The Stages of

Edward Albee teaching at Choate Rosemary Hall, March 2006

photo by John Kolomvakis

Edward Albee in his New York loft, March 2006

photo by James Dowell

Of the four great American playwrights, O'Neill, Williams, Miller and Albee, it is only Edward Albee who is living and an active presence in today's theater. Our documentary film, The Stages of Edward Albee will explore the life and work of this major artist and, in addition, offer a view of the times through which he has lived. He has promised his complete cooperation in the making of the film and we commenced shooting in March of 2006. We filmed Mr. Albee when he returned to Choate Rosemary Hall, his alma mater. There is a playwrighting festival at the school and the students whose plays were to be performed met as a group with this mature playwright to discuss their projects. Albee proved himself to be a master teacher, as well as playwright, by the way he brought great respect to the work of these beginning authors. We have a considerable amount of footage of him working with the students and answering numerous questions about the creative process of playwrighting. We interviewed Mr. Albee in his New York loft surrounded by his extensive art collection, as well as his summer home in Montauk. He shared with us his thoughts about art, life, the state of the world and the connections between all three. We look forward to additional interviews in which we expect the playwright, to continue to express his passionately held views.

We have also interviewed for the film some of the notale actors who have interpeted Albee work as we;ll as playwrights whose own work as dramatists gives their comments a special authority. We interviewed Rosemary Harris in her home in North Carolina whose role as Agnes in A Delicate Balance is remembered by all who saw it.. Likewise we interviewed the two-time Tony winner actress Judith Ivey about her work interpreting Albee's women. Ms. Ivey, among her numerous dramatic roles, starred as Martha in the Alley Theatre's production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? We interviewed Marian Seldes in New York City where she is currently appearinfg in Terrence McNally's Deuce and we also interviewed Mr. McNally who is a long-time friend and colleague of Albee's. In addition we interviewed the distinguished author of Six Degrees of Separation and numerous other plays, John Guare. We will, of course, be presenting sections of a number of Albee plays in our film and likely candidates include, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Three Tall Women, Seascape and Zoo Story. We expect the film will be nearing completion by the end of 2007.

Plays by Edward Albee:

The Zoo Story (1958)

The Death of Bessie Smith (1959)

The Sandbox (1959)

Fam & Yam (1959)

The American Dream (1960)

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1961-62)

The Ballad of the Sad Café (1963)

Tiny Alice (1964)

Malcolm (1965)

A Delicate Balance (1966)

Everything in the Garden (1967)

Box (play) and Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse Tung (1968)

Sandbox (1968)

All Over (1971)

Seascape (1974)

Listening (1975)

Counting the Ways (1976)

The Lady from Dubuque (1977-79)

Lolita (1980)

The Man Who Had Three Arms (1981)

Finding the Sun (1982)

Marriage Play (1986-87)

Three Tall Women (1990-91)

The Lorca Play (1992)

Fragments (1993)

The Play About the Baby (1996)

The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (2000)

Occupant (2001)

Peter & Jerry (Act One: Homelife. Act Two: The Zoo Story) (2004)