EN 8573: Selected Plays of Edward Albee
Maymester
Bentley

Edward Albee is one of America's foremost playwrights, and in this seminar we will center on six of his most notable plays:

• The Zoo Story (1958)
• The American Dream (1960)
• Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? (1961-62, Tony Award)
• A Delicate Balance (1966, Pulitzer Prize; 1996, Tony Award)
• Three Tall Women (1994, Pulitzer Prize)
• The Goat -or Who is Sylvia?(2000, Tony Award)

In particular, we will explore Albee's representations of how libidinal politics intersects with and overlaps with the sex/gender system. From this perspective, we will examine not only such expected topics as subjectivity, gender, and masculinity/femininity, but we will also investigate such topics as suicide, incest, sadomasochism, and even bestiality.

The Goat or Who is Sylvia?

Assignments: at least two oral class presentations and one seminar paper (approx. 20 pages).