Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf centers around an all night drink-fest between two married couples: George and Martha, who have been married for sometime, and Nick and Honey, a relatively new couple. The first act sets all this up, but the way Albee sets this up is the stuff of high drama. The quips his characters throw back and forth prepares the reader for the action that will follow. And we want it to. The action is the verbal brawl that the four principals have. The second act, entitled 'Walpurgisnacht', is one of the most exhausting pieces of fiction. The reader feels drained by the end of the second act. However, it's the third act (correctly entitled 'The Exoricism'-which was Albee's original title) that provides the catharsis.
Edward Albee has written a brilliant, landmark play. The Pulitzers made the biggest mistake when overlooking it for the prize. Albee won for three other plays (Three Tall Women, Seascape, and Delicate Balance), none of which contain the power that is "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf".
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf is the story of a couple (George and Martha) fighting reality and its implications. Their need for each other grows along with their ostensible mutual contempt. All this is brought out over the course of one late-night get-together with a younger couple whose presence catalyzes the shattering and inevitable conclusions that George and Martha must come to.
This play is monumentally important, while managing to keep a crisp sense of humor and pacing. Everyone should read this fabulous play.