A Tribute to an American playwright

Discover one of the greatest contemporary dramatists in this tribute that celebrates his work.

Edward Albee died on September 16, 2016. Nevertheless, his legacy lives on as his seminal plays greatly contributed to the diversity of the American literary canon. Perhaps his most famous play was Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which subsequently went on to being one of the most recognized (yet controversial) motion pictures of all time. In spite of his unfortunate passing, Albee will continue to be a major voice in American drama.

Born in 1928, Edward Albee did not enjoy school as a young man. In fact, Trinity College expelled him in 1947. Despite his lack of a formal education, Edward Albee went on to revolutionizing the American dramatic landscape by contributing to a type of drama known as “Theater of the Absurd.”

In contrast to standardized plays, such as the ones that Shakespeare wrote, Edward Albee included edgy dialogue and unusual situations for his characters. Specifically, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ended up being an examination of “Who is afraid to accept reality?” because of the turmoil that the four characters place upon one another. The vulgar language, heavy use of profanity, and alcohol abuse made Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? a play that is very difficult to watch. Ironically, such chaos draws the audience in even further because it makes them empathize with the struggles that George and Martha face while taking out their frustrations on their visitors, Nick and Honey.

The film adaptation of this very absurd play went on to win five Academy Awards, including Oscars for both Elizabeth Taylor as Martha and Sandy Dennis as Honey. It also directly impacted the nature of motion picture censorship by prompting the creation of the MPAA rating system. Unfortunately, the marriage between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton ended up crumbling like the couple they portrayed on-screen. Nevertheless, Edward Albee became instantly famous because of the bold nature of his scandalous play.

Within Edward Albee’s personal and professional life, he earned three Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. His other works include The Zoo Story and The Sandbox. Some critics would compare him to other authors like Samuel Beckett. Even with such success as a playwright, Edward Albee received criticism for his own homosexuality. He died on September 16, 2016 at the age of 88 in his home in New York.

Edward Albee might never achieve the same legacy as other authors, but he is still a vital part of American drama. His plays combined existentialism with realism, and offers audiences thought-provoking questions, such as the complex nature of reality. Perhaps there really is no meaning to life, but Edward Albee did have a life that is as rich as the characters and situations that he created while writing his plays.