Artist Profile: Edward Albee

A young Edward Albee smiling with his arms crossed on a desk.

Edward Albee, photograph courtesy of the UH Photographs Collection

Albee’s Life and Works

Edward Albee (1928-2016) was an American dramatist whose career spanned more than five decades. His works used modern techniques to subvert classical structures in order to create a shocking yet familiar atmosphere. This technique forces audiences to focus fully on the characters and actions happening in the moment, as the usual dramatic structures or perceived style has been changed. Each of Albee’s plays touch on human desire and how the deepest desires of a person often fall outside of what is considered “normal.” He explores this idea throughout the different landscapes of his plays, sometimes focusing on love, isolation, sexuality, or all three at once.

Sketch of Edward Albee by Reginald Gray for the New York Times.

Albee’s works are undeniably influenced by his personal experiences. He was adopted by the Albee family, a wealthy couple, and never knew his birth parents. In interviews, he would often discuss how he was “relieved” to find out that he was adopted as he “never felt as though [he] belonged.” Albee often stated that he knew two things about himself from the time that he was a young child: that he was gay and that he was a writer. These facts caused tension with his adoptive parents. He rebelled against the elite lifestyle that the Albee’s provided, and was kicked out of three separate private preparatory schools before finally managing to graduate.

Eventually, Albee embraced his desire to write. He quickly determined that college life was not for him, and so dropped out and moved to Greenwich village. For the first time in his life, Albee was surrounded by individuals who were not actively against his identity. He soon gained success with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and no longer had to rely on odd jobs to support him while he wrote. Shortly after this, he established the Edward F. Albee Foundation in Montauk to provide a writer’s retreat to help newer artists develop their work. During this time, Albee had renounced all contact with his family and the life he had known growing up.

Albee remained estranged from his parents until after his father’s death, though he did eventually rekindle a relationship with his mother. Nothing had changed in her mind or worldview about his lifestyle, and this continued to stifle their bond. Shortly after her death, Albee wrote Three Tall Women, which chronicled a fictionalized version of her life and her relationship with Albee. Often regarded as his most autobiographical work, Three Tall Women won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1994.

Production photograph of BTGs 2017 production of At Home at the Zoo.

Joey Collins and David Adkins in Edward Albee’s At Home at the Zoo (Zoo Story), 2017. Photo by Emma Rothenberg-Ware

Albee’s theatrical career is shaped by critical and commercial peaks and valleys. Both the beginning and ending of his career were marked with critical and commercial success. For a brief period in the 1970s, Albee lost favor with both the commercial and critical audience. This was short lived, and Albee firmly believed that his comeback was due to his unwavering conviction in the value of his work, “plays that were written during that period…were all of them just as interesting in their own different ways as anything I’ve written before or since,” Albee stated in an interview with The Telegraph in 2011. He believed that “You can’t worry about whether you’re fashionable, because then you stop writing like yourself.” Edward Albee’s plays address a deep, and often dark, part of humanity. This fearlessness in his works has solidified his place in Theatre History as a seminal American Playwright.

 

Albee at BTG

Albee’s works have been part of the production history at Berkshire Theatre since the 1980s. 2019’s The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? marks the fourth production of an Albee work at BTG; A Delicate Balance was produced in 1986 and 2010 and At Home at the Zoo (Zoo Story) was produced in 2017.

Production photograph of BTG's 1986 production of A Delicate Balance.

(L to R) Holland Taylor, George Grizzard, Kim Hunter, and Pamela Payton-Wright in A Delicate Balance, 1986, photo credit Walter Scott.

A Delicate Balance is still as relevant today as when it was written and produced. Albee’s play centers around the idea that the lives people build are one revelation or reveal away from toppling. This idea can be seen in many of Albee’s plays. Often his plays center around a seemingly normal family unit, so familiar that the family could be your own. Slowly, cracks are revealed and the lives that seemed perfectly “normal” at the beginning slowly disintegrate. Reality, harsh and cruel, creeps in. Of course, the point here is that even after the revelations and secrets have been revealed, the family could be your own.

The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?, currently running at The Unicorn Theatre, examines this idea and takes it to the extreme. The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? at its core, is about love, loss, and isolation. It examines what happens when one’s passion, their desire, is the very thing that alienates them from those they love. While Albee’s methods may be extreme, his message is remarkably relatable.

 

Now Playing

Edward Albee’s
The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?
Directed by Eric Hill

May 24–June 15
at The Unicorn Theatre
Featuring: David Adkins, Jennifer Van Dyck, Josh Aaron McCabe and Evan Silverstein

Tickets: $56

**Recommended for adult audiences only. Children under 12 will not be admitted.**

Plan Your Visit

Read our suggestions on where to dine, and where to hang your hat.

Get Started
Did You Know?
Just like NPR, Berkshire Theatre Group depends on the generous giving of its members!
Join Today!
We believe the performing arts can transform a community.
Learn More
Of the 16,000 Berkshire County school children, we serve 13,000 through our BTG PLAYS! Year-Round Educational Programs.
Learn More
Theatre is the place where we go to understand what lies in the human heart.
About Us
BTG's buildings, on two campuses in Stockbridge and Pittsfield, are historic treasures.
Theatre Info
Berkshire Theatre Group believes that the creative arts encourage freedom of speech and debate.
Get Involved
"Out of need will come the way. Once the pandemic ebbs, whenever that is, there will be an incredible need to gather again." - Artistic Director, Kate Maguire
Join Today!
The theatre has existed from the time of the Greeks. We will go on.
Learn More
Join Our Mailing List

Receive the latest BTG News, Updates, Special Offers, and more right to your inbox.

Subscribe

News & Articles

From the Archive: Eva LeGallienne

By: Katie Birenboim (She/Her/Hers)   Devoted fans of BTG may gasp to discover that until doing a first round of research in the amazing BTG archives, I had never heard … Read On

On this day in 1975, The Rocky Horror Picture Show made its American premiere at the Westwood Theater in Los Angeles. After initially being deemed a failure, the film vastly exceeded expectations and now has the longest theatrical run for a film.

Visit berkshiretheatre.org or do the time warp towards our box office to get your tickets today to experience the queen of all cult films, including a thrilling after party and drag queen Nancy Nogood, at the Colonial on October 28!
It is almost here! Copenhagen, the Tony Award-winning play that explores the ethical dilemma of when science and politics collide, begins previews at the Unicorn Theatre this Thursday, September 28!

Get your tickets at berkshiretheatre.org today 💥🧪
Western Massachusetts-based band Harvest & Rust is hitting the Colonial stage on September 29! Representing the wide-array of Neil Young’s influential material in one show, Harvest & Rust captivates audiences with chart-topping hits including “Old Man,” and “Heart of Gold,” to the more electric explorations of Rust Never Sleeps like “Hey Hey, My My.” 

Visit berkshiretheatre.org to purchase tickets today 🎵
REMINDER! ✨ Voting ends soon, so make sure to vote Berkshire Theatre Group as Berkshire Eagle's Best of the Berkshires 2023 in "Live Theatre" and "Concert Venue" at the link in our bio! Thank you all for your support ❤️
Calling all Pink Ladies and T-Birds! 🦩🦅

Coming to the Colonial on October 15, The Olivia Show Tribute is an exciting musical journey filled with all of the late Olivia Newton-John’s award-winning hits and an exciting Grease sing-along where everyone can join in on the excitement!

Get your tickets today at berkshiretheatre.org!
The Tony award-winning Copenhagen, running September 28-October 29 at the Unicorn, is a must-see for anyone interested in history, science or politics. Exploring how one secret meeting broke the friendship between two physicists involved in the race to create the first atomic bomb in WWII, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, Copenhagen forces us to confront the difficult questions that arise when science and politics collide. 

Don't miss this stunning production by getting your tickets today at berkshiretheatre.org!
Did you tap your toes to Million Dollar Quartet? Laugh along with On Cedar Street? Ponder long after What the Constitution Means to Me, Photograph 51, and The Smile of Her? If so, let us know by voting Berkshire Theatre Group #1 again in Berkshire Eagle's 2023 Best of the Berkshires Poll for "Live Theatre" and "Concert Venue" in the Entertainment category!

To vote, visit the link in our bio. Voting ends on September 24 at 5pm.
On Thursday, October 5, at 5:30 p.m., Berkshire Magazine (@berkshiremagazine) will celebrate this year’s Berkshire 25 by inviting all past honorees to mark this milestone—and everyone is invited to join the celebration! 

To purchase tickets, visit berkshiretheatre.org. Ticket sales will go towards our education programs at BTG ✨
Sing until you lose your voice, dance like nobody’s watching, and relive your glory days at The Olivia Show, an exciting musical journey honoring the memory of Olivia Newton-John! Audiences will be treated to Olivia's greatest hits with live vocals, powerful musicianship, amazing costumes and chart topping hits and an exciting Grease sing-along! 

Get your tickets at berkshiretheatre.org today 🎵🎶
BTG is celebrating National Arts in Education Week by kicking off rehearsals for this year's touring show production, Magic Tree House Merlin Missions: Winter of the Ice Wizard, which features two casts from various middle and high schools across Berkshire County ✏️📚🎭

(Photo by Caelan Carlough)
For every new gift made before midnight on November 10, our generous donors will match gifts up to $250,000!

Your support now in meeting a goal to raise $500,000 will provide the investment needed to keep this theatre moving forward with strength, so donate today at the link in our bio ⭐
Did Oppenheimer (2023) leave you even more curious about the history surrounding the creation of the atomic bomb? BTG's production of Copenhagen, running September 28–October 29, explores the moral struggles of two Nobel laureate physicists: Niels Bohr, one of Oppenheimer's heroes; and Werner Heisenberg, his direct competition in the Manhattan Project.

Get your tickets today at berkshiretheatre.org to experience this a fascinating exploration of the ethics of science that will leave audiences pondering its themes long after the final curtain call.
It's that time of the year again! Support us by voting Berkshire Theatre Group #1 again in Berkshire Eagle's 2023 Best of the Berkshires Poll for "Live Theatre" and "Concert Venue" in the Entertainment category. We appreciate your help!

To vote, visit the link in our bio. Voting ends on September 24.
From the same members of BonJourney, Don Jovi, the ultimate Bon Jovi tribute band, is bringing Jon Bon Jovi's greatest hits to life on the Colonial stage September 22 🎸

Get your tickets today at berkshiretheatre,org to rock on to legendary songs including "It's My Life" and "Never Say Goodbye!"
In Berkshire Magazine's Fall issue, read about Felipe Salles, "The New Immigrant Experience," and his upcoming performance at the Colonial on October 21 at the link in our bio🎷 To get tickets, visit berkshiretheatre.org!
From the same members that brought BonJourney to the Colonial last November, Don Jovi (@donjoviband) is bringing Jon Bon Jovi's greatest hits to life on September 22! Get your tickets today at berkshiretheatre,org to enjoy memorable hits such as "Livin' On a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name"
Listen to Black Opry (@black.opry), a joyful, supportive celebration of Black artists, songwriters, and fans, on NPR before they take the Colonial stage on November 4, then get your tickets at berkshiretheatre.org! 🎵 (Link to NPR session in bio)

(Photo by Gabriel Baretto)
Follow Us