Guest Artists

2023 Guest Artists

Elisabeth-Ahrens

Elisabeth Ahrens (Actor)

Elisabeth Ahrens (she/her) Though Elisabeth has lived and acted in New York City for the past 13 years, she was born and raised in Kansas and is delighted to return home for the William Inge... Read more

Ed Baker (Workshop Facilitator)

Ed Baker (he/him) Professor / Technical Director / Fight Director.  Ed serves the School of Performing Arts at Wichita State University as Technical Director. He spent the majority of his career as a professional entertainment... Read more

Joe Binzer (Actor)

Joe Binzer –Actor. Joe Binzer is an actor and a teaching artist in Fayetteville, AR.  His credits include THE INVENTION OF TIME, LITERARY GLORY, AND DISCHARGED from the 2022 William Inge Festival; STAGING THE DAFFY... Read more
Darren Canady

Darren Canady (New Play Lab Respondent)

Darren Canady (he/him) hails from Topeka, KS. His work has been produced at the Alliance Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, Aurora Theater, Congo Square Theater, Horizon Theatre, London’s the Old Vic Theatre, M Ensemble, Milwaukee Repertory... Read more

Tom Cavanaugh (New Play Lab Playwright)

Tom Cavanaugh (he/him) MFA in playwriting from the Actors Studio Drama School in 2000. ADAM & YOSHI was a finalist in McKinney Repertory Play Competition, TX, and a finalist in the 2013 New American Playwrights... Read more

Debra A. Cole (New Play Lab Playwright)

Debra A. Cole (she/her) Debra A. Cole is an award-winning playwright, director, and theatre/writing/arts educator from Kansas. Her one act play THE WRINKLE RANCH took AUDIENCE FAVORITE at Short + Sweet Perth, Australia. Her one... Read more

Philip Dawkins

Philip Dawkins is a Flagstaff-based playwright and educator whose plays have been performed all over the world. His plays include Failure: A Love Story (Victory Gardens Theater), Le Switch (About Face Theatre, The Jungle), The... Read more

Ivan Faute (New Play Lab Playwright)

Ivan Faute (he/him) Ivan Faute’s credits include the OFFFest recommended show ON ARRIVING in London, the City Lit Art of Adaptation winner “Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher,” THE DARLING CHILDREN at New... Read more

Gabriel Franco-Kull (Actor)

Gabriel Franco-Kull is an MFA student from the University of Arkansas. He is from El Paso Texas, where he also recieved his BFA from the University of Texas at El Paso. After graduating he will... Read more

Sidonie Garrett (New Play Lab Respondent)

Sidonie Garrett is the Executive Artistic Director of the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival where she most recently directed ROMEO AND JULIET, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, and the previous five season’s productions, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING,... Read more

Gay Glenn (New Play Lab Playwright)

Gay Glenn is a performer, teacher, and playwright from Topeka, KS. She is honored to be recognized by the 40th Annual William Inge Theatre Festival New Play Lab for IF YOU SEE PANIC IN MY EYES,... Read more

Morgan Hicks (Director, New Play Lab plays)

Morgan Hicks (she/her) is a co-founder of TheatreSquared, where she currently serves as the Arts Engagement Director. Regional directing credits include MURDER FOR TWO, THE DINGDONG, NOISES OFF, BOEING BOEING, THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP... Read more

Andra Laine Hunter (New Play Lab Playwright)

Andra Laine Hunter (she/her) MFA, DG, is thrilled to make her Inge debut with her new play FIREMOTHER. Her original plays have been performed at theaters in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, California, New York, Massachusetts, New... Read more

Nathan Louis Jackson (New Play Lab Respondent)

Nathan Louis Jackson received the Lila Acheson Wallace fellowship and did his graduate work at The Juilliard School. His plays include BROKE-OLOGY (Williamstown Theatre Festival and Lincoln Center), WHEN I COME TO DIE (Lincoln Center),... Read more

Kolby Kastler (Actor)

Kolby Kastler is a 1st year student at Independence Community College, from Labette County High School studying theatre.  Favorite roles include: Les; NEWSIES, Patrick Star; THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL, George; OUR TOWN, and most recently seen as Claudio in MUCH ADO ABOUT... Read more

Shannon TL Kearns (he/him) Playwright/ Workshop Facilitator

Shannon TL Kearns is a transgender man, an ordained priest, and a believer in the power of stories. Selected recognition: Humanitas New Voices Fellowship Recipient, Winner of the ScreenCraft Pitch competition, finalist for Bull City... Read more

Tori Kreusch (Actor)

Tori Kreusch is a freshman from Paola, Kansas studying Fine Arts. Favorite roles include: Kate in ALL MY SON’S, Sour Kangaroo in SUESSICAL THE MUSICAL, Grace in BUS STOP, and Signior Geronte in SCAPINO. Tori... Read more

Teresa Leggard (Actor)

Teresa M. Leggard is a Brooklyn-born, Jersey-raised, Midwest transplant. She earned a B.A. from Spelman College and an MFA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Teresa came to theatre through poetry and to performance through... Read more

Steven Marzolf (Actor)

Steven Marzolf is a professional actor and is the Head of Undergraduate Performance at the University of Arkansas. He has taught acting classes nationwide and Acting Shakespeare’s Folio, across the country with professional companies as... Read more

Maurielle Mcgarvey (New Play Lab Playwright)

Maurielle Mcgarvey is a filmmaker and theater artist from Houston, Texas. Her past works include an adaptation of WOYZECK about youth gun violence (Rec Room Arts) and SCHRODINGER’S WIFE (Eugene O’Neill Theater Center). In the... Read more

Ana Miramontes (Actor)

Ana Miramontes (She/Her/Ella) Regional credits include G in SANCTUARY CITY, Lucha in AMERICAN MARIACHI, Eva in AT THE WEDDING, and MISS YOU LIKE HELL (TheatreSquared), TITUS ANDRONICUS (The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey); Jaime in... Read more

Gary Mitchell (Actor)

Gary Mitchell (he/him) has been involved continuously with the Inge Festival since its inception 40 years ago. He taught theatre and English at I.C.C. for 31 years until his retirement in 2003. He is a... Read more

Theresa Mitchell (New Play Lab Director)

Theresa Mitchell (she/her) graduated from Independence Community College with an Associate of Arts Degree in Theatre in 1975. She went on to graduate from the University of Kansas (1979) with a Master of Arts and... Read more

Paul Molnar (Director/Workshop Facilitator/Actor)

Paul Molnar (he/him) is a tenured faculty member and the Director of Theatre Performance at Independence Community College.  Paul spent over 20 years in New York working as an actor, choreographer, director and producer.  Alongside... Read more

Elena Naskova (New Play Lab Playwright)

Elena Naskova was born and raised in Macedonia.  She immigrated to the USA in her late twenties.  After spending thirteen years in LA, she moved to Seattle to raise her kids in fresh air. Elena... Read more

Kevin O’Callaghan (Actor)

Kevin O’Callaghan (he/him) is an award-winning actor, director, teacher, and producer. He founded and ran New York City’s Mad Dog Theatre Company, which developed new works and won the 2012 NY Innovative Theatre Award for... Read more

Zack Peercy (New Play Lab Playwright)

Zack Peercy (he/him) is a disabled playwright based in Chicago. In 2021, his play ESSENTIAL STARLITE was honored as an O’Neill Finalist, a Bay Area Playwrights Conference Semi-Finalist, and a Blue ink Playwriting Award Semi-Finalist.... Read more

Bruce Peterson (Actor)

Bruce Peterson (he/him) has been a fan of William Inge plays since his high school days at a small town in California, where he discovered a bond with Inge’s Midwestern settings. He was active in... Read more
Tori Rice

Tori Rice (New Play Lab Playwright)

Tori Rice (she/her) is a San Diego-based playwright, teaching artist, and co-host of the podcast, Hey Playwright. She is a founding member of the San Francisco-based Club Solo and a former roller derby blocker for... Read more

Jessie Salsbury (New Play Lab Playwright)

Jessie Salsbury (she/her) is a playwright from Olathe, Kansas, near the Kansas City Area. She has participated in numerous local play readings and new work development. She is a resident playwright with the Midwest Dramatists... Read more

Leah Paige Smith (Actor)

Leah Paige Smith is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, but is currently finishing her final semester at the University of Arkansas where she’ll receive an MFA in acting. She has recently been seen on UARK’s stages... Read more

Patti Snyder (Actor)

Patti Snyder was bitten by the acting bug early, appearing in high school productions of WHERE IS THE MAYOR; YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN; and OKLAHOMA!, where she portrayed Aunt Eller.  Then life intervened and she graduated from... Read more

Grace Taylor (Actor)

Grace Taylor (she/her) is thrilled to take part in the Inge Festival this year! She is in her final semester as an MFA: Theatre Performance student at the University of Arkansas and holds a BFA... Read more

Emily Tomlinson (Actor)

Emily Tomlinson is an actor and teaching artist based in Fayetteville, AR. She has appeared onstage in AT THE WEDDING, THE WOLVES, educational touring productions THE POE SHOW, THE SHAKESPEARE SHOW, THE MATH SHOW and... Read more
Catherine Trieschmann

Catherine Trieschmann (New Play Lab Master Playwright)

Catherine Trieschmann’s (she/her) plays include CROOKED (NY Times critic’s pick), HOW THE WORLD BEGAN, HOT GEORGIA SUNDAY (Chicago Tribune critic’s pick), THE MOST DESERVING, HOLY LAUGHTER, and ONE HOUSE OVER. They have been produced Off-Broadway at the... Read more