by Karla Pederson
There’s something not only romantic but even universal about a handsome “bad boy” drifting into town and sweeping the prettiest girl off her feet. William Inge’s Pulitzer prize-winning Picnic tells such a story about a drifter named Hal and the effect his presence has on the women in a small Kansas town over a Labor Day weekend in the 1950s. Tin Roof’s production will heat up the FMCT stage  from February 24, 2011, through the closing 2 p.m. matinee on March 6. Coincidentally, when Picnic opened its successful run on Broadway in 1953, it was also in the cold month of February.
Concerned with the themes of loneliness and keeping up appearances, the Midwestern playwright based his character of Rosemary and two other spinster school teachers on boarders living in his mother’s house when he was a small boy in Kansas. In fact, all the characters in Picnic are illuminated with great insight and carefully crafted small moments.  Inge himself once compared his work to a “journey in which every moment should be as interesting as the destination.”
Picnic earned Inge significant praise, winning several drama awards besides the Pulitzer. The movie adaptation in 1955 contains one of the most romantic moments of film history in the sensual dance scene between Hal (William Holden) and Madge (Kim Novak). The widespread recognition of Picnic, as well as Come Back, Little Sheba and Bus Stop, resulted in Inge being compared favorably to Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller.
Filled with romance, humor, and a sprinkling of heart-wrenching scenes, Tin Roof’s production of Picnic will have audiences pondering whether or not the chance for lifelong happiness can come and then disappear in an instant.
Tin Roof’s Picnic, directed by Cindy Snelling, runs Feb. 24-26 & Mar. 2-5 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees on Feb. 27 & Mar. 6 are at 2 p.m. Performances are on the FMCT stage.
Reserve tickets at 701-235-6778Â or at www.fmct.org
