eduard albee - whos affraid of virginia wolf

7/24/2019 Eduard Albee - Whos Affraid of Virginia Wolf

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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

by Edward Albee

About Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf

On June 26, 1963, John F. Kennedy traveled to West Berlin and uttered the now-a!ous state!ent,"#$h bin ein Berliner." %early two years earlier, on the ni&ht o 'u&ust 13, 1961, the (o!!unist )ast*er!an &overn!ent had ere$ted the Berlin Wall. %ot only did this wall +hysi$ally $lose the borderbetween )ast and West *er!any, se+aratin& a!ilies and +rohibitin& travel between the two nations,but it soon be$ause a +otent sy!bol in the (old War.

#n his a!ous s+ee$h, Kennedy de$lared that Berlin was a sy!bol o de!o$ra$y and reedo!."Freedo! has !any dii$ulties and de!o$ra$y is not +ere$t, but we have never had to +ut a wall u+to ee+ our +eo+le in, to +revent the! ro! leavin& us." #ndeed, Berlin be$a!e a +otent ande!battled sy!bol durin& the (old War 196s in both +oliti$s and literature.

George, the battle-weary !ale +rota&onist o Edward Albees 1962 +lay Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf/reeren$es this (old War understandin& o Berlin. #n a$t one, *eor&e +ro$lai!s, "# will not &ive u+Berlin0" *eor&es reeren$e to Berlin, in the heat o battle with his brayin& wie Martha, not onlyreveals the inluen$e o the (old War on 'lbees +lay but su&&ests dee+er and darer !eanin&s or the

sy!bol o Berlin than those tou$hed u+on in Kennedys a!ous s+ee$h. his reeren$e to (old War+oliti$s was intentional. 'lbee later e+lained in strai&htorward ter!s the inluen$e o the era on his+lay "4ere was a ti!e when 5ussia was tryin& to tae Berlin, the Berlin blo$ade."

Berlins sy!boli$ +ower and the (old War +er$e+tion o it as an e!battled site $an be tra$ed ba$ to&eo&ra+hi$al and histori$al realities. Berlin, o $ourse, is the $a+ital $ity o *er!any. When *er!anywas +artitioned into two halves, to be ad!inistered by the oviet 7nion and the 'llied western +owersater World War ##, Berlin was s+lit in hal. 4owever, Berlins lo$ation within the $ountry o *er!any+resented s+e$ii$ &eo&ra+hi$al $on$erns. Berlin is not at the $enter o *er!any but rather in theeastern hal o the $ountry. West *er!any, Kennedys bastion o reedo!, was thereore&eo&ra+hi$ally surrounded by what be$a!e (o!!unist-$ontrolled )ast *er!any.

#n 198, ater the initial +artition, oviet +owers had blo$aded Berlin in a len&thy stand-o. #n 1961,

White 4ouse orei&n +oli$y e+erts worried that su$h a situation $ould easily o$$ur a&ain. 't that ti!e,the ille&al low o )ast *er!ans into West Berlin was in$reasin&, and *er!any was +er$eived as a+ressure $ooer about to blow. %onetheless, Washin&ton did not e+e$t the oviet-$ontrolled )ast*er!an &overn!ent to res+ond by buildin& a wall. hereore, Kennedy was $au&ht o &uard by hisne!esis, oviet +re!ier %iita Khrush$hev.

'lbee +ur+oseully na!ed the $hara$ter %i$, the youn& Biolo&y +roessor in 'lbees Whos 'raid o:ir&inia Wool/, ater %iita Khrush$hev. ;e$ades later, s+eain& to a &rou+ o 4oward 7niversitytudents, 'lbee e+lained, "# was havin& so!e un writin& this. #t was written in 1962, and # na!ed%i$ ater %iita Khrush$hev. hat was a +rivate $hoi$e." *eor&e, whose irst na!e e$hoes that o*eor&e Washin&ton, re+resents the old '!eri$an drea!. But unlie Kennedy, who ound o+ti!is! inthe de!o$ra$y o West Berlin, 'lbee was led by the (old War to $on$eive o a !u$h darer and !ore$yni$al vision o '!eri$an $ulture.

Berlin, a site in whi$h (o!!unis! and ;e!o$ra$y eisted side by side, their $oeisten$e held in $he$only by violen$e and the threat o violen$e, understandably be$a!e a !i$ro$os! or the (old Warworld / divided alon& )astern and Western, (o!!unist and ;e!o$rati$, lines. i!ilarly, the sin&le seto Whos 'raid o :ir&inia Wool/, the livin& roo! o *eor&e and resident Kennedy !used, "'nd then i he says /# you are

&oin& to do that, were &oin& to &rab Berlin. . . . 4ell &rab Berlin, o $ourse. hen either way it wouldbe, we lost Berlin, be$ause o these !issiles.

'lbees +lay was $learly a +rodu$t o its ti!e. #ndeed, the +roanity and hateul words between *eor&eand


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a$$usto!ed to Jerry +rin&er and other television shows o that il. u$h was not the $ase, however,in 1962 '!eri$an, still lin&erin& in the hal$yon days o 19?s o+ti!is!. his was a ti!e beore:ietna!, beore Water&ate, beore the (a!elot era ended with Kennedys assassination.

4oneyand %i$, the youn& !arried $ou+le who stu!ble into *eor&e and ulit@er >ri@e or ;ra!a in 1962voted to !ae Whos 'raid o :ir&inia Wool/ the winner. 4owever, the >ulit@er >ri@e is overseen by(olu!bia 7niversity, and the trustees o the university de$ided that Whos 'raid o :ir&inia Wool/se+li$it lan&ua&e, interest in "taboo" subDe$ts, and $ontroversial +ubli$ re$e+tion !ade it the wron&$hoi$e. hou&h it had won the vote, Whos 'raid o :ir&inia Wool/ did not re$eive the award, whi$hwas not &iven to any +lay that year as a result.

%onetheless, Whos 'raid o :ir&inia Wool/ won the %ew Eor ;ra!a (riti$s (ir$le 'ward and theony 'ward or Best >lay that year. 'lbee has won three >ulit@ers in years sin$e. he +rodu$tion, whi$h

ran at the Billy 5ose heatre, eatured 7ta 4a&en as anta&es heatre in 4ollywood. 'll o the il!s a$tors wereno!inated or '$ade!y 'wards. 't the ti!e, that was the irst ti!e this had every ha++ened. #t hasonly ha++ened on$e sin$e in 19H2C, with leuth. 7lti!ately, )li@abeth aylor won the Os$ar or Best

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'$tress and andy ;ennis won or Best u++ortin& '$tress. he il! also won or Best(ine!ato&ra+hy, Best 'rt ;ire$tion, and Best (ostu!e ;esi&n. #t was no!inated or Best '$tor, Best;ire$tor, Best Fil! )ditin&, Best Ori&inal $ore, Best >i$ture, Best ound, Best u++ortin& '$tor, andBest 'da+ted $reen+lay.

here have been two !aDor theatri$al revivals o Whos 'raid o :ir&inia Wool sin$e its ori&inalBroadway +rodu$tion. Both were dire$ted by )dward 'lbeehi!sel. he +lay was irst revived in 19H6on Broadway. #ts stars, (olleen ;ewhurst and Ben *a@@ara, were both no!inated or ony 'wards ortheir +eror!an$es. Only ourteen years ater the initial +rodu$tion, '!eri$an was a ar dierent +la$e.Water&ate, :ietna!, and the assassinations o John F. Kennedy, 5obert Kennedy, and


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+rodu$ed in Berlin. 'ter its su$$ess abroad, '!eri$an theatre +rodu$er 'lan $hneider a&reed to+rodu$e he Aoo tory o-Broadway in a double bill with a!uel Be$etts Kra++s ast a+e. hisearly asso$iation with Be$ett served to $e!ent 'lbees $onne$tion to the heatre o the 'bsurd. #na$t, he Aoo tory was at the ti!e o its +rodu$tion hailed as the birth o '!eri$an absurdist dra!a.

#!!ediately, 'lbee be$a!e +er$eived as a leader o a new theatri$al !ove!ent in '!eri$a. 4issu$$ess was in +art +redi$ated on his ability to straddle the two diver&ent traditions o '!eri$antheatre - the traditional and the avant &arde, $o!binin& the realisti$ with the surreal . hus, $riti$s o'lbee $an ri&htully see hi! as a su$$essor to '!eri$an +laywri&hts 'rthur inter. 'lbee has also $alled 5in& ardner, Ja!es hurber, and Jean *eneti!+ortant inluen$es on his writin&.

hrou&hout the ollowin& years, 'lbee stren&thened his re+utation with a series o one-a$t +lays,in$ludin& he ;eath o Bessie !ith and he andbo, whi$h he dedi$ated to his beloved &rand!other,in 196. #n 1961, he '!eri$an ;rea! dealt with the!es that would be drawn u+on in 'lbees later$areer. hat sa!e year, 'lbee ada+ted an unsu$$essul +rodu$tion o ri@e.

'lbee $ontinued to write +lays throu&hout the 196s and 19Hs. )verythin& in the *arden, ada+tedro! a +lay by *iles (oo+er, was +rodu$ed in 196H, ollowed by the ori&inal +lays Bo and Iuotationsro! (hair!an ulit@er >ri@e. (ountin& the Ways and istenin& whi$h initially debuted as aradio +lay in )n&land was sta&ed in %ew Eor in 19HH.

hrou&hout the 19s, 'lbees +laywritin& $areer ailed to +rodu$e a substantial $o!!er$ial hit. >laysro! this +eriod in$lude he ady ro! ;ubu=ue 19C, an ada+tation o olita 191C, he ulit@er >ri@e and his irst $o!!er$ial hit in over a de$ade. hree all Wo!enalso won

the %ew Eor ;ra!a (riti$s (ir$le 'ward and the Outer (riti$s (ir$le 'ward. 'lbees !ost re$ent+rodu$tions have been or$a >lay in 1993 and Fra&!ents ' (on$erto *rosso in 199?.

)dward 'lbee is a !e!ber o the ;ra!atists *uild (oun$il and the '!eri$an '$ade!y o 'rts andetters. 4e tea$hes $ourses in +laywritin& every s+rin& at the 7niversity o 4ouston, the venue whereor$a >lay was initially sta&ed. 'lbee hi!sel su!s u+ his $areer thus "# have been both over+raisedand under+raised. # assu!e by the ti!e # inish writin& - and # +lan to &o on writin& until #! ninety or&a&a - it will all e=ual itsel out. Eou $ant involve yoursel with the vi$issitudes o ashion or $riti$alres+onse."

Character List

Martha:he ity-two-year-old wie o a $olle&e history +roessor.


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ather =ui$ly annulled the !arria&e thou&h it was $onsu!!ated and brou&ht her ho!e, where shereveled in the +ower o +layin& hostess or her widowed ather. he $hose *eor&e, believin& he had+otential to be$o!e the head o the history de+art!ent and eventually to re+la$e her ather as+resident o the university. *eor&es ailure to rise to this +osition is her bi&&est disa++oint!ent, andshe reuses to let her husband see Dust how !u$h o a disa++oint!ent he is to her. %ow ?2,


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and de!onstrates the de&ree to whi$h *eor&e and


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an&ry that *eor&e doesnt lau&h. Beore their &uests arrive, *eor&e warns her not to do "the bit aboutthe id."

heir &uests are %i$, a blond 3-year-old +roessor in the Biolo&y ;e+art!ent, and his wie 4oney.%i$ and 4oney are so!ewhat sho$ed at bein& thrown into the war @one that is


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$ontinually reeren$e truth and illusion. *eor&e starts throwin& his bou=uet o sna+dra&ons at eel the abel instead. *eor&eassures her they have. *eor&e be&ins to tell a rehearsed story about their son, s$ared away by


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the +oor re$e+tion he re$eived when tea$hin& in Kansas. 4oney says she had to introdu$e hersel tothe other wives at the su+er!aret.


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's %i$ ea!ines the &un, roessors salary. he $ontinues that he was no &ood at trustees dinners, undraisin&, and now shesstu$ with this lo+ whos !arried to the +residents dau&hter and e+e$ted to be so!ebody. 7nder her

1!


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entire s+ee$h, *eor&e sin&s "Whos araid o :ir&inia Wool/" But instead shes stu$ with a$onte!+lative boowor! that doesnt have the &uts to !ae anybody +roud. 4oney Doins in sin&in&with *eor&e, then suddenly says shes &oin& to be si$ and runs down the hall. %i$ &oes ater her.


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while Berlin was in !any ways a sy!bol o Western resistan$e to (o!!unist +ower, the destru$tion osu$h a sy!bol was believed to have had destru$tive real-lie $onse=uen$es. Fro! his reeren$e, it is$lear that *eor&e understands the +ower o a sy!bol. his reali@ation oreshadows a si&nii$ant a$t*eor&e will !ae in the third and inal a$t o the +lay.

One sy!boli$ a$t *eor&e undertaes in this +art o the +lay is the "illin&" o


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*eor&es des$ri+tion o a &eneti$ally-altered ra$e o su+er!en that loo Dust lie %i$ e!+hasi@es%i$s very e!bodi!ent o the s$ientist-as-wave-o-the-uture. o!e $riti$s have even su&&ested that%i$s na!e re$alls that o %iita Khrus$h$hev, who had re$ently risen to be$o!e >re!ier o the oviet7nion at the ti!e o the +lays writin&. hus, "%i$" su$$eeds in destroyin& illusions lie Berlin and the'!eri$an drea!.

*eor&es des$ri+tion o the "dar side" o $hro!oso!al resear$h is si&nii$ant. 4e says that the u&ly,the i!+ere$t, and the stu+id would be, in ee$t, sterili@ed, and he threatens to i&ht a&ainst %i$ andthis uture while holdin& onto his s$rotu!. hus, it is $lear that *eor&e +er$eives %i$s +osition in thebiolo&y de+art!ent not only as a threat to the world at lar&e but !ore so as a threat to un!an hi!.

#nterestin&ly, *eor&e and


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the boy bein& a "$o!ort, a bean ba&," whi$h %i$ doesnt understand. 4e &oes on about the boybehind the a++le o their eyes and tells %i$ hes bein& testy. hey ar&ue about that or a !o!ent, and*eor&e says hes &oin& to set %i$ strai&ht about what


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Dust a!used by the idea o violen$e.


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and a&rees when %i$ su&&ests he $ouldnt $are. When he says that %i$s &oin& to throw


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in$idents in whi$h *eor&e taes $ontrol o the &a!e announ$in& that 4u!iliate the 4ost is over, orea!+le are si&nii$ant as his atte!+ts to subvert


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the !ost +art verbal. Words have +ower


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When


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didnt have to ill hi!. *eor&e si!+ly re+eats in atin the last lines o the uneral servi$e, to whi$h4oney &ives the a++ro+riate res+onses.

'ter a lon& silen$e, *eor&e says that it will be dawn soon, and the +artys over. %i$ =uietly ass ithey $ould have any. *eor&e and


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4oney, who has un$tioned throu&hout the +lay as a *ree $horus, !aes so!e sur+risin&ly a+tre!ars here. 4er drunen insisten$e that the &rou+ +lay "+eel the label" leads *eor&e to !ae asi&nii$ant re!ar about how it is i!+ortant to &o below the sura$e, below the bone, ri&ht to the!arrow. Killin& the son is &oin& to the !arrow or *eor&e. hou&h not $ons$iously, 4oney is !oredee+ly attuned to the e!otional truth o the situation than a++earan$es-tradin& %i$. When sheres+onds a++ro+riately to *eor&es re$itation o the 5e=uie! or the dead, she sub$ons$iouslyre$o&ni@es that the death o this $hild, even thou&h i!a&inary, is a +ainul and inal e+erien$e or*eor&e.

'lbee !aes nu!erous literary allusions throu&hout the +lay but here he o$uses in +arti$ular on

ennessee Willia!s ' treet$ar %a!ed ;esire. When talin& to hersel at the be&innin& o the s$ene,she reeren$es "he >oer *a!e," the +aintin& based on the s$ene in whi$h ra&ile Blan$he $o!es inon her ani!alisti$ brother-in-law tanleys +oer &a!e. e$ondly, when he $o!es in with thesna+dra&ons, *eor&e =uotes a line o dialo&ue ro! Willia!s +lay "Flores +ara los !uertos," lowersor the dead. #n treet$ar, that line oreshadows Blan$hes i!!inent s+iritual and e!otional thou&hnot +hysi$al deathC. While *eor&es use o the line oreshadows his announ$e!ent o "sonny-Ji!s"death, it also +ro$eeds the s+iritual de$i!ation o his and


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0$ly 123 4115


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they are !erely on the sidelines and Dust su++ortin& their !ens de$isions. ' antasti$ ea!+le o su$ho$$urs in he '!eri$an ;rea! where ;addy e+resses his uneasiness with a de$ision !ade to ado+tanother $hild.


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would be let with little without their !en. 'lbees wo!en use and need their !en, so that they !aybe the sin&ular, drivin& or$e behind their a!ilies.

Wors (ited

'lbee, )dward. he '!eri$an ;rea!. oronto >lu!e, 199H

'lbee, )dward. ' ;eli$ate Balan$e. 1966. %ew Eor 'theneu!, 196H.

'lbee, )dward. Whos 'raid o :ir&inia Wool/ 1962. %ew Eor 'theneu!, 1963.

(lur!an, 4arold. "Whos 'raid o :ir&inia Wool/" )dward 'lbee ' (olle$tion o (riti$al )ssays. )d.(.W.). Bi&sby. )n&lewood (lis >renti$e-4all 19H?. H6-H9

4irs$h, Foster. Whos 'raid o )dward 'lbee/ Bereley (reative 'rts, 19H.

eduard albee - whos affraid of virginia wolf

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