Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf

[+ WilliamM]

So what percent do you agree with me?

Albee is god. Most of his plays have been revived again and again.

 

My personal memory of Broadway only goes back to 1959. To me, O'Neill is a god. Miller, Williams and Albee are slightly lesser gods.

[+ WilliamM]

IMiller was just an overpraised hack.

 

I have seen almost all of Miller's plays, either with the original cast (After the Fall, The Man Who Had All The Luck) or in revivals (Death of a Salesman, All My Sons, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge). Yes, I usually like Miller's plays more the first time...by the second or third time his preaching gets old. However, I have been deeply moved by every play (even After the Fall because of Loden's and Robards' masterful, heart-breaking acting). There's much truth in Miller's plays, and he was an excellent story teller. And the plays attract the best actresses and actors around. The audiences keep coming back as well, myself included.

[operalover21]

I have seen almost all of Miller's plays, either with the original cast (After the Fall, The Man Who Had All The Luck) or in revivals (Death of a Salesman, All My Sons, The Crucible, A View from the Bridge). Yes, I usually like Miller's plays more the first time...by the second or third time his preaching gets old. However, I have been deeply moved by every play (even After the Fall because of Loden's and Robards' masterful, heart-breaking acting). There's much truth in Miller's plays, and he was an excellent story teller. And the plays attract the best actresses and actors around. The audiences keep coming back as well, myself included.

 

I find little truth in Miller's plays and I'm not sure any of them are truly great. They're just way to preachy. He could have used a dose of subtletly here and there. Albee is a far more sophisticated playwright. His writing is better and he reveals a lot more truths in expected ways that the always obvious Arthur Miller.

 

Of course, the audiences keep coming back to Miller's plays. They're easy. They're not difficult. They re-confirm things that those audiences already believe. Albee, is tough and demanding. Of course, he's not as popular. But popular doesn't always equal better or even good.

 

O'Neill is a also in that category as Albee. Both are a step above Miller.

[+ Lucky]

"Miller's plays .... They're just way to preachy. He could have used a dose of subtletly here and there."

 

LOL. As if Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is subtle! (Or your reviews, for that matter!)