Edward Albee, brilliant playwright, has died and American theater will never be the same

Edward Albee, playwright whose works include The Zoo Story, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia, died Friday at his home in Montauk, N.Y. He was 88.

The preeminent American playwright of his generation, his sharp, insightful, and exciting dramas helped usher in new eras of the modern stage, perhaps founding what eventually became known as Off Broadway theatre.

Joining the ranks of Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Eugene O’Neill, Edward Albee’s work launched him into legendary status.

The Zoo Story (1958), about two distinct opposites who meet randomly on a park bench in Central Park, explored issues of isolation and loneliness. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf uncovered the secrets of a pair of affluent couples. The Goat or Who is Sylvia, about a love affair between man and beast, tackled taboos of love. In between these great works, he churned out a prolific amount of writing: about 30 or so total stage plays.

Theaters across the country are likely planning their tributes to Albee’s career, and actors and fans of the stage are voicing their mourning for Mr. Albee across the Twittersphere.

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