Edward Albee
Edward Albee
 Born in Washington, DC
on March 12, 1928
 Adopted by the rich Albee
family involved in the
theater bussines
 Dismissed from almost
every school he attended
The Zoo Story (1959)
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His first major play
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One-act play, written in three weeks
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Branded as the birth of the American
absurdist drama
The Zoo Story (1959)
Edward Albee
Albee became perceived as a leader of a
new theatrical movement in America.
 The critics described him as the successor
to American playwrights Arthur Miller,
Tennessee Williams, and Eugene O'Neill.
 Influenced by European playwrights like
Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
(1962)
Edward Albee’s best known play.
 Earned him the well deserved respect
among the critics.
 Nominated for Pulitzer prize.
 Won the Tony Award and New York Drama
Critics Circle Award.
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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Motion Picture (1966)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Motion Picture (1966) Trivia
Every credited member of the cast received an
Academy Award nomination.
 The first film to use the word "Bugger" in its
dialogue.
 The first movie to be given the MPAA tag: "No
one under 18 will be admitted unless
accompanied by his parent."
 According to Edward Albee, the only thing he
doesn't like about the film is the over-use of
over-head shots.
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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Motion Picture (1966) Trivia
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The only film (so far) in Academy history
to be nominated in every eligible category
(13 eligable categories/13 nominations:
picture, actor, actress, supporting actor,
supporting actress, director, adapted
screenplay, art direction/set decoration
(b&w), cinematography (b&w), sound,
costume design (b&w), music score, film
editing).
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Motion Picture (1966) Quotes
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Martha: I swear to GOD George, if you even EXISTED
I'd divorce you.
George: Martha, in my mind you're buried in cement
right up to the neck. No, up to the nose, it's much
quieter.
George: [about his wife’s weight] Martha is 108... years
old. She weighs somewhat more than that.
Martha: Well, you're going bald.
George: So are you
1.
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5.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Motion Picture (1966) Awards
“Oscar”
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Elizabeth Taylor
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Sandy Dennis
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-andWhite Richard Sylbert; George James Hopkins
Best Cinematography, Black-and-White
Haskell Wexler
Best Costume Design, Black-and-White
Irene Sharaff
Edward Albee
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Pulitzer prize – “A Delicate
Balance” (1966)
Pulitzer prize – “Seascape” (1975)
Pulitzer prize – “Three Tall
Women” (1994)
Tony awards for “Who's Afraid of
Virginia Woolf?” and “The Goat,
or Who is Sylvia” (2002)
Tony award for Lifetime
Achievement (2005)
Edward Albee Plays
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The Zoo Story (1958)
The Death of Bessie Smith (1959)
The Sandbox (1959)
Fam and Yam (1959)
The American Dream (1960)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1961-62, Tony Award)
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1963) (adapted from the novella by
Carson McCullers)
Tiny Alice (1964)
Malcolm (1965) (adapted from the novel by James Purdy)
A Delicate Balance (1966)
Breakfast at Tiffany's (1966)
Everything in the Garden (1967) (adapted from a play by British
playwright Giles Cooper)
Box and Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung (1968)
Sandbox (1968)
All Over (1971)
Edward Albee Plays
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Seascape (1974)
Listening (1975)
Counting the Ways (1976)
The Lady From Dubuque (1977-79)
Lolita (adapted from the novel by Vladimir Nabokov)
The Man Who Had Three Arms (1981)
Finding the Sun (1982)
Marriage Play (1986-87)
Three Tall Women (1990-91)
The Lorca Play (1992)
Fragments (1993)
The Play About the Baby (1996)
The Goat or Who is Sylvia? (2000, Tony Award)
Occupant (2001)
Peter & Jerry (Act One: Homelife. Act Two: The Zoo Story) (2004)
Me, Myself & I (In Progress)
"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.”
Edward Albee