UNIVERSITY THEATRE OPENS TWO ALBEE ONE-ACTS THIS WEEKEND
Edward Albee, three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and recipient of the 1996 National Medal of the Arts, will speak Thursday, Oct. 4, as part of Old Dominion University's President Lecture Series in conjunction with the university's 24th Annual Literary Festival.
"The Playwright vs. The Theater" will be presented at 8 p.m. in the North and South Cafeterias of Webb University Center. The lecture is free and open to the public. Seating is first-come, first-served.
In addition to three Pulitzer Prizes for "Three Tall Women," "A Delicate Balance" and "Seascape," Albee is recipient of the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the Tony Award.
In celebration of Albee's visit, the University Theatre will open its 2001-02 season with a production of two one-act plays, which were among the playwright's first theatrical successes.
"The Sandbox," which is directed by Gerald Schwarz, is an absurdist comedy that examines the American family life in 14 stage minutes, as mommy and daddy carry grandma off to the playground for a wacky meeting with the Angel of Death.
Widely considered a masterpiece of American drama, "The Zoo Story," rivals "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" as Albee's most celebrated work. Inhabited merely by two characters and a park bench, the 1960 play explores the full complexity of human communication and foreshadows the violence and disconnection haunting society today. It is directed by Christopher Hanna.
Performances will be Sept. 28-30, Oct. 3, 5-6 at the Stables Theatre, on 46th Street off Hampton Boulevard. Show times are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Wednesday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Ticket prices are $10 general admission, $6 for students, and $7.50 for faculty, staff and senior citizens.
In a recent interview with Joe Cuomo of the Queens College Evening Readings, Albee explained his philosophy on writing. "As a writer, you respond to everything around you. You respond to every visual image, every bit of conversation, every piece of music. You respond to it all. It all goes in the sieve of the brain." He asserted that an ideal play must change both the definition of art and people's perceptions in order to be considered valuable.
For more information about the lecture, call 683-3114. For additional information on theatre performances or for reservations, call the University Theatre box office at 683-5305.