Innovative, thought-provoking theatre that sparks conversation. Use this outline to frame a dialogue with your group even before arriving at the theatre.
A CLOSER LOOK
WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?:
EDWARD ALBEE’S
EDWARD ALBEE’S
WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?: ABOUT THE PLAY Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? takes place on the campus of a small New England college. We follow George and Martha after they invite a new professor and his wife home for a nightcap. As the cocktails flow, the young couple finds themselves caught in the crossfire of a savage marital war where the combatants attack the self-deceptions they forged for their own survival.
CHARACTERS Martha: A large, boisterous women, 52, looks somewhat younger. Ample, but fleshy, she is the daughter of the president of a small New England college and married to George. George: Martha’s husband, 46, thin with greying hair. He is a member of the history department.
THEMES, DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 1. American Expression: Visions of the Cold War Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is set during the Cold War. While the US experienced political turmoil with the Soviet Union, many US citizens felt personally impacted by the war through heightened feelings of anxiety and paranoia. Richard M. Fried illustrates documented cases where Americans were experiencing such emotional unrest in Nightmare in Red: The McCarthy Era Perspective. In this book, Senator McCarthy and the Red Scare are shown to have amplified the already present anxieties of the American people. Their fears of war abroad began to slowly affect relationships both within and outside the home.
For Discussion: How was the 50’s optimism abruptly impacted by the political turmoil of the 60’s? How have television sitcoms (think Leave it to Beaver) represented nuclear families and the political climate of the 60’s? Is this an accurate depiction? What was the traditional role of each family member during this time?
After the play—How are the characters in Who’s Afraid
Honey: A petite blond girl. She is 26 years old and married to Nick.
of Virginia Woolf? used as a metaphor for the conflicts of this time period?
Nick: Honey’s husband, 28, well put-together and good looking. He has just become a new member of the biology faculty.
Additional Resources:
Location The living room of a house on a small college campus.
Fried, Richard M. Nightmare in Red: The McCarthy Era Perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. May, Elaine Tayler. Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era. New York: Basic Books Inc., 1998. Print.
THEMES, DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 2. Authenticity vs. Illusion: The Psychology of Truth Throughout the progression of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? the audience begins to question the stories and motivations laid out by each of the characters. As the night extends, we challenge the authenticity of their actions and shift allegiances depending upon our knowledge at the time. At what point then, do the characters’ illusions become so strongly reinforced by the depth with which they’re told that we believe them to be reality? Internal conflict comes to fruition as truths are revealed and their repercussions begin to be felt.
For Discussion: What are some of the gender differences in collegiate life during the 1950’s and 60’s compared with today? How did the political environment of the nation become reflected in the academic environment? What was the expected role of women during this era?
After the play—How is George and Martha’s marriage For Discussion:
impacted by Martha’s father?
At what point does a white lie become deception?
Additional Resources: What are the motivations for creating a falsified reality? Are there generational differences?
Collins, Gail. When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women from 1960 to the Present. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 2009. Print.
Who holds the power when a lie is told?
After the play—What is the impact of illusion on George and Martha’s marriage?
Additional Resources: Ginsberg, Allen. “Poetry, Violence and the Trembling Lamb” The Village Voice 26 August 1959.
3. New England College Life: Historical Reflections of Academia Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? takes places on the campus of a small New England college. A history of tradition permeates the academic environment as seen through student and faculty life at their institution. Opportunities for socialization among professors and their spouses were a common way to exchange pleasantries as well as discuss their most recent accomplishments or published works. Faculty felt administrative pressure to ultimately reach tenure, thus recognizing their achievements in the field and at the university. The dissatisfaction that Martha feels in her marriage is only exacerbated by her collegiate surroundings and family environment. Many of these shifts in the role of women within society during the 1960’s are described in Gail Collins’ novel, When Everything Changed…
The staff of the campus newspaper, The DePaulia, circa 1966.
THEMES, DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED IN WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
4. Formation of Modern American Culture The late 1950s/early 1960s was a crucial era in the formation of modern American culture. Norman Mailer began fleshing out his definition of “hip” and “square” in 1956, terms which are still prevalent today.
Hip
Mailer, Norman, “The Hips and the Square: 1 The List” Advertisements for Myself. New York: Putnam. 1959.
vs.
Square
wild
practical
romantic
classic
Negro
white
inductive
programmatic
the relation
the name
a question
an answer
crooks
cops
Catholic
Protestant
the body
the mind
The N.Y. Herald Times
The New York Times
sin
salvation
murder
suicide
marijuana
liquor
motorcycle
scooter
nuance
fact
Students in 1967 enjoy a fast food picnic and the sunshine on DePaul’s campus.
MARTHA …I mean, you’re a blank, a cipher… Cipher: 1. zero 2. something of no value or importance 3. a person of no influence, nonentity 4. a secret method of writing, compare cryptography 5. a coded message GEORGE (Takes NICK’S glass, goes to portable bar) That what you were drinking over at Parnassus? Parnassus: A mountain in Central Greece. In Greek Mythology, it was sacred to Apollo and home to the Muses. Also thought of as the home of poetry, literature, and music. GEORGE Martha’s father has the staying power of one of those Micronesian tortoises. Micronesia: Oceania, island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Indonesia. Home to tortoises, which are believed to be the longest living animals with an average lifespan ranging anywhere from 120-200 years. GEORGE The most profound indication of a social malignancy…no sense of humor. None of the monoliths could take a joke. Read history. I know something about history. Monoliths: a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument. GEORGE Monstre! / MARTHA Cochon! / GEORGE Béte! MARTHA Canaille! / GEORGE Putain! Monstre: French for monster Cochon: French for piglet, or swine Béte: French for beast Canaille: French for rascal, scoundrel Putain: French slang for hooker or bitch