Edward Albee’s Masterwork “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Concludes HTC's Landmark 40th Season
One of the most celebrated works in contemporary theatre will cap off the Hampton Theatre Company’s 40th season, when Edward Albee’s monumental drama “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” arrives in Quogue for a three-week run from May 22 through June 8. The production will be the 136th in the history of the HTC, which has delivered a wide variety of acclaimed comedies, dramas and musicals to East End audiences since its founding in 1984.
Directed by longtime HTC contributor George Loizides, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” features a cast headed by Andrew Botsford and Rosemary Cline, founding members of the Hampton Theatre Company four decades ago who have appeared in dozens of the company’s productions over the years.
An inspired combination of caustic comedy and gut-wrenching drama, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” focuses on the festering conflicts and shared traumas connecting George, a brilliant but brooding professor of history, and Martha, his disillusioned wife and the daughter of the president of the college where George works. Following a late-night faculty party, Martha and George return home, where they’re soon joined by Nick and Honey, a young couple newly arrived on the campus.
Over cocktails, Nick and Honey find that they’re uncomfortable bystanders and then unwilling participants in an alcohol-fueled battle royale of wits, insults and insinuations involving Martha, who feels her husband has never achieved the academic heights his talents augured, and George, whose passive-aggressive personality boils over into rage as he parries, then counters, his wife’s attacks on his stalled career and diminishing manhood. Both Nick and Honey get pulled into the fray, resulting in revelations from both couples that lay bare the decaying foundations of their marriages, as well as the long-held secrets that each must purge if their relationships are to survive.
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” is generally considered to be the crowning achievement of playwright Edward Albee’s distinguished career, as well as one of the seminal works in the history of American theatre. First staged in 1962, the play won both the 1963 Tony Award as Best Play and the 1962-63 New York Drama Critics’ Circle award for Best Play. The play has been revived on Broadway four times, in 1976, 2005, 2012, and 2020. A 1966 film adaptation, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, received 13 Oscar nominations, winning five, and is one of only two films to be nominated in every eligible category at the Academy Awards.
According to the New York Times, Albee was “widely considered to be the foremost American playwright of his generation.” The winner of three Pulitzer Prizes, two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards and a Grammy, he was also the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award.
Presented in three acts, with two 10-minute intermissions, the HTC production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” features a versatile cast of four seasoned actors. Andrew Botsford (George) and Rosemary Cline (Martha) have appeared in dozens of HTC productions since 1985, most recently sharing the stage in “Rose and Walsh,” “The Portuguese Kid,” and “A Doll’s House, Part 2.”
Rounding out the cast of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” are Amanda Griemsmann (Honey), whose HTC credits include “Sylvia,” “A Comedy of Tenors” and “Don’t Dress for Dinner,” with Cameron Eastland (Nick) making his HTC debut in this production.
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” is directed by George Loizides, a veteran of numerous HTC productions as a director (“Rose and Walsh,” “The Lifespan of a Fact”), an actor (“Over the River and Through the Woods,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”) and producer (“Boeing Boeing”). The producer is Mary Powers; set design by Meg Sexton; lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski; and costumes by Teresa LeBrun.
Performances of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” will run from May 22 through June 8 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7, and on Sundays at 2:30. An additional matinee performance will be offered on Saturday, June 7, at 2:30, prior to the regular 7 p.m. performance that evening.
Two “talkbacks” with the cast will be offered to ticketholders immediately following the May 30 and June 6 Friday evening performances.
Tickets are $40 for adults, $36 for seniors (65+), $25 for students (25 and under), and $30 for veterans and Native Americans. Tickets are available at hamptontheatre.org or by calling 631-653-8955.
