Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? Writer Edward Albee Dies

Edward Albee, acclaimed playwright behind ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,’ has died at the age of 88.

According to his assistant, Albee passed away on Friday at his home in Long Island, New York. No cause of death was given.

Albee penned over 30 stage plays between 1958 and 2007, but his 1962 play ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ remained the work for which he was most recognised, thanks in no small part to the movie adaptation from director Mike Nichols.

The 1966 film cast Hollywood’s most iconic couple, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, as Martha and George, a middle-aged couple whose marriage is in the process of breaking down.

The film proved a landmark in many respects. Along with 1931’s ‘Cimarron,’ it is one of only two films to receive Academy Award nominations in every category for which it was eligible.

Ultimately it landed a Best Actress Oscar for Taylor and Best Supporting Actress for Sandy Dennis.

‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ also broke new ground for acceptable content in film, featuring a higher level of strong language and sexual content than was previously allowed in a studio production.

Although producer Edward Lehman officially penned the screenplay adaptation, Taylor and Burton were reportedly unhappy with his work and reverted almost entirely to Albee’s original dialogue.

‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in the Library of Congress in 2013, as a “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” work of film.

Albee went on to be awarded three Pulitzer prizes for his plays ‘A Delicate Balance,’ ‘Seascape’ and ‘Three Tall Women.’

Picture Credit: WENN, Warner Bros

Read More:
Ten Most Popular Films In UK History
Child Stars Who Were ‘Ripped Off’ By Their Parents
Matilda Actress On Downside Of Fame