Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

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?)

CENTRAL THEMES

• The Nuclear Family
• The Tension Between Generations
• Blurring Lines Between Truth and Illusion

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the artistic and sociological contexts regarding the Theatre of the Absurd and its relation to the ideals of mid-20th century American society that impacted the development and interactions between Albee’s characters.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Nuclear Family, The Tension Between Generations, and Blurring Lines Between Truth and Illusion.
• Create and perform a scene between Honey and Martha that demonstrates an understanding of scriptwriting and Albee’s characterization, based on text details.