Biography
William Inge (1913-1973) majored in drama at the University of Kansas but went on to gain an MA at the George Peabody Teachers College. In 1943 he became the drama critic of the St. Louis Star Times, a position he held for three years. His first successful play was Come Back, Little Sheba (1950). His next play, Picnic (1953), won the Pulitzer Prize. It was followed by Bus Stop, Inge's most cheerful work, which was later made into a hugely successful film starring Marilyn Monroe. Other works include The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1957), film script for Splendor in the Grass (1961), A Loss of Roses (1960), Natural Affection (1963) and Where's Daddy? (1966).