When Edward Albee’s play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? debuted in 1962, it immediately made headlines. The play was initially chosen to receive the 1963 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, but the advisory board withheld the prize. With sexual themes, coarse language, and heavy psychological content, it became a controversial hit.
From April 6 through May 1, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? will be presented by partner company in residence, Immediate Theatre Project as part of NC Stage’s mainstage season.
After a faculty party at the university where George teaches history, he and his wife Martha return home. The tension between the two quickly becomes obvious. Martha tells George that she has invited Nick—a new hire in the school’s science department—and his wife Honey over for an evening of fun and games. Any shred of civility dissipates as the deepest secrets and fears begin coming to light.
Michael MacCauley and Callan White take on the roles of George and Martha, with Julia VanderVeen and Lucky Gretzinger as Honey and Nick. Director Hans Meyer says he has wanted to direct this play for more than 20 years.
Lucky says, “This play is bananas. It really is. It makes all the sense in the world, but only through the strangest lens… It’s a bouncy house of psychology and emotion, and that’s always going to be fun to watch.”
Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets ($16–$40) are available at ncstage.org, or by calling 828.239.0263. Student tickets are $10, and group discounts are available. Special events take place April 6–9, including Pay-What-You-Wish Night ($6–20) on April 6.
