Interview with an Albee

Mr. Albee seemed a little too conceited and self-righteous for me to want to go and read one of his plays. He spent time talking about his upbringing, and how his plays are a critique of the upper class society/culture he was raised in, yet the way he presents himself is the same way a stereotypical bourgeois academic would: the aspect of society he is criticizing is the same one he seems to be happy to be a part of in his interview.

His mannerisms aside, I do respect Mr. Albee’s ability and genius in writing plays. He has obviously had many successes and his contributions to the “off-off Broadway” movement cannot be overlooked. Also, the theater production group he formed with the money from his commercial success was very helpful for the art of playwrighting in the 20^th century when more and more people were becoming less and less interested in seeing plays.  

I have not read any of his plays, so I cannot personally attest to the quality of his writing, but the critical acclaim he has received over the years hint that there is some genius in them. I would be more interested in going out of my way to read one myself if I had not been so disinterested in him by the way he carried himself.

On a side not, for whatever reason, I was interested in how close he was with Tennessee Williams. I thought it was fascinating knowing that the two were such good friends, and that they had alluded to each other’s works in their own plays.