Four-time Tony Nominee Comedy/Drama “Bus Stop” by William Inge

January is the perfect time of year for A.C.T. Studio Theatre to present a story about a blizzard. It was a snowstorm that stranded a bus full of passengers at a Kansas diner in 1955. Movie buffs may remember the romantic comedy of the same name starring Marilyn Monroe. “Bus Stop” by William Inge was a four-time Tony nominee, including Best Play. The comedy/drama blends themes of love, loneliness, and self-discovery with witty dialogue, quirky characters and humorous situations.

Into the quiet unassuming Kansas diner one night files an array of characters stepping off a Topeka-bound Greyhound bus stuck there because of the blizzard. There were depths of snow—but also depths to be uncovered within this motley crew: a brash cowboy (romantically pursuing a nightclub singer against her wishes), a cynical alcoholic ex-professor, a kindly ranch hand, and a bus driver who’s seen it all. Then there’s the weathered diner owner, her naïve waitress, and the town’s sheriff who pops in to keep a close eye on things.

Playwright William Inge, considered a giant among the likes of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, is known as an insightful chronicler of human behavior. He wrote of people struggling to connect—to themselves, to each other, to the place their lives had become. In “Bus Stop” he masterfully weaves comedy into its drama, using the forced togetherness of snowbound strangers in the Kansas diner to reveal vulnerabilities, spark fleeting romances, and create humor through witty banter and awkward flirtations.

Come visit this Kansas “Bus Stop” as the passengers forge genuine connections with each other and possibly find a better way forward. Performances of William Inge’s play will be on stage at A.C.T. Studio Theatre weekends Jan. 9 – 25. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.; Sundays at 3:00 p.m. For tickets and information, please visit actstudiotheatre.com or call (772) 932-8880. Tickets are $28. A.C.T. Studio Theatre is located in the Cedar Pointe Plaza, 2399 SE Ocean Blvd., Stuart.