Inge Festival Invites New Volunteers to Dinner

Few roles are more treasured at the William Inge Theatre Festival than that of a volunteer.  The Inge Center welcomes new and returning volunteers at the annual Inge Volunteer Appreciation Spaghetti Dinner on Monday, Feb. 18.

The dinner takes place at the Fireside Room of Independence Community College.  There is no charge for prospective or current volunteers to attend. 

The evening begins with a group photo of the present and future volunteers at 6 p.m. in the Margaret Goheen Lobby of the William Inge Theatre.  The “photo call” is followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. in the Fireside room in ICC’s Student Union. 

All prospective and present volunteers who wish to attend the dinner are urged to contact the Inge Center at 332-5491 by Feb. 15th to make reservations, or e-mail esmith@ingecenter.org.  No reservations are needed to be included in the 6 p.m. photo shoot.

“From its inception by Margaret Goheen, citizen volunteers have sustained the amazing growth of the Inge Festival,” said Peter Ellenstein, artistic director.  “These volunteers are the ones who have enabled the Festival to become the Official Theatre Festival of the State of Kansas and one of the nation’s most prominent festivals, and certainly the friendliest.”

The 2013 Inge Festival, from May 1-4, celebrates the legacy of the great writer William Inge.  The Inge Festival coincides with the centennial date of Inge’s birth, May 3, 1913.

“The Spaghetti dinner is the perfect opportunity for anyone to find out more of what the Festival is all about; to come and feel welcomed and be introduced to our remarkable gang of faithful volunteers,” said Ellenstein.  At the dinner, chairpersons of various Inge Festival committees tell of the varied opportunities and benefits available for volunteers.  Our volunteers aid the festival in producing four professional shows, scores of intriguing workshops, short scenes performed at the William Inge house and around town, and more. 

The William Inge Center for the Arts is named for the late playwright William Inge, an Independence native who won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (“Picnic”) and Oscar for Best Screenplay (“Splendor in the Grass”). 

The Inge Center is part of the proud traditions of Independence Community College.  Further major supporters include the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes a great nation deserves great art, the Inge Festival Foundation, and Independence Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on volunteering at the William Inge Center for the Arts or its activities, visit www.ingecenter.org.