Wed. 4/22 A Complex Evening,world premiere plays by William Inge | Thu. 4/23 New Play Reading:Carlos Murillo's Diagram of a Paper Airplane | Fri. 4/24 Gala Dinner | Sat. 4/25 Inge Festival Tribute |
Multi-media Tribute is Stunning
Finale at Festival
The Inge Festival Tribute features live performances by guest artists in a multi-media salute to the Honoree's outstanding achievement. Here is Arthur Laurents accepting his award at the climax of the 2004 Tribute.
A performance of "Cell Block Tango" from Chicago during the 2002 tribute to John Kander and Fred Ebb.
Dozens of professional stage, film and television artists and hundreds of theatre-lovers from across the country will witness a multi-media tribute at the William Inge Theatre Festival to Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt.
Each year the Tribute is the finale of the William Inge Theatre Festival, where the Honorees receive the William Inge Theatre Festival Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award.
The Tribute and ceremony take place at 7:30 p.m. Sat. April 25 at the William Inge Theatre at Independence Community College.
The festival is named for the late Pulitzer Prize and Oscar-winning writer William Inge, who was a native of Independence and an alumnus of ICC.
The Tribute features live performances, video, and slides in a moving retrospective of their amazing career. They will join a list of previous winners of the Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award winners, which includes Arthur Miller, August Wilson, Neil Simon, and Stephen Sondheim, among many more.
Every playwright Honoree saluted at the Inge Festival is stunned that a small town in the middle of the country could produce an event that rivals any in the nation.
The Tribute will cap four days of amazing creativity and inspiration at the Midwest's premiere theatre event.
The previous winners of the William Inge Theatre Festival Distinguished Achievement in the American Theatre Award, and a sampling of only some of their many famous works, are:
1983: Jerome Lawrence, "Inherit the Wind," "Auntie Mame."
1984: William Gibson, "The Miracle Worker," "Two for the Seesaw."
1985: Robert Anderson, "Tea and Sympathy," "You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running."
1986: John Patrick: "The Curious Savage," "The Teahouse of the August Moon."
1987: Garson Kanin: "Born Yesterday," "A Gift of Time."
1988: Sidney Kingsley: "Dead End," "Men in White."
1989: Horton Foote: "The Trip to Bountiful," "The Young Man from Atlanta."
1990: Betty Comden and Adolph Green: "On the Town," "Singin' in the Rain."
1991: Edward Albee: "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," "Three Tall Women"
1992: Peter Shaffer: "Equus," "Amadeus."
1993: Wendy Wasserstein: "The Heidi Chronicles," "The Sisters Rosensweig."
1994: Terrence McNally: "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune," "Lips Together, Teeth Apart."
1995: Arthur Miller: "Death of a Salesman," "The Crucible."
1996: August Wilson: "Fences," "The Piano Lesson."
1997: Neil Simon: "The Odd Couple," "Lost in Yonkers."
1998: Stephen Sondheim: "Sweeney Todd," "Passion."
1999: John Guare: "The House of Blue Leaves," "Six Degrees of Separation."
2000: A.R. Gurney: "Love Letters," "Sylvia."
2001: Lanford Wilson: "Talley's Folly," "Hot L Baltimore."
2002: John Kander and Fred Ebb: "Cabaret," "Chicago."
2003: Romulus Linney: "Childe Byron," "2: Goering at Nuremberg."
2004: Arthur Laurents: "West Side Story," "Gypsy."
2005: Tina Howe: "Painting Churches," "Pride's Crossing."
2006: 25th Anniversary Retrospective
2007: Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick: "Fiddler on the Roof," "She Loves Me."
2008: Christopher Durang: "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All For You," "Beyond Therapy"