William Inge

One of Broadway's most celebrated playwrights of the 1950s and early 1960s was born and raised in the southeast Kansas town of Independence.

William Inge began his career at the age of seven when he recited a monologue and became pleased with the audience reaction. It was not until his college days at Kansas University, however, that Inge realized his talents were in writing plays. Although he wrote many plays that were local successes, he taught school for a number of years instead of pursuing his dreams on Broadway. By the time he was 35, he decided to take his chances on the big stage with a play entitled Come Back Little Sheba.

Sheba ran for 190 performances on Broadway, and Inge was proclaimed by many critics as Broadway's most promising playwright. A string of successes followed in 1953, with the Pulitzer-Prize winning Picnic, in 1955 with Bus Stop, in 1958 with The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs, and 1961 with Splendor In The Grass.

After the motion picture, Splendor in the Grass, won him an Oscar in 1962, the Inge name began to fade. His main characters portrayed a bit of innocence and realism that was outdated as Broadway entered an age of cynicism and insecurity during the 1960s and 1970s. But the true test of a good playwright is the test of time and William Inge passed this test with flying colors as his plays continue to be popular on stages across the nation.