Edward Albee : The man, the plays

Edward Albee
*** The Man, the Plays ***

Edward Albee

� photograph : David Scarbrough

" The only time I'll get good reviews is if I kill myself. " -- Edward Albee

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" I have been both overpraised and underpraised. I assume by the time I finish writing - and I plan to go on writing until I'm ninety or gaga - it will all equal itself out... You can't involve yourself with the vicissitudes of fashion or critical response. " -- Edward Albee

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After having played the part of " Jerry " in Albee's The Zoo Story, I wanted to find out more about this American playwright. Edward Albee turned out to be so interesting, that I've decided to devote an entire page to him. Curtains up... :)

*** The Man ***

Ever since his debut as a playwright in 1959, Edward Albee has been one of the most interesting and influential American dramatists. Looking back over the years Albee's work can be characterized as a continuous theatrical experiment wherein he both explored and expanded the boundaries of (American) drama.

Stylistically his often satiric plays range from existentialist drama over absurdist theatre to even metaphysical dream plays. Over the years his experimental drive has earned Albee both commercial successes and praises from critics as well as bitter reviews and failures at the box office. But - as Albee's sharp and witty comments quoted above clearly show - he always remained true to himself and showed a remarquable resistance to commercial pressures.

To the general public Albee is probably best known by his play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, but theatre fans around the globe have undoubtedly enjoyed some of his other plays as well. And although not all of his plays received a warm welcome, over the years Albee has received an impressive number of awards including 3 Pulitzer prizes and two Tony Awards to name but a few. Tennessee Williams called Albee : "the only great playwright we've ever had in America."

As for the themes in his plays, Albee isn't offering "easy entertainment", rather he challenges his audience to form an opinion on different social issues, such as racial relations for instance in 1959's The Death of Bessie Smith. In Albee's own words, his plays are " an examination of the American Scene, an attack on the substitution of artificial for real values in our society, a condemnation of complacency, cruelty, and emasculation and vacuity, a stand against the fiction that everything in this slipping land of ours is peachy-keen. "

Born in Washington D.C. on March 12th 1928 Albee is today still active, writing and directing his plays, teaching at the School of Theatre of the University of Houston and giving lectures on his work at colleges around the USA.

*** The Plays ***

The Zoo Story (1958)

The Death of Bessie Smith (1959)

The Sandbox (l959)

Fam and Yam (1959) The American Dream (1960)

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1961-62, Tony Award)

Tiny Alice (1964)

A Delicate Balance (1966, Pulitzer Prize)

Box and Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung (1968)

All Over (1971)

Seascape (1974, Pulitzer Prize)

Listening (1975)

Counting the Ways (l976)

The Lady From Dubuque (1977-78)

Another Part of the Zoo (1981)

The Man Who Had Three Arms (1981-82)

Finding the Sun (1982-83)

Marriage Play (1987)

Three Tall Women (1991, Pulitzer Prize)

Fragments (1993)

The Play About the Baby (1997)

The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? (2000)

Occupant (2001)

*** Albee on the Net ***

Given the excellent quality of his plays and his worldwide fame it's only natural that a lot of webpages are dedicated to Edward Albee. Without pretending to be complete - hey, I'm not a search engine ;) - here are a few links to some of my favourite Albee-related sites
Either because they offer...
* a lot of information such as these :

an extensive biography at Artistsrep.org
a very complete biography to honor Albee as a 1996 recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors
another biography at the Houston Sidewalk
a list of all the awards Albee has received for his plays can be found at University of Houston - School of Theatre-Distinguished Faculty

* or because you can hear Edward Albee speak:

at the International Theatre Institute (Shockwave necessary!!)

* or because of the interesting quotes :

available at "School Crossings" at Philadelphia Online
in the Centennial Lecture Series at the Carnegie Centennial Celebration

* or simply for the nice photographs :

Albee on the balcony of his apartment in Houston by David Scarbrough
the famous playwright in 1968 and 1994 at Encyclopedia.com

*** Little bookstore ***

Interested in buying one of Edward Albee's books?
Or another book on theatre, acting, etc? Get it here!

Search the "author"-catalogue :

Looking for a specific book? Search the "title"-catalogue :

Or, if you'd rather watch the famous film version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?