Albee, Edward: 1928 - 2016
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1962 - Information about the Book
- General Information
- The play examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple and their bitter and frustrated relationship.
- Information from Wikipedia
- Information from the Edward Albee Society: summary, analysis.
- Information from Wikiwand
- Information from StageAgent
- Facts
- Winner of the 1963 Tony Award for Best Play and the 1962–63 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play. More awards.
- Summaries and Analysis of the various scenes
- Character Analyses: George, Martha, Nick, Honey
- TranscriptHans Fischer - Mr. Albee, is it possible to see Nick and Honey as representing young George and Martha? It would then mean that after 22 years of marriage Geoge and Martha would finally think about what has gone wrong in their relation. Or is this not how you would like to see your play?
Edward Albee - Well, I can't stop anybody from thinking that way, if they want to. But none of the characters in "Who's Afraid of Virginia" are metaphorical. They are real people in real situations. These people are not representatives. Nick and Honey are not representatives of George and Martha 20 years later. They are representatives of themselves only.
Hans Fischer - Thank you very much.
Relationship of the characters- Transcript
- Explanations
- References
- mail sent to SwissEduc on January 10, 2002 Edward Albee explains, "I think the problem is simply the author not being careful. Of course it's a college." College or university? Both expressions are used; in a
- Articles
Edward Albee talks about the imaginary child. NPR Radio; March 12, 2008
Transcript Audio (8:19)- When Love Hurts: "It is easy to behave like like Martha and George, to prefer familiar pain to the unknown. Theirs is the tragedy of wasted life, not being able to grow up and transcend negative events from their childhood, trapped into being eternal victims. But the power of the love they share lies in its transforming quality." Shirley Galloway, 1993
- An Illusive Reality in Albee's Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: "Albee suggests that illusion is an American weakness. In Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the relationship between Martha and George is absurd because it is based on an illusion." Lapis Lazuli - An International Literary Journal; Autumn 2013
- How Edward Albee felt about his most famous work: "Albee said he wrote the play’s cutting dialogue to dig “so deep under the skin that it becomes practically intolerable.”" PBS News Hour; September 17, 2016
- The play is a misunderstood masterpiece: "It embraces not only history and science but even religion in that Nick’s father-in-law was a travelling preacher who managed to reconcile God and Mammon." Michael Billington, The Guardian; September 18, 2016
- Audio (6:42)
'Virginia Woolf' Returns to Broadway; information about the play in general. NPR Radio; March 18, 2005 - The relationship of power and education in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf: "Many believe that getting a good education correlates positively with success in later social and financial life. Edward Albee seemingly disagrees." March 3, 2016
- Audio (7:05)
'Cocktails' revisits the making of 'Virginia Woolf': "'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' took aim at post-war America's idealized vision of marriage, in which fathers knew best and wives just loved being mothers and helpmeets." 'Cocktails' is a book by Philip Gefter. NPR Radio; February 26, 2024