Edward Albee
A Critical Introduction

This book covers all of Albee's original plays, spanning his entire career and containing unparalleled insights from personal interviews with the playwright.

Matthew Roudané (Author)

9780521898294, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 17 August 2017

214 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 1.6 cm, 0.43 kg

'In this clear, concise introduction to the works of Edward Albee (1928–2016), Roudané (Georgia State Univ.) situates Albee's oeuvre in public and private historical contexts through a chronological examination of 26 of his plays. … Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers.' K. Tancheva, Choice

Edward Albee (1928–2016) was a central figure in modern American theatre, and his bold and often experimental theatrical style won him wide acclaim. This book explores the issues, public and private, that so influenced Albee's vision over five decades, from his first great success, The Zoo Story (1959), to his last play, Me, Myself, & I (2008). Matthew Roudané covers all of Albee's original works in this comprehensive, clearly structured, and up-to-date study of the playwright's life and career: in Part I, the volume explores Albee's background and the historical contexts of his work; Part II concentrates on twenty-four of his plays, including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962); and Part III investigates his critical reception. Surveying Albee's relationship with Broadway, and including interviews conducted with Albee himself, this book will be of great importance for theatregoers and students seeking an accessible yet incisive introduction to this extraordinary American playwright.

Preface
Acknowledgements
Part I. Albee's Life and World: 1. Life
2. Overview: the theater of Edward Albee
3. Contexts
Part II. The Plays: 4. Ritualized forms of expiation
5. Challenging Broadway
6. 'The greatest sin in living is doing it badly – stupidly, or as if you weren't really alive'
7. A quest for consciousness
8. As I lay dying
9. A theater of loss
Part III. Dialogues: 10. Critical reception
Epilogue: final curtain
Notes
Further reading
Index.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: plays & playwrights [DSG], Theatre: individual actors & directors [ANB], Theatre studies [AN]