HowlRound: Standing in front of a group of his students, Edward Albee was asked for advice on how to handle fame. “If you’re ever in any danger, I’ll let you know,” was his reply. This quip could have come from one of his famously acerbic characters. But there was another side to Albee. When introduced in 1996 at Clackamas Community College (CCC), in a small town outside of Portland, Oregon, the host referred to Albee as America’s greatest living playwright. Stepping to the podium, Albee began, “That was a lovely introduction, but I didn’t realize Arthur Miller had died.” That generous spirit was as much a part of him as the barbs. When the obituaries rolled out after Albee’s death, they all featured his genius, but few noted his kindness.
1 comment:
I think this author does a great job of highlighting Edward Albee’s kind nature in this article. I began working on a paper about Albee and one of his works at the beginning of this semester and so it’s somewhat weird that he passed away while I was working on the paper. I love the note about Albee giving the author, Jacob Juntunen, a chance to submit his work. Albee was also a college drop-out, and it is often noted how high a level of artistic acclaim he reached during his life without having completed a college level degree. I admire Albee’s work of advocating for other playwrights. I think this is one of the best things that successful figures in the theatre industry can do – pulling up younger artists in which they see potential, helping them to gain footing in the industry. I think it is important to note that Albee taught at the University of Houston because he wanted to help teach younger playwrights – it wasn’t about the job, but rather it was about furthering the form and helping young artists. I think this is a mindset that everyone should have.
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