Edward Albee was one of the “Big Four” modern American playwrights, the others being Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller. His career spaned six decades, from the late 1950s to the 2016, during which he wrote nearly 30 plays. Classified early in his career as part of the Theatre of the Absurd, Off-Broadway, and the Angry Young Man movements, Albee outlived and transcended all labels except that of “Great American Playwright.” Though often attacked by drama critics, he nevertheless won more Pulitzer prizes in drama (three) than anyone except O'Neill (four) and Robert E. Sherwood (also three). Drawing on philosophical concepts from existentialism and the conventions of the dramatic comedy of manners genre, Albee's plays are the most intellectual and witty of the…
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Citation: Konkle, Lincoln. "Edward Albee". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 October 2005; last revised 23 June 2022. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=58, accessed 22 November 2024.]
