Festival Updates
40th Anniversary Festival Dates: April 20-22, 2023
The William Inge Theatre Festival is unique in the world. It is the official state theatre festival of Kansas, and it is dedicated to celebrating playwrights. At its core, it asserts that living playwrights matter, that their stories matter, and that those stories will bring us together and show us the way forward.
The Inge Festival began four decades ago out of love and recognition of native son and playwright William Inge. Margaret Goheen, one of Inge’s long-time friends and a faculty member at Independence Community College, determined that a fitting tribute to his life and work would be to celebrate playwrights in a playwrights’ town. And that is what we do here, to this day.
Festival attendees include –artists, high school and college students from around the region, community members, those who work to support art, and those who are enthusiastic fans of the stories told on our nation’s stages.
This Festival is brought to you by the people of Independence, Kansas – countless volunteers and local businesses who give their time, their money, and their resources to bring each of these events to life. It is brought to you by the Inge staff and the generosity of Independence Community College and the William Inge Festival Foundation. The rhythm of the Festival is many beating hearts – it’s powered by admiration, respect, and love. We hope you feel that love infused in every detail of your experience at the Inge Center.
Information about past festivals…