- published: 30 Sep 2013
- views: 2876
Edward Franklin Albee III ( /ˈɔːlbiː/ AWL-bee; born March 12, 1928) is an American playwright who is best known for The Zoo Story (1958), The Sandbox (1959), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962), and a rewrite of the book for the unsuccessful musical version of Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's (1966). His works are considered well-crafted, often unsympathetic examinations of the modern condition. His early works reflect a mastery and Americanization of the Theatre of the Absurd that found its peak in works by European playwrights such as Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, and Jean Genet. Younger American playwrights, such as Paula Vogel, credit Albee's daring mix of theatricalism and biting dialogue with helping to reinvent the post-war American theatre in the early 1960s. Albee continues to experiment in new works, such as The Goat: or, Who Is Sylvia? (2002).
According to Magill's Survey of American Literature (2007), Edward Albee was born somewhere in Virginia (the popular belief is that he was born in Washington, D.C.). He was adopted two weeks later and taken to Larchmont, New York in Westchester County, where he grew up. Albee's adoptive father, Reed A. Albee, the wealthy son of vaudeville magnate Edward Franklin Albee II, owned several theaters. Here the young Edward first gained familiarity with the theatre as a child. His adoptive mother, Reed's third wife, Frances tried to raise Albee to fit into their social circles.
Edward Albee on BECKET and ALBEE
About the Arts: Edward Albee, 1978
Edward Albee - The South Bank Show (1 of 4)
Theater Talk: Playwright Edward Albee
Edward Albee Interview
Edward Albee's The Zoo Story
Edward Albee's "The Zoo Story"
Playwright Edward Albee on creativity
Molly Smith interviews Edward Albee during "An Evening with Edward Albee"
Edward Albee | Charlie Rose
Edward Albee: How does he create his characters? An interview with Neal Marshad
Women in Theatre- Edward Albee
The Sandbox by Edward Albee
MASTERCLASS with Edward Albee Sneak Peek