Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf Edward Albee

Context Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was first performed in New York City in 1962 !he play st"nned and pleased Ameri#an a"dien#es$ seemed to pro%ide a %ital insight into Ameri#an life !he #o"ntry was #oming o"t of the 19&'s$ when (wight )*ke) +isenhower was a #onser%ati%e$ well,lo%ed president and tele%ision shows like -ea%e it to .ea%er and /ather 0nows .est were pop"lar !he importan#e of a happy family was emphasi1ed 2y 2oth politi#ians and pop"lar #"lt"re 3any Ameri#ans #onsidered s"##ess to 2e meas"red 2y ha%ing one's own ho"se$ #ar$ kids$ and dog .y all shallow meas"res$ the 19&'s were a sta2le$ prod"#ti%e time for the 4nited 5tates of Ameri#a And yet$ these shallow meas"res and the trappings of s"##ess often hid real pro2lems$ whi#h will e%ent"ally #rop "p in any h"man #omm"nity *t is this raw$ h"man tr"th 2eneath the phony e6terior that +dward Al2ee attempts to re%eal in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? +dward Al2ee grew "p in a family deeply in%ested in pro7e#ting the perfe#t image of itself into so#ial sit"ations .orn in Washington ( C on 3ar#h 12$ 1928$ Al2ee was adopted 2y a wealthy family from -ar#hmont$ New York !his affl"ent s"2"r2 of New York City was home to a ri#h$ #ompetiti%e so#ial s#ene$ of whi#h his mother$ in parti#"lar$ was %ery m"#h a part !hro"gh his yo"th$ Al2ee resisted intera#ting with this #"lt"re$ finding it hollow and "nsatisfa#tory At age twenty$ after years of e6pensi%e s#hooling at prestigio"s instit"tions$ Al2ee mo%ed to New York City's 9reenwi#h Village to 7oin the a%ant,garde art s#ene :is first play$ !he ;oo 5tory$ was performed in 19&9$ met with fine s"##ess$ and la"n#hed his #areer After that$ Al2ee earned m"#h praise for most of his work$ the most famo"s of whi#h are Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?$ A (eli#ate .alan#e$ and !hree !all Women Summary !he play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is set on the #amp"s of a small$ New +ngland "ni%ersity *t opens with the main #hara#ters$ 9eorge and 3artha #oming home from a party at her father's ho"se !he two of them #learly #are deeply for ea#h other$ 2"t e%ents ha%e t"rned their marriage into a nasty 2attle 2etween two disen#hanted$ #yni#al enemies +%en tho"gh the pair arri%es home at two o'#lo#k in the morning$ they are e6pe#ting g"ests< the new math professor and his wife =f #o"rse$ as it t"rns o"t$ this new$ yo"ng professor$ Ni#k$ a#t"ally works in the 2iology department :e and his wife$ :oney$ walk into a 2r"tal so#ial sit"ation *n the first a#t$ )/"n and 9ames$) 3artha and 9eorge try to fight and h"miliate ea#h other in new$ in%enti%e ways As they peel away ea#h other's pretenses and self,respe#t$ 9eorge and 3artha "se :oney and Ni#k as pawns$ transforming their g"ests into an a"dien#e to witness h"miliation$ into le%ers for #reating 7ealo"sy$ and into a means for e6pressing their own sides of their m"t"al story *n the se#ond a#t$ )Walp"rgisna#ht$) these games get e%en nastier !he e%ening t"rns into a nightmare 9eorge and 3artha e%en atta#k :oney and Ni#k$ attempting to for#e them to re%eal their dirty se#rets and tr"e sel%es /inally$ in the last a#t$ )!he +6or#ism$) e%eryone's se#rets ha%e 2een re%ealed and p"rged :oney and Ni#k go home$ lea%ing 3artha and 9eorge to try to re2"ild their shattered marriage

Characters 9eorge , A >6,year,old mem2er of the history department at New Carthage 4ni%ersity 9eorge is married to 3artha$ in a on#e lo%ing relationship now defined 2y sar#asm and fre?"ent a#rimony 3artha , 3artha is the &2,year,old da"ghter of the president of New Carthage 4ni%ersity 5he is married to 9eorge$ tho"gh disappointed with his a2orted a#ademi# #areer 5he attempts to ha%e an affair with Ni#k Ni#k , Ni#k has 7"st 2e#ome a new mem2er of the 2iology fa#"lty at New Carthage 4ni%ersity :e is 28 years old$ good,looking$ 3idwestern$ and #lean,#"t :e is married to :oney :oney , :oney is the petite$ 2land wife of Ni#k 5he is 26 years old$ has a weak stoma#h$ and is not the 2rightest 2"l2 of the 2"n#h Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Overview *n the play$ 9eorge and 3artha in%ite a new professor and his wife to their ho"se after a party 3artha is the da"ghter of the president of the #ollege @2elie%ed to 2e 2ased on !rinity College$ Conne#ti#"tA where 9eorge is an asso#iate professor of history Ni#k @who is ne%er addressed or introd"#ed 2y nameA is a 2iology professor @who 3artha thinks tea#hes mathA$ and his mo"sy$ 2randy,a2"sing wife @also ne%er named$ 2"t #alled ):oney) 2y Ni#k thro"gho"t the playA =n#e at home$ 3artha and 9eorge #ontin"e drinking and engage in relentless$ s#athing %er2al and sometimes physi#al a2"se in front of Ni#k and :oney !he yo"nger #o"ple are sim"ltaneo"sly fas#inated and em2arrassed !hey stay e%en tho"gh the a2"se t"rns periodi#ally towards them as well !he play's title$ whi#h all"des to the +nglish no%elist Virginia Woolf$ is also a referen#e to the song )Who's Afraid of the .ig .ad Wolf?) from Walt (isney's animated %ersion of !he !hree -ittle Bigs .e#a"se o2taining the rights to "se the m"si# wo"ld ha%e 2een e6pensi%e$ most stage %ersions$ and the film$ ha%e 3artha sing to the t"ne of ):ere We 9o Co"nd the 3"l2erry ."sh) !his melody fits the meter fairly well and is in the p"2li# domain *n the first few moments of the play$ it is re%ealed that someone sang the song earlier in the e%ening at a party$ altho"gh who first sang it @3artha or some other anonymo"s party g"estA remains "n#lear 3artha repeatedly needles 9eorge o%er whether he fo"nd it f"nny * was in there ha%ing a 2eer one night$ and * saw )Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) s#rawled in soap$ * s"ppose$ on this mirror When * started to write the play it #ropped "p in my mind again And of #o"rse$ who's afraid of Virginia Woolf means who's afraid of the 2ig 2ad wolf who's afraid of li%ing life witho"t false ill"sions And it did strike me as 2eing a rather typi#al$ "ni%ersity intelle#t"al 7oke D +dward Al2eeE>F *n inter%iews$ Al2ee has said that he asked Woolf's widower -eonard Woolf for permission to "se her name in the title of the play *n another inter%iew$ Al2ee a#knowledged that he 2ased the #hara#ters of 3artha and 9eorge on his good friends$ New York so#ialites Willard 3aas

and 3arie 3enken !hey share the names of Bresident 9eorge Washington and his wife 3artha Washington$ Ameri#a's first /irst Co"ple 3aas was a professor of literat"re at Wagner College @one similarity 2etween the #hara#ter 9eorge and WillardA and his wife 3arie was an e6perimental filmmaker and painter 3aas and 3enken were known for their infamo"s salons$ where drinking wo"ld )#ommen#e at >pm on /riday and end in the wee ho"rs of night on 3onday) @a##ording to 9erard 3alanga$ Warhol asso#iate and friend to 3aasA !he primary #onfli#t 2etween 9eorge and 3artha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? deri%ed from 3aas and 3enken's tempest"o"s and %olatile relationship 3any darker %eins r"nning thro"gh the play's dialog"e s"ggest that the 2order 2etween fi#tion and reality is #ontin"ally #hallenged !he play ends with 3artha answering the tit"lar ?"estion of who is afraid to li%e their life free of ill"sions with$ )* am$ 9eorge$ * am ) *mpli#itly$ e6pos"re is something e%eryone fears< faGade @2e it so#ial or psy#hologi#alA$ altho"gh damaging$ pro%ides a #omfort lot summary !he play in%ol%es the two #o"ples playing )games$) whi#h are sa%age %er2al atta#ks against one or two of the others at the party !hese games are referred to with sar#asti#ally alliterati%e names< ):"miliate the :ost)$ )9et the 9"ests)$ ):"mp the :ostess)$ and ).ringing 4p .a2y) EeditF Act One ! "#un and $ames" 9eorge and 3artha ret"rn from a fa#"lty party$ 2"t 3artha soon informs 9eorge that she has in%ited o%er g"ests !hese g"ests$ Ni#k and his wife$ :oney$ are m"#h yo"nger than 9eorge and 3artha ("ring the )after,party) 3artha ta"nts 9eorge 5he stresses his fail"res 2r"tally and dri%es him o"t of the room 3artha then tells an em2arrassing story a2o"t how she h"miliated him with a s"#ker p"n#h in front of her father ("ring the telling 9eorge appears with a g"nH he fires it and an "m2rella pops o"t +%en after this 7oke$ 3artha's ta"nts #ontin"e Ni#k and :oney grow "neasyH 9eorge rea#ts %iolently :oney r"ns to the 2athroom to %omit EeditF Act %wo ! "Wal&urgisnacht" Ni#k and 9eorge are then alone Ni#k talks a2o"t his wife and her hysteri#al pregnan#y 9eorge pro#eeds to tell Ni#k a story a2o"t %isiting a gin mill with a 2oarding s#hool #lassmate !his friend had killed his mother a##identally 2y shooting her :e was la"ghed at for ordering )2ergin$) killed his father while dri%ing$ and was #ommitted to an asyl"m shortly thereafter where he ne%er spoke again 9eorge and Ni#k arg"e +%ent"ally$ 9eorge #alls Ni#k a )sm"g son of a 2it#h ) =n#e the wi%es re7oin the men$ 3artha 2egins to des#ri2e @in the fa#e of a persistent protest from 9eorgeA her h"s2and's only no%el$ 2"ried 2y her powerf"l and #ontrolling father$ a work whi#h t"rns o"t to 2e em2arrassingly a"to2iographi#al !he #"lmination of 9eorge's %iolent rea#tion to 3artha's ref"sal to stop telling this story is to gra2 3artha 2y the throat and nearly strangle her *n his stage dire#tion$ Al2ee s"ggests that Ni#k may 2e making a #onne#tion 2etween the )no%el) and the story 9eorge had told him earlier 9eorge is ?"i#k to retort 3artha's prior a#tions$ in the ne6t game$ whi#h he #alls )9et the 9"ests ) 9eorge tells an e6temporaneo"s tale of )the 3o"sie) who )tooted 2randy immodestly and spent half of her time in the "p#h"#k$) and Ni#k's thoro"ghly dr"nk wife

reali1es that the story is a2o"t her and her hysteri#al pregnan#y 5he feels as if she is a2o"t to 2e si#k and r"ns to the 2athroom again At the end of this s#ene$ 3artha starts to sed"#e Ni#k in 9eorge's presen#e 9eorge rea#ts #almly$ simply sitting and reading a 2ook As 3artha and Ni#k walk "pstairs$ 9eorge throws his 2ook against the door #himes in ang"ishH *n all prod"#tions "ntil 2''&$ :oney ret"rns$ wondering who rang the door2ell and 9eorge #omes "p with an idea to get 3artha$ he plans on telling 3artha that their son has died And the a#t ends as 9eorge tells an in%isi2le 3artha that their son has died *n what is la2eled the )(efiniti%e +dition) of the s#ript$ the se#ond a#t ends 2efore :oney arri%es E&F EeditF Act %hree ! "%he Exorcism" 3artha appears alone in the li%ing room$ sho"ting at the others to #ome o"t from hiding Ni#k 7oins her after a while$ re#alling :oney in the 2athroom winking at him !he door2ell rings< it is 9eorge$ with a 2"n#h of snapdragons in his hand$ #alling o"t$ )/lores para los m"ertos) @flowers for the deadA 3artha and 9eorge arg"e a2o"t whether the moon is "p or down< 9eorge insists it is "p$ while 3artha says she saw no moon from the 2edroom !his leads to a dis#"ssion where 3artha and 9eorge ins"lt Ni#k in tandem$ an arg"ment that re%eals that Ni#k was too dr"nk to ha%e se6 with 3artha "pstairs anyway 9eorge asks Ni#k to 2ring his wife 2a#k o"t for the final game ).ringing 4p .a2y ) 9eorge and 3artha ha%e a son$ a2o"t whom 9eorge has repeatedly told 3artha to keep ?"iet o%er the #o"rse of the night$ 2"t now 9eorge talks a2o"t 3artha's o%er2earingness toward their son 9eorge then prompts 3artha for her )re#itation)$ in whi#h they des#ri2e their son's "p2ringing in a 2i1arre d"et 3artha des#ri2es their son's 2ea"ty and talents and then a##"ses 9eorge of r"ining his life As this tale progresses$ 9eorge 2egins to re#ite se#tions of the -i2era me @part of the Ce?"iem$ the -atin mass for the deadA At the end of the tale$ 9eorge informs 3artha that the door #himes heard earlier was a 2oy from Western 4nion who 2ro"ght a telegram that said their son had died< )killed late in the afternoon on a #o"ntry road$ with his learner's permit in his po#ket$ he swer%ed$ to a%oid a por#"pine)Da des#ription that mat#hes that of the 2oy in the gin mill story told earlier 3artha s#reams )Yo" #an't do thatI) and #ollapses *t 2e#omes #lear that 9eorge and 3artha ne%er had a son and 9eorge has de#ided to )kill) him 3artha 2roke their r"le that she #o"ld not speak of their son to others Ni#k and :oney lea%e$ reali1ing the #a"se of their shameless anti#s was their ina2ility to #on#ei%e !he play ends with 9eorge singing$ )Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?) to 3artha$ where"pon she replies$ )* am$ 9eorge * am ) !he play itself is performed in three a#ts$ and is a little "nder three ho"rs long< 1 ho"r$ 1 ho"r$ >' min"tes$ with two 1',min"te intermissions

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' A #eminist (es&onse to the )*th Anniversary "%hat wasn't a very nice thing to say+ ,artha-" /ew lines are as "nderstated and a##"rate as this one$ deli%ered early in the .roadway re%i%al of +dward Al2ee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (ire#ted 2y Bam 3a#0innon$ this e6ha"stingly 2rilliant prod"#tion from the 5teppenwolf !heater is now in performan#es at the .ooth !heater on .roadway and defiantly pro%ing that some works of drama are$ in fa#t$ timeless Cet"rning to .roadway &' years after its original prod"#tion$ Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is one of Al2ee's most well,known and$ it feels odd to say$ 2elo%ed plays 5et in the li%ing room of history professor 9eorge and his wife 3artha Washington's home$ following a fa#"lty party$ the play follows the Washingtons and a yo"nger #o"ple$ new to the #ollege #amp"s$ as they while away the wee ho"rs of the morning with al#ohol and games ."t these are not f"n or inno#ent gamesH they are %i#io"s games meant to atta#k and "ndermine ea#h other 3arried for more than 2' years$ 9eorge and 3artha are firmly esta2lished in a pattern of #odependent emotional #r"elty$ fighting ea#h other at e%ery t"rn !hey are 7oined 2y the pres"ma2ly mild,mannered yo"nger #o"ple$ Ni#k and :oney$ 2"t as the drinks flow and the night progresses$ all ni#eties are lost and the tr"th a2o"t 2oth of these #o"ples is e6posed !he master of the #eremonies of this night of horror is 9eorge$ played 2y !ra#y -etts in a masterf"l .roadway de2"t A !ony Award,winning playwright for A"g"st< =sage Co"nty$ -etts gi%es an "nderstated performan#e of fl"id 2rillian#e *t is almost impossi2le to look away from him onstage With m"ssed hair and 2oth his hands sho%ed into the po#kets of his #ardigan sweater$ at first glan#e -etts appears to 2e a man 2eaten down 2y years of disappointment and 2"llying 2y his wife /or 3artha does 2"lly him Constantly reminding him a2o"t his la#k of a#ademi# and professional as well as personal a#hie%ements$ she 2elittles and ridi#"les him in front of their g"ests repeatedly ."t 9eorge does not take it lying downH he ret"rns them with 7"st as m"#h 1est and %igor as her !he two e6#hange a#er2i# 2a#k and forth in a rapid fire$ seemingly ne%er,ending 2attle of #r"elty =ne #an only imagine how other nights in their li%ing room ha%e passed As 3artha$ Amy 3orton gi%es a s"2tly n"an#ed performan#e that is 2oth 2rittle and %"lnera2le *t is easy for 3artha to o%ershadow 9eorge in this play 2"t 3orton's 3artha is more ?"iet @altho"gh not a#t"ally ?"ietA and te6t"redH one #an witness the disappointment that moti%ates her anger !here is a ?"iet resignation that ho%ers at the edges of her 7a2s and 2ar2s and e%en as the #r"elty of her a#tions in#reases$ so does the sadness When she attempts to e6plain the reasons 2ehind her a#tions to the "n#omprehending Ni#k$ ?"ietly des#ri2ing how she is "na2le to a##ept 9eorge's lo%e and #ontin"es to h"rt him rather than re#ipro#ating his feelings$ she depi#ts %"lnera2ility and inspired sympathy , no small feat after a night of sho"ting and gin swilling Joining 9eorge and 3artha are Ni#k and :oney @3adison (irks and Carrie CoonA$ a yo"ng 2iology professor and his wife !hey are not a perfe#t #o"pleH despite their wholesome good looks$ dark se#rets l"rk 2eneath their tastef"l twill o"tfits .oth (irks and Coon are e6#ellent$ with (irks gi%ing a restrained performan#e of mas#"line rage and Coons e6hi2iting o"tstanding #omedi# timing as :oney sinks deeper and deeper into a ha1e of 2randy and

"nhappiness :owe%er$ * am happy to report that none of the a#tors resort to #heap dr"nken theatri#sH e%en when :oney is #learly into6i#ated$ Coons still gi%es a performan#e that depi#ts depth and pain !he pain of 2oth :oney and 3artha is %isi2le$ espe#ially in the #onte6t of the play$ whi#h was first seen on .roadway &' years ago Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was s"2mitted for the B"lit1er Bri1e in (rama 2"t the award's ad%isory 2oard o27e#ted to Al2ee's s#ript's "se of profanity and se6"al themes !he 2oard o%err"led the award's ad%isory #ommittee and no B"lit1er Bri1e for (rama was awarded in 196K @=ne heard more s#andalo"s #omments 2eing made in the theater's lo22y$ 2oth 2efore and after this re#ent performan#e A When %iewing 2oth 3artha and :oney$ one m"st #onsider how the roles of women has #hanged a great deal sin#e 1962$ and in a life after !he /eminine 3ysti?"e$ the depression of a ho"sewife is "nderstanda2le and sympatheti# !he a"dien#e la"ghed when 9eorge said disparagingly of 3artha$ )5he's a ho"sewife 5he 2"ys things$) 2"t * felt sorry for her as a disenfran#hised woman who #learly is not satisfied with what her daily life offers her And :oney$ who #learly str"ggles to play the role of the proper professor's wife$ is "nf"lfilled and 2lames herself for her "nhappiness when her h"s2and is also #ontri2"ting to their marriage's str"ggles !he internal #haos of 9eorge and 3artha's life together is represented in s#eni# designer !odd Cosenthal's set$ whi#h is #l"ttered and o%erflowing with 2ooks$ hapha1ardly piled all a#ross the stage$ and #ost"me designer Nan Ci2"la,Jenkins' o"tfits aptly refle#t the personalities of the #hara#ters Allen -ee :"ghes' lighting is s"rprisingly 2right$ ill"minating the tr"th a2o"t these people as the night wears on and they 2e#ome more and more honest ."t what is ill"minated the most #learly is the fa#t that$ despite first appearan#es$ thanks to the in#redi2le performan#es 2y -etts and 3orton$ 9eorge and 3artha are ea#h other's e?"als$ 2oth in lo%e and in war .oth loathing and longing for ea#h other$ the two #ontin"e to 2attle "ntil all p"n#hes are p"lled$ all se#rets e6posed and this e6ha"sting and in%igorating prod"#tion's #"rtain has fallen