Picnic characters breakdowns including full descriptions with standard casting requirements and expert analysis. Kansas state historical society, 1989 return to top of page. Based on the play picnic by william inge, produced on the stage by the theatre guild and joshua logan new york, 19 feb 1953. This nice, wellbred next door neighbor, with the accent that belongs to no region except the region of good manners. Picnic is a threeact play written by william inge, the author of bus stop and come back, little sheba. Director joshua logan and writer daniel taradash trusted inge s world without questioning it. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Summary of style and themes picnic by william inge script free download pdf picnic by william inge script file book at huge library adobe is a building material made from earth and often organic material william inge start download portable document format pdf and ebooks so you can download it by purchasing to get the soft. Picnic plus 3 by william inge overdrive rakuten overdrive. Picnic is a 1953 play by american author william inge. Multiple links are listed since a different versions exist and b many scripts posted become unavailable over time. The midwestern world of william inge by mcclure, a.
He was the youngest of the five children of a smalltown merchant and traveling salesman. The play takes place on labor day weekend in the joint back yards of two middleaged widows. Everything flows with the irrational sanity of a womans heart. Inge describes picnic s setting at the beginning of act i. When i first encountered picnic several years ago, i immediately gravitated to the plays treatment of gender roles and repressed sexuality of the 1950s. And as this blockbuster, picnic, now prepares to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, it seems an appropriate time to look back at the films production, which occurred during one memorable kansas summer in 1955. The story concerns the passengers of a crosscountry bus who are stranded overnight by a blizzard and congregate. Charter arts theatre female audition monologues please select one of the following monologues to prepare for your audition. In 1956, bus stop was brought to the silver screen, starring marilyn monroe in the role of cherie. Picnic is perhaps william inge s most acclaimed play and with good reason. He is william holden, capable to provoke passions of mediterranean intensity at any age.
Inge won the 1953 pulitzer prize for drama for the work, and. Most of william inge s plays are a mixture of comedy and drama. A small kansas town in the 1950s is the setting for william inges bittersweet melodrama picnic, which explores themes of sexuality, repression, rites of passage, and disappointment. It was adapted for the screen by daniel taradash from william inge s 1953 pulitzer prizewinning play of the same name.
Halfway through picnic, the 1953 william inge comedydrama playing. The play was premiered at the music box theatre, broadway, on 19 february 1953 in a theatre guild production, directed by joshua logan, which ran for 477 performances. But now ive got a date with him, and its differentl youre crazy. Oct 26, 2014 watch a full play online performed with some great cast. The play was premiered at the music box theatre, broadway, on 19 february 1953 in a theatre guild production, directed by joshua logan, which ran for 477 performances the original cast featured ralph meeker, eileen heckart, arthur oconnell, janice rule, reta shaw, kim stanley and paul newman. He meets up with madge owens, the town beauty queen and girlfriend of alan benson. Hal is a powerfully built drifter, a former college athlete reluctantly aware that he must. William motter inge was born at independence, kansas, on may 3, 19. Picnic analysis dive deep into william inge s picnic with extended analysis, commentary, and discussiondiscover william inge s play picnic explore the pulitzer prizewinning 1953 play picnic by william inge.
Aug 08, 2012 picnic, a summer romance by william inge, 1955, dramatists play service edition, in english. But william inge had it made, or so it seemed in 1962. Picnic isbn 9780394590295 pdf epub william inge ebook. The play takes place on labor day weekend in the joint back yards of two mid. Nov 25, 2012 the play picnic filmed for cable, with jennifer jason leigh, gregory harrison, rue mcclanahan, conchata ferrell, and dick van patten in the cast. Inge was known as the playwright of the midwest and his works reflect his powerful understanding of the mores, attitudes and lifestyle of midwesterners, a decidedly different place than the west, south or east coast.
William inge, in full william motter inge, born may 3, 19, independence, kan. William inge has 32 books on goodreads with 8995 ratings. Picnic by william inge about the playwright william inge was the most successful playwright of the 1950s, writing four hit broadway shows in a row come back, little sheba in 1951, picnic in 1954, bus stop in 1957, and the dark at the top of the stairs in 1958, each of which was made into a successful hollywood film. Bus stop, set in a small town in kansas, is an expansion of the oneact play people in the wind. Joshua logan, director of the original broadway stage production, directed the film version, which stars william holden, kim novak, and rosalind russell, with susan strasberg and cliff. Hearts are broken and lives are changed in the following twentyfour hours, as hals lively, dangerous, masculine energy wakes up the sleepy community. A disturbed genius seen through the eyes of an intimate. This title collects four plays by american playwright william inge, including come back little sheba, picnic, bus stop, and the dark at the top of the stairs, isbn 9780394590295. The original cast featured ralph meeker, eileen heckart, arthur oconnell, janice rule, reta shaw, kim stanley and paul newman.
The morning of a small town labor day picnic, a drifter hal carter blows into town to visit an old fraternity buddy alan benson who also happens to be the son of the richest man in town. All four plays had become successful films featuring top hollywood stars. Join stageagent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. University press of kansas, 1989 memories of splendor. A small kansas town in the 1950s is the setting for william inge s bittersweet melodrama picnic, which explores themes of sexuality, repression, rites of passage, and disappointment. The one house belongs to flo owens, who lives there with her two m. Read info about the screenplay for picnic, 1955, directed by joshua logan, with william holden, kim novak, betty field, skip navigation. As a screenwriter, he won an academy award splendor in the grass 1961. Originally written for stage, picnic opened on broadway in early 1953.
This acclaimed book by william inge is available at in several formats for your ereader. Through a case study using william inges classic play picnic i explored the possibility of using historiography as a tool for theater practitioners in developing. Picnic scenes from the broadway revival of william inge s play at the american airlines. Hal is an egocentric braggart all potential and no accomplishment. A small kansas town in the 1950s is the setting for william inges bittersweet melodrama picnic. As a screenwriter, he won an academy award splendor. Tennessee williams four plays by a quintessential twentiethcentury playwrightcome back, little sheba. William holden was a bit too old for the part but who cares. News about william inge, including commentary and archival articles published in the new york times. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading picnic plus 3. Picnic starring jennifer jason leigh 1986 cable broadcast. Charter arts theatre female audition monologues audition.
William inge, kansas playwright, independence, map of. As a child, he recited poems in public, kept a scrapbook of movie stars and acted in school plays. Inge won the pulitzer prize for drama and the new york drama critics circle award for picnic. Analysis and discussion of characters in william inge s picnic. Dramatists play service, one of the premier playlicensing and theatrical publishing agencies in the world, was formed in 1936 to foster national opportunities for playwrights by publishing affordable editions of their plays and handling the performance rights to these works. What is a good thesis statement for a drama research paper about the play picnic by william. The later part of inge s career as a dramatist was not successful. The life of william inge bringing picnic to life onstage picnic and william inges america the birth of the teenager small town america. Also, a director can create a new interpretation of the play, in the way it is staged and conceived, which transforms the script into a new text. The action of the play takes place in a small kansas town in the yard shared by flo. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of picnic by william inge. A hardhitting drama that examines race in a highly conceptual, layered structure, ultimately bringing audiences into the actors community to face deepseated prejudices.
During that decade, inge produced an unbroken string of successful plays. The play picnic filmed for cable, with jennifer jason leigh, gregory harrison, rue mcclanahan, conchata ferrell, and dick van patten in the cast. Set in a small town in kansas, picnic details the lives of ordinary americans, from hopeful widows and embittered spinsters to idealistic teenagers and restless wanderers. Oneill theatre journal, volume 65, number 4, december 20, pp. Halfway through picnic, the 1953 william inge comedydrama playing at judson gym in repertory with inge s come back, little sheba, a hunky vagabond named hal fidgets disconsolately while posing for a quicksketch portrait. And thats when and where you meet the talent of william inge. Picnic, drama in three acts by william inge, produced and published in 1953 and awarded a pulitzer prize in the same year. This popular play about a group of lonely women in a small kansas town whose lives are disrupted by the appearance of a virile, charming drifter captures the frustrations and. The play was premiered at the music box theatre, broadway, on 19 february 1953 in a theatre guild production, directed. William inge, kansas playwright, independence, map of kansas.
Libby west and bo foxworth in picnic table of contents about this study guide about the play cast and crew synopsis what can picnic teach my students. Jun 28, 20 barbara baxleythough not as well remembered today as tennessee williams and arthur miller, william inge was the most successful and acclaimed playwright in america in the 1950s. It premiered on broadway in 1955, just on the heels of inge s first broadway success, picnic. William inge s popular plays of the 1950s received tony nominations bus stop 1956, and dark at the top of the stairs 1958 and won a pulitzer prize picnic 1953. Picnic is a 1955 american technicolor romantic comedydrama film filmed in cinemascope. Discussion of themes and motifs in william inge s picnic. Picnic, bus stop, the dark at the top of the stairs, and come back, little sheba. A case study of william inges picnic stars university of. Dps offers an extensive list of titles that includes many of the most significant plays of the past century.
When the artist, thwarted by hals restlessness, urges him to. His works have been called psychodramas involving the solution of personal and social problems by introspection and togetherness eric mottram. Watch a full play online performed with some great cast. Barbara baxley though not as well remembered today as tennessee williams and arthur miller, william inge was the most successful and acclaimed playwright in america in the 1950s. Come back little sheba 1950, the pulitzer prize winner picnic 1953, bus stop 1955, and the dark at the top of the stairs 1957. He had written an unprecedented string of broadway hits.
Since the plays setting, a small kansas town in the 1950s, is. Picnic, a summer romance 1955 edition open library. Taking place on a labor day in the 1950s somewhere in suburban kansas, it follows a group of women preparing for their neighborhoods annual picnic. Tennessee williams inge has presented with astounding veracity the oppressive banality of the lives of his characters. Download pdf william inge and the subversion of gender. An honest, original work that invites audiences to examine diverse perceptions of privilege and human connection through two pairs of mismatched individuals.
802 44 213 673 600 488 489 562 1325 351 352 530 1184 687 1144 1133 54 1225 94 926 519 141 615 835 568 121 222 1041 264 1297 568 1382 345 521 1334 1084 359 866 598 489 377 1471