67 pages • 2 hours read
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1962
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Introduction
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- Genre: Fiction; drama; dark comedy
- Originally Published: 1962
- Reading Level/Interest: College/Adult
- Structure/Length: 3 acts; approximately 272 pages; approximately 3 hours of running time
- Protagonist/Central Conflict: The play is set in a small New England college town and centers on George, a history professor in his late 40s, and his wife, Martha. The conflict arises from their volatile relationship, which they expose in front of a younger couple, Nick and Honey, leading to a night of intense confrontation, deception, and revelation.
- Potential Sensitivity Issues: Contains strong language; alcohol abuse; sexual themes; intense emotional confrontation; elements of psychological manipulation
Edward Albee, Author
- Bio: Born 1928; died 2016; adopted by wealthy theater owner family; expelled from Trinity College; moved to Greenwich Village to pursue writing; emerged as a critical playwright in the American Theatre; faced controversies for his often explicit and confrontational work; known for his exploration of illusion versus reality; Pulitzer Prize for Drama for A Delicate Balance (1967), Seascape (1975), and Three Tall Women (1994)
- Other Works: The Zoo Story (1958); The Death of Bessie Smith (1959); The Sandbox (1960); The American Dream (1961); Tiny Alice (1964); A Delicate Balance (1966); Seascape (1975); Three Tall Women (1991); The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (2002)
- Awards: New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play (1963); Tony Award for Best Play (1963 for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf; 2002 for The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?)
