'Picnic': William Inge's Drama of Quiet Desperation

Eben Shapiro, The Wall Street Journal

There is no shortage of revivals of the plays of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. Yet for too long those of their midcentury contemporary William Inge have remained peripheral in the American theatrical pantheon. Despite the exquisite writing and eternal themes that give his plays lasting cultural significance, they aren’t produced nearly as often as they should be. Last year there was a compelling off-Broadway presentation of “Bus Stop,” just the third New York production since its 1955 premiere. For Inge fans, the last line of “Picnic” says it all. “Be patient, Mama.”

Born in 1913 in Independence, Kan., Inge grew up surrounded by women—his mother and sisters—and he would later say that their experiences gave him a keen ear for emotional nuance. He studied at the University of Kansas and eventually became a drama critic in St. Louis, where he befriended Tennessee Williams. That relationship proved pivotal. Williams encouraged Inge to write, and Inge’s first major success, “Come Back, Little Sheba,” established his voice: naturalistic, elegiac, and psychologically incisive. His focus is on ordinary Midwesterners—bus drivers, waitresses, dime-store clerks, schoolteachers.

Inge became one of the most successful writers of the midcentury, with the film versions of his Broadway hits featuring the biggest stars of the day, including Marilyn Monroe in “Bus Stop” and Shirley Booth, who won a best-actress Oscar for reprising her Tony-winning performance in “Come Back, Little Sheba.” William Holden and Kim Novak star as the smoldering young couple who pursue a forbidden love affair in the excellent film version of “Picnic.” The play recently received a rare revival at the American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wis.

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