifters, and
Police Commissioner Gordon in Batman, Batman Returns and
Batman and Robin. In 1993, he appeared in Lightning Jack
and in The Quick and the Dead. Mr. Hingle was also in the
HBO film Truman, where he played the part of Tom "Boss"
Pendergast and A Thousand Acres with Jessica Lange and
Michelle Pfeiffer. Mr. Hingle’s television appearances are many,
beginning with a 30-minute version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde, and include the mini-series War and Remembrance,
the series Murder, She Wrote, and the television
movie Everybody’s Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure. He
also appeared as Dr. Gerald Lyman in the HBO production of Inge’s
Bus Stop and The Shining. He is a recipient of a Clio
Award for his portrayal of Thomas Edison in General Electric
television commercials. He appeared as Benjamin Franklin in the
Broadway hit revival of 1776. He participated as a panel
member on "How 'Dark' Fared on Stage and Screen" on
Thursday, April 20 at 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. in the Lecture Hall and
was a panel member of "The Building Blocks of a Successful Career in
the Arts" on Friday, April 21 at 1:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. in the Music
Hall. He was also featured in the "Tribute to Arthur Miller" on
Saturday, April 22 at 8:00 p.m. in the William Inge Theatre.
Polly Holliday
joined Scott Ellis on the discussion of "Reviving Picnic on
Broadway" on Saturday, April 22 at 2:45 - 4:00 p.m. at the
Independence Museum.
See updated bio in
1997 - Neil Simon.
David Johansson
is an Assistant Professor of English at Brevard Community College,
where he teaches writing, literature and film studies. He
participated as a panel member on "How 'Dark' Fared on Stage
and Screen" on Thursday, April 20 at 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. in the
Lecture Hall.
Senator Nancy Kassebaum,
elected in 1978, was the first woman to win an election to the U.S.
Senate. The daughter of Alf Landon, the onetime Republican
presidential candidate and former Kansas Governor, Mrs. Kassebaum
attended Topeka schools but lived in Independence, Kansas for a
short while during her youth. She graduated from the University of
Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in political science and from the
University of Michigan with a master’s degree in diplomatic
history. In 1975 she accepted a post in Washington, D.C. as a
caseworker for Senator James B. Pearson of Kansas. When Senator
Pearson decided not to seek reelection in 1978, Kassebaum cautiously
entered the race and won. She has won each election since and has
become a key voice in the U.S. Senate. She participated in the
panel discussion "The Struggle for the NEA" on Saturday, April 22 at
1:15 - 2:30 p.m. at the Independence Museum.
Shirley Knight,
a native of Lyons, Kansas, has done extensive work on stage, screen,
and television. Her numerous honors include the Tony Award, Emmy
Award, two Academy Award nominations, the Venice Film Festival Best
Actress Award, the Critics Prize at the Cannes Film Festival (for
producing the film Dutchman), the Joseph Jefferson Award,
Drama Desk nomination, Golden Globe nominations, and six Emmy
nominations. She has written and directed a musical film about the
homeless, Far From Home, which premiered as part of the
American Film Institute’s directing workshop for women. Ms.
Knight’s stage credits include Broadway productions of The Three
Sisters, Losing Time, Landscape of the Body, Kennedy’s Children,
and A Lovely Sunday For Creve Coeur. Recent work includes
The Cherry Orchard in Washington, D.C. and The Glass
Menagerie at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey. Her
film credits include William Inge’s The Dark at the Top of the
Stairs, Sweet Bird of Youth, and title roles in Dutchman
and The Group. Ms. Knight won an Emmy for her work on
Thirtysomething. She received Emmy nominations for her work on
Law and Order and a production of Arthur Miller’s Playing
for Time. She conducted "Acting Workshop with Shirley Knight" on
Friday, April 21 at 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. in the Inge Theatre. She also
hosted the "Tribute to Arthur Miller" on Saturday, April 22 at 8:00
p.m. in the Inge Theatre.
Jerome Lawrence and
his writing partner, the late Robert E. Lee, may have been the
longest-running playwriting team in the English language. Their
theatre works include Inherit The Wind (which enjoyed a
Broadway revival), Auntie Mame, The Night Thoreau Spent In Jail,
First Monday In October and more than 20 other plays and
musicals. They were co-founders of Armed Forces Radio Service,
American Playwrights Theatre, and the Margo Jones Award (now
presented annually at the Inge Festival). They were inducted into
the Theatre Hall of Fame and the College of Fellows of the American
Theatre at Kennedy Center, both in 1990. For the past 20 years,
Lawrence has been a member of the Councils of the Dramatists Guild
and the Authors League of America, his proudest credits. His novel
A Golden Circle: A Tale of the Stage and the Screen and Music of
Yesterday and Now and Tomorrow and Maybe the Day After Tomorrow
was published by Sun and Moon Press. He was on a session panel
"I've Written a Play, What Do I Do Now?" on Friday, April 21 at 9:00
- 10:00 a.m. in Room 104 of the Academic Building. He also
participated in the panel discussion "The Struggle for the NEA" on
Saturday, April 22 at 1:15 - 2:30 p.m. at the Independence Museum.
David LeVine
was the moderator for "I've Written A Play, What Do I Do Now?" on
Friday, April 21 at 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. in Room 104 of the Academic
Building and participated at the Gala Dinner on Friday, April 21 at
the Independence Country Club as Chairman of the Margo Jones Award.
See updated bio in 1998 - Stephen Sondheim.
Sheri Mann began her career
as an actress on the London stage and at the Edinburgh Festival in
Scotland. She then went on to perform in many European films, as
well as performing on TV for the BBC and CBS. She has acted in
Hollywood films and was a dialogue coach for many feature films.
Sheri studied with Stella Adler, Danny Mann, and Sandy Meisner. She
has taught acting at many colleges and universities in the United
States. She was a panel member of "The Building Blocks of a
Successful Career in the Arts" on Friday, April 21 at 1:15 p.m. -
2:30 p.m. in the Music Hall.
Arthur McClure
(deceased 1997) taught in the Department of History and Anthropology
at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg. His B.A. was
from the University of Kansas, as was his Ph.D.; he had an M.A. from
the University of Colorado. He wrote William Inge: A
Bibliography (1982), and had authored several books, many
dealing with the American motion picture. His second publication on
Inge, Memories of Splendor: The Midwestern World of William Inge
is from the Kansas State Historical Society's Images Series. He
participated as a panel member on "How 'Dark' Fared on Stage
and Screen" on Thursday, April 20 at 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. in the
Lecture Hall.
Jason Milligan was
the
1993 ''New Voices in American Theatre"
playwright for his play Men in Suits. He
conducted "Cold Readings Workshop with Jason Milligan and Ken Hanes"
on Friday, April 21 at 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. in the Lecture Hall.
See updated bio in 1998 - Stephen Sondheim.
Lisa Mitchell,
director of the Inge Festival production of The Dark At The Top
of the Stairs, earned her BSE in elementary education from
Emporia State University and has been very active with Neewollah and
Independence Community College theatre productions. She
participated as a panel member on "How 'Dark' Fared on Stage
and Screen" on Thursday, April 20 at 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. in the
Lecture Hall.
Dick Ridgeway was a
panel member of "The Building Blocks of a Successful Career in the
Arts" on Friday, April 21 at 1:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. in the Music
Hall.
Dan Sullivan
presented "Arthur Miller and His Critics" on Thursday, April 20 at
2:30 - 3:30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall. He was also the moderator
panel discussion "The Struggle for the NEA" on Saturday, April 22 at
1:15 - 2:30 p.m. at the Independence Museum.
See updated bio in 1998 - Stephen Sondheim.
Ralph F. Voss led a panel
discussion "How 'Dark' Fared on Stage and Screen" on
Thursday, April 20 at 1:00 - 2:15 p.m. in the Lecture Hall.
See updated bio in 1998 - Stephen Sondheim.
Mike Wood
produced the "Tribute to Arthur Miller on Saturday, April 22 at 8:00
p.m. in the Inge Theatre.
See updated bio in 1998 - Stephen Sondheim.
Teresa Wright
made her Broadway debut as the ingenue in the original production of
Life With Father and scored so notably that Samuel Goldwyn
recruited her to play Alexandra in the film version of The Little
Foxes. Ms. Wright returned to Broadway in William Inge’s The
Dark at the Top of the Stairs. She was nominated for Academy
Awards for her first three films, The Little Foxes, Pride of the
Yankees, and Mrs. Miniver, and won the Oscar for her
performance in Mrs. Miniver. Among her other well remembered
films have been The Best Years of Our Lives, The Actress, Shadow
of A Doubt, and The Men. Recent films include The Good
Mother. On television, Ms. Wright was nominated for an Emmy
Award for her portrayals of Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker
and the title role in The Margaret Bourke-White Story. One
of her favorite small screen roles was in Ring Lardner Jr.’s
Golden Honeymoon for the American Short Story Series on PBS.
Recent television credits include Murder, She Wrote, Dolphin Cove,
and Perry Mason. She was featured in the "Tribute to Arthur
Miller" on Saturday, April 22 at 8:00 p.m. in the William Inge
Theatre.
Table of Contents
1994 Margo Jones
Award
Jane Alexander: Recipient of the 1994 Margo Jones Award
presented at the Independence Country Club on
Friday, April 21
Jane Alexander, chairman of
the National Endowment for the Arts, was the special guest for the
14th annual William Inge Festival’s annual Gala Dinner Party on
Friday, April 21st, at the Independence Country Club. Ms. Alexander
was appointed by President Clinton to become the sixth chairman of
the NEA in 1993 and was sworn into office by Associate Justice of
the Supreme Court Sandra Day O’Connor. As Chairman, Ms. Alexander
has discussed her agenda for leading the agency in speeches before
citizen groups, business and civic organizations, national arts
organizations and others. Taking up the challenge of President
Clinton to "renew America," Chairman Alexander has spoken out about
how the arts can lead the way in education reform and in community
building.
Ms. Alexander has been active in
the arts for over 35 years as an award-winning actress, producer and
author. She received a Tony Award for The Great White Hope
and an Emmy Award for Playing for Time, adapted by Arthur
Miller. She has received six Tony Award nominations, including one
for her performance in Wendy Wasserstein’s play The Sisters
Rosensweig; four Academy Award Nominations; and five Emmy Award
nominations. She also received the Television Critics Circle Award
for her portrayal of Eleanor Roosevelt in the film Eleanor and
Franklin: The White House Years. In addition to the 40 films she
has appeared in, Ms. Alexander has performed in over 100 plays in
New York and in regional theaters throughout the country. She has
produced three films, including the acclaimed A Marriage: Georgia
O’Keeffe and Alfred Steiglitz for PBS’s American Playhouse
series. She has narrated numerous documentaries, short stories,
and books and is co-author of a translation of Henrik Ibsen’s The
Master Builder and co-author of The Bluefish Cookbook. A
native of Brookline, Massachusetts, Ms. Alexander attended Sarah
Lawrence College and the University of Edinburgh. She participated
in the panel discussion "The Struggle for the NEA" on Saturday,
April 22 at 1:15 - 2:30 p.m. at the Independence Museum. She also
presented the "The William Inge Festival Award for Distinguished
Achievement in the American Theatre" to Arthur Miller on Saturday,
April 22 at the "Tribute to Arthur Miller" at 8:00 p.m. in the Inge
Theatre.
Table of Contents
Conference Scholars
1995 Conference Scholars
Conference Director:
Jackson R. Bryer Ph.D, University of Maryland,
See updated bio in 1998 - Stephen Sondheim.
Scholars:
Doug Cummins, Ph.D, University of Texas
- Pan American, presented "Gallant Men in Spite of Themselves."
Kenneth Hada, Wesleyan College, Bartlesville, OK,
presented "Into Thin Air: The Conflict of the Ideal With Reality in
"Come Back, Little Sheba."
Norman E. Schroder, Ph.D, Bethany College, Lindsborg,
KS, presented "Choric Function in Three Short Plays by William Inge:
Bus Riley's Back in Town, The Strains of Triumph, and The
Mall."
Arvid F. Sponberg, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso,
IN, presented "Absent Fathers, Transient Sons: Miller, Inge and
Gurney."
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