The William Inge Center for the Arts presents readings of new plays on Saturday November 6. The readings feature professional actors and directors as well as regional talent and ICC students and alumni.
The readings are part of the Playwrights-in-Residence program and take place at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the William Inge Theatre at Independence Community College. There will be talkbacks with the author following each performance. Admission is free.
The scripts are by Lynne Kaufman and Adam Szymkovicz, who are in the midst of a two-month residency. As part of the residency, the playwrights receive support from guest directors and artists, who work with the writers to revise and develop the scripts. The audience feedback is of enormous value to the playwrights work. The guest directors and performers come from New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Wichita and Kansas City, as well as students from ICC.
Lynn Kaufman was the Inge Festival’s Otis Guernsey New Voices in Playwriting award-winner in 2005. Kaufman’s play is titled “Acid Test” and takes place at 2 p.m. Saturday, November 6. “Acid Test” is a one-man play about the life journey of Richard Alpert aka Ram Dass (author of “Be Here Now”). From his incredible journey through the 1960's when he was a tenured psychology professor at Harvard through the psychedelic revolution to his journey India to find his guru and his return to America as a revered spiritual teacher.
The play begins in the 1990's when he suffers a severe paralytic stroke that shakes his faith. He must yet once again reinvent himself. The reading will be directed by the Artistic Director of Los Angeles’ acclaimed Fountain Theatre, Simon Levy. It stars one of America’s leading Shakespearean actors, Jonathan McMurtry (who has appeared in every one of Shakespeare’s plays at leading theatres around the country), and is well know from recurring roles on “Cheers”, “Wings” and “Almost Perfect”. The Dramaturge will be ICC adjunct instructor, Lisa Kramer. Stage directions will be read by ICC student John Lloyd Stafford III. This reading is suitable for a “PG” audience.
Then, later that evening, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 6, Szymkovicz’s play “Herbie: Poet of the Wild West,” takes stage. This crazy comedy with serious undertones is a Wild West adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” with a little of Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles” thrown in for good measure.
It is directed by New York Director Joshua Vasquez and features a cast of professional and regional actors, including Independence native, ICC Alum, and Inge Center favorite Blake Robbins whose work includes TV’s “Oz” and many other stage, film, TV appearances; Los Angeles actor, David Rispoli; New York actor and Wichita resident, Tom Frye; Kansas City favorite Cynthia Hyer who was featured in the Inge Festival’s productions of “A Civil War Christmas” and “A Complex Evening”.
Also featured in the cast is the Inge Center’s own Hannah Joyce-Hoven and ICC student Colin Stephens, of Seattle, WA. Kansas City actress Sarah Prindl also performs. Stage directions will be read by ICC student Asa Walker of Cherryvale. The reading is suggested for high school age and above due to strong language.
The Inge Center is best known for its annual William Inge Theatre Festival. The 30th annual festival takes place April 13-16, honoring the Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning dramatist Marsha Norman.
Additional major supporters of the William Inge Center for the Arts include the Kansas Humanities Council, Kansas Arts Commission, the Hallmark Corporation, the Dramatists Guild of New York, and Independence Community College.
The center is named for the late Pulitzer Prize (“Picnic”) and Oscar winning (“Splendor in the Grass”) writer William Inge, a native of Independence.
For more information on Inge Center activities, visit www.ingecenter.org or call (620) 332-5491 or (800) 842-6063 ext. 5835.
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