Shirley Knight Performs at the Inge Festival This May

The celebrated actress Shirley Knight-who has achieved the highest honors in film, television, and theatre-returns to her native Kansas to perform at the 32nd annual William Inge Theatre Festival, in the town of Independence, southeast Kansas, in celebration of William Inge's 100th Birthday.

Shirley Knight takes featured roles in the Thursday, May 2, presentation of "A Great Wilderness," by Samuel D. Hunter, and again on Saturday, May 4, in the finale Tribute "Farther Off From Heaven," a celebration of the life, work, and legacy of William Inge. Miss Knight will also participate in workshops and panels throughout the week.

The 32nd annual William Inge Theatre Festival takes place May 1-4, and celebrates the Centennial year of the birth of the Pulitzer Prize and Oscar-winning writer. The Inge Festival-the official Theatre Festival of the State of Kansas-takes place in Inge's hometown of Independence, and is sponsored by the William Inge Center for the Arts at Independence Community College.

Shirley Knight earned her first Oscar nomination for her portrayal of the withdrawn Reenie in the film version of Inge's "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs." After receiving her second Oscar nomination for "Sweet Bird of Youth," she has rarely stopped working as an actress. Her recognition includes a Tony Award (and two additional nominations), three Emmys (ten nominations), two Golden Globes (three nominations) and Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival.

Her new film-"Redwood Highway"-recently opened at the Ashland Oregon film festival. Her Steven King film "Mercy," will open later in 2013."

At the Inge Festival, Miss Knight will be in the concert reading of "A Great Wilderness." The play is by Samuel D. Hunter, who will also be present at the Inge Festival to receive the Otis L. Guernsey New Voices in the American Theatre Award. The New Voices Award is named for the late theatre scholar Otis Guernsey and bestowed to an accomplished, emerging playwright.

Joining Miss Knight in "A Great Wilderness" is a stellar cast of John Herzog, Dakin Matthews, Mari Nelson, Elaine Rivkin, and Alan Safier. "A Great Wilderness" centers on a teenage Christian boys' camp for parents who fear their sons have homosexual tendencies. A new camper, played by Kansas actor Cameron Lopez, precipitates a crisis of faith. The director is Braden Abraham, associate artistic director of Seattle Repertory Theatre.
Shirley Knight was born in the small central Kansas town of Goessell. She graduated from high school in Lyons, Kansas, and attended Phillips University, Enid, Oklahoma, and Wichita State University. She has a Doctor of Fine Arts Degree from Lake Forest College

After studying at the Pasadena Theatre School, she began her film career in 1959. She then went to New York and began her theatre career. Miss Knight studied acting with Jeff Corey and Lee Strasberg and is a member of The Actor's Studio.

She has received many honors from her home state of Kansas, including the Kansan of the Year award in 2000 and the Governor's Distinguished Artist Award in 2007. Both were presented to her by Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

Miss Knight was married to the writer John R. Hopkins until his death in 1998.

She has two daughters, Kaitlin Hopkins and Sophie C. Hopkins. Kaitlin is an actress-singer-director and Sophie a writer.

Tickets for "A Great Wilderness" and "Farther Off From Heaven: A Tribute to William Inge" are $25 for premier seating and $15 for reserved seating.

Tickets for those and all Inge Festival events are available online at www.ingefestival.org or by calling (620) 332-5491.
The Inge Festival and Inge Center are sponsored by Independence Community College, William Inge's alma mater. The William Inge Center for the Arts is a constituent member of Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the American theatre.

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