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Edward AlbeeAmerican playwright, representative of the “theater of the absurd”.
Date of Birth: 12.03.1928
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Edward Albee
Edward Albee, an American playwright and representative of the "Theatre of the Absurd," was born on March 12, 1928 in Washington, D.C. He was adopted by Reed and Frances Albee just two weeks after his birth. Albee attended Choate School and spent a little over a year at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He then settled in New York City, where he supported himself with odd jobs while pursuing his passion for writing poetry and prose.
Albee's Works
Albee's works often explore themes of human loneliness and the inability of individuals to understand one another. Through witty and vibrant dialogues, the writer portrays human communication as a struggle for self-assertion. One of his most notable works is the play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1962), in which a university professor and his embittered wife engage in a constant stream of insults towards each other and their two guests. Albee's diverse creative style is demonstrated in plays such as the metaphysical allegory "Tiny Alice" (1964), which is crafted as a plot-driven drama, and "Box-Mao-Box" (1968), where the characters' dialogue on stage intertwines with disembodied voices backstage, resembling musical themes in counterpoint rather than forming a cohesive conversation.
Albee's early one-act plays were first produced in Europe before gaining recognition in the United States. In addition to the aforementioned works, Albee also wrote plays such as "The Zoo Story," "The Death of Bessie Smith" (1960), "Fam and Yam" (1960), "The American Dream" (1961), and adapted novels and plays for the stage, including "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe" (1963) by Carson McCullers, "Malcolm" (1966) by James Purdy, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (1966) by Truman Capote, and "Everything in the Garden" (1967) by Giles Cooper.
Awards and Recognition
Albee received three Pulitzer Prizes for his plays. In 1967, he won the Pulitzer Prize for "A Delicate Balance" (1966); in 1975, for "Seascape" (1975); and in 1994, for "Three Tall Women" (1994). These accolades solidified Albee's reputation as one of the most influential and celebrated playwrights of his time.
