Edward Albee's masterpiece Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? exposes the private lives and painful secrets of two couples thrown together for an evening. George, a professor at a small college, and his wife Martha invite new professor Nick and his spouse Honey over for a nightcap. As the drinks flow and inhibitions fade away, the young couple is drawn into George and Martha's twisted games. The brutally dark play is filled with brilliant wit, eloquent language, and biting humor. It is a tragedy and yet ends with a great act of courage and love, and leaves behind just the slightest ...Read More
Edward Albee's masterpiece Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? exposes the private lives and painful secrets of two couples thrown together for an evening. George, a professor at a small college, and his wife Martha invite new professor Nick and his spouse Honey over for a nightcap. As the drinks flow and inhibitions fade away, the young couple is drawn into George and Martha's twisted games. The brutally dark play is filled with brilliant wit, eloquent language, and biting humor. It is a tragedy and yet ends with a great act of courage and love, and leaves behind just the slightest scent of hope.
Many have questioned the significance of British author Virginia Woolf in Albee's play, but it seems that the title was an absurd joke: supposedly Albee saw "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" written across the bathroom mirror in soap at a bar. The play stunned and pleased audiences when it opened on Broadway in 1962. The country was coming out of the 1950's and the importance of family values was being emphasized by both politicians and popular culture. The spousal emotional abuse in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? attempted to expose the raw, human truth beneath the phony exterior of the American Dream, and theme considered quite controversial at the time.
The 1962 Broadway production starring Uta Hagen and Arthur Hill was the major theatrical event of the year. However, the Pulitzer Prize decision-makers refused to honor the play with the award. The trustees of Columbia University (which oversaw the Pulitzer Prize) concluded that the play's explicit language; interest in "taboo" subjects, and controversial public reception made it the wrong choice. And so, although Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? garnered the vote, the Pulitzer Prize for drama was not given to any play that year. Nonetheless, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? won both the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the Tony Award for Best Play that year.
This ATSF production features Julia McNeal (appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association) as Martha, Christian Phillips as George, Daniel Hart Donoghue as Nick and Tara Donoghue as Honey.
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