1985 William Inge Honoree

Robert Anderson

Robert Anderson received "The William Inge Award for Lifetime Achievement" on Monday, April 15, 1985, by Kansas Governor John Carlin on the stage of the William Inge Theatre. Robert Anderson, a native New Yorker, has written plays for the stage, screen, radio and television in addition to two novels. Educated at Harvard University (magna cum laude) Anderson's many stage successes include Tea and Sympathy, Silent Night, Lonely Night, You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running, and I Never Sang for My Father. He participated in the seminar "American Realism on Stage and Screen" with other festival participants on Monday, April 15 at 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. in the Inge Theatre and attended the After Theatre Supper with other festival guests on Monday, April 15 at 10:30 p.m. at the Independence Country Club. See updated bio in 1998 - Stephen Sondheim.

Schedule of Events

The Fourth Annual
William Inge Theatre Festival and Conference
Schedule of Events
April 13, 14, 15, & 16, 1985

7:30 P.M.—"AN EVENING WITH CBS NEWSMAN, BILL KURTIS." The William Inge Festival Honored an ICC Alumnus. Independence Country Club.

1:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.--REGISTRATION in the Foyer of the William Inge Theatre, Fine Arts Building. THE WILLIAM INGE COLLECTION opened to visitors. College Library, Academic Building.

1:00 P.M.—INGE FILM FESTIVAL - "BUS RILEY’S BACK IN TOWN." Media Center, Academic Building.

1:15 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.—"WILLIAM INGE: PENN AVENUE TO BROADWAY." Lecture Hall, Academic Building.

1:30 P.M.—Tour of "WILLIAM INGE’S INDEPENDENCE." Met in Theatre Foyer, Fine Arts Bldg.

2:30 P.M.—Tour of "WILLIAM INGE’S INDEPENDENCE." Met in Theatre Foyer, Fine Arts Bldg.

3:30 P.M.—Tour of "WILLIAM INGE’S INDEPENDENCE." Met in Theatre Foyer, Fine Arts Bldg.

3:15 P.M.—INGE FILM FESTIVAL - "SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS." Media Center, Academic Building.

8:00 P.M.—"OPTIONS AND INGESPIRATIONS." Starred Walter Willison and Jeffrey Silverman, Composers of the new musical PERFECT STRANGERS based on Bus Stop that featued Jo Anna Lehaman. William Inge Theatre - Fine Arts Building. Reception in the foyer hosted by Independence Arts Council.

8:30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.-- REGISTRATION in the Foyer of the William Inge Theatre, Fine Arts Bldg.

9:15 A.M --"FROM STAGE TO SCREEN, HOW DID WILLIAM INGE FARE?" Mike Wood, Media Specialist, Pasadena, CA, lectured with film. William Inge Theatre, Fine Arts Building.

10:15 A.M.—"WILLIAM INGE, GREAT VOICE OF THE HEART OF AMERICA." Patricia McIlrath, Artistic Director of Missouri Repertory Theatre. William Inge Theatre, Fine Arts Building.

11:15 A.M. - 12:15 P.M.—SEMINAR: "American Realism on Stage and Screen" with Robert Anderson; Thomas P. Adler, Purdue University, Anderson Biographer; John Grondeck-Tedesco, University of Kansas Theatre; and Jackson Bryer, University of Maryland, Moderator. William Inge Theatre, Fine Arts Building.

12:30 P.M.—Luncheon Honoring the Inge Family, Festival and Conference Guests. Student Union. FEE: $5.00

1:30 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.—SCHOLAR’S CONFERENCE. Theme: "AMERICAN REALISM ON STAGE" Session I. Lecture Hall, Academic Building.

3:30 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.—SCHOLAR’S CONFERENCE. Theme: "AMERICAN REALISM ON STAGE" Session II. Lecture Hall, Academic Building.

1:30 P.M.--Tour of "WILLIAM INGE’S INDEPENDENCE." Met in Theatre Foyer, Fine Arts Bldg.

8:00 P.M.—"ROBERT ANDERSON, GENTLEMAN PLAYWRIGHT," A Tribute that featured Shirley Knight and Kate Hopkins, Jo Anna Lehman, Jefrey Silverman, and Walter Willison. Presentation of "The William Inge Award for Lifetime Achievement in the American Theatre" by the Honorable John Carlin, Governor of Kansas. There was a reception in the Foyer during Intermission. William Inge Theatre. Fee: $5.00

10:30 P.M.—AFTER-THEATRE SUPPER WITH ROBERT ANDERSON and other honored guests. Independence Country Club.

8:30 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.—REGISTRATION in the Foyer, William Inge Theatre.

9:15 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.—"AN ACTING TECHNIQUE WORKSHOP" and "A SYMPOSIUM OF MODERN THEATRE." Conducted by Shirley Knight. Music Hall, Fine Arts Building.

1:30 P.M.--William Inge’s PICNIC performed by Cloud County Community College Players. William Inge Theatre, Fine Arts Building. FEE: $3.00. Students FREE

7:30 P.M.—William Inge’s PICNIC performed by Cloud County Community College Players. William Inge Theatre, Fine Arts Building. FEE: $3.00. Students FREE

Festival Participants

1985 Special Guests and Festival Participants

Kansas Governor John Carlin presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Robert Anderson at the "Tribute to Robert Anderson" on Monday, April 15 at 8:00 p.m. in the Inge Theatre.

Cloud County Community College Players presented two performances of William Inge's play Picnic at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16 in the Inge Theatre.

John Grondeck-Tedesco, University of Kansas Theatre, participated in the seminar "American Realism On Stage and Screen" with Robert Anderson and other festival participants on Monday, April 15 at 11:15 a.m.- 12:15 p.m. in the Inge Theatre.

Kaitlin Hopkins was featured in the tribute "Robert Anderson, Gentleman Playwright" on Monday, April 15 at 8:00 p.m. in the Inge Theatre. See updated bio in 1994 - Terrence McNally.

Shirley Knight was featured in the tribute "Robert Anderson, Gentleman Playwright" on Monday, April 15 at 8:00 p.m. in the Inge Theatre. She also took part in "An Acting Technique Workshop" and "A Symposium on Modern Theatre" on Tuesday, April 6 at 9:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Music Hall. See updated bio in 1995 - Arthur Miller.

Bill Kurtis, award winning broadcast journalist, returned to Independence as a special guest of the 1985 Inge Festival where he was honored at "An Evening With CBS Newsman, Bill Kurtis" on Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Independence Country Club. Kurtis, a native of Independence and alumnus of Independence Community College, was co-anchor with Phyllis George of the CBS Morning News.

Jo Anna Lehmann performed at the tribute to Robert Anderson on Monday, April 15 at 8:00 p.m. in the Inge Theatre and was featured in Options and Inspirations on Sunday, April 14 at 8:00 p.m. in the William Inge Theatre. See updated bio in 1997 - Garson Kanin.

Patricia McIlrath has been Artistic Director of Missouri Repertory Theatre since its beginning in 1964. She has been involved either as artistic and producing director or director for over 155 professional productions on The Rep stage. This followed ten years as Director of University Theatre. Rep Productions she personally directed include The Corn is Green, Tartuffe, You Can't Take it With You, Philadelphia Here I Come, Harvey, An Enemy of the People, Long Day's Journey into Night, Pygmalion, Dear Liar, Look Homeward Angel, Picnic, Sea Marks, and Come Back, Little Sheba. She presented "William Inge, Great Voice of the Heart of America" on Monday, April 15 at 10:15 a.m. in the Inge Theatre.

Jefrey Silverman has written musical scores for the theatre, television, and films. In addition to Gaieties, and Options and Inspirations, he and Walter Willison have written Perfect Strangers, a musical comedy romance, based on the play Bus Stop by William Inge. He stared with Walter Willison in "Options and Inspirations" on Sunday, April 14 at 8:00 p.m. in the Inge Theatre. He was also featured in the tribute "Robert Anderson, Gentleman Playwright" on Monday, April 15 at 8:00 p.m. in the Inge Theatre.

Walter Willison starred with Jefrey Silverman in "Options and Inspirations" on Sunday, April 14 at 8:00 p.m. in the Inge Theatre. He also was featured in the tribute "Robert Anderson, Gentleman Playwright" on Monday, April 15 at 8:00 p.m. in the Inge Theatre. See updated bio in 1997 - Garson Kanin.

Mike Wood presented "From Stage to Screen, How Did William Inge Fare?" on Monday, April 15 at 9:15 a.m. in the Inge Theatre. See updated bio in 1998 - Stephen Sondheim.

Conference Scholars

1985 Conference Scholars 

Conference Director:
     Jackson R. Bryer, Ph.D, moderated the seminar "American Realism on Stage and Screen" with Robert Anderson and other festival participants on Monday, April 15 at 11:15 a.m.- 12:15 p.m. in the Inge Theatre. See updated bio in 1998 - Stephen Sondheim.

Respondents:
     Steven Gale, Missouri Southern State College, Joplin, MO.
     Gene DeGruson, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS, see updated bio in 1995 - Arthur Miller.

Scholars:
     Jacob H. Adler, Purdue University, presented "Teaching Dramatic Realism: Death of a Salesman."
     Thomas P. Adler, Purdue University, presented "The School of Bill: An Inquiry into Literary Kinship (Inge, Anderson, Laurents)" and participated in the seminar "American Realism on Stage and Screen" with other festival participants on Monday, April 15 at 11:15 a.m.- 12:15 p.m. in the Inge Theatre.
     Wheeler Dixon, Ph.D, The University of Nebraska, presented "William Inge as Walter Gage; Bus Riley's Back in Town."
     Mark Estrin, Rhode Island College, presented "The Moral 'Realism' of Lillian Hellman."
     Brenda Murphy, St. Lawrence University, presented "A Sense of Place: Setting in American Realistic Drama."
     Ralph F. Voss, The University of Alabama, presented ""Elements of Autobiographical Realism in the Works of William Inge."  See updated bio in 1998 - Stephen Sondheim.