Albee: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

This is the first detailed study of one of the most important plays in contemporary theatre, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, by Edward Albee. In this fascinating look at the modern stage, Stephen Bottoms draws on original archival material and sources including an exclusive interview with Edward Albee. The Introduction considers the text of the play itself; part one provides a survey of the major productions from 1962 to 1999, with special attention paid to the premiere and the 1966 film version. Part two examines shifting critical responses to the play, demonstrating how changing times and attitudes have altered audience perception of performances. The third and final part offers a detailed examination of five different performances, comparing and contrasting directorial, design and acting approaches to demonstrate how our understanding of the play alters considerably according to its interpretation on stage.

• First full study of the play and its production history • Contains exclusive interview with the playwright, Edward Albee • Includes illustrations from major productions

List of illustrations; General preface; Acknowledgements; Note on the text; Introduction: the play as performance; 1. Fun and games: production strategies/production problems; 2. Walpurgisnacht: the cauldron of criticism; 3. The Exorcism: getting the worst out of your performers; Select chronology; Notes; Bibliography; Index.