Legendary playwright Edward Albee rarely attends Broadway productions because much of what gets produced is "usually junk," he tells Tracy Smith in an interview with CBS SUNDAY MORNING WITH Charles Osgood, which was broadcast this morning, Jan. 27 (9:00 AM, ET). He also says he lies on his Tony ballots, too.
"It's all about not doing the best plays but doing the ones that will sell the most tickets," says Albee, the creator of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." Asked what the result is, he says, "usually junk."
Because of the commercialism, Albee tells Smith, he "very seldom" goes to see Broadway productions. "I used to go see more since I'm one of the voters for the stuff," Albee says of his role as a voter for the prized Tony Awards. "Now I just lie."
Read Albee's full Q&A with CBS Sunday Morning
HERE.
Albee has written 30 plays and won his first Tony for "Who's Afraid of
Virginia Woolf" in 1963. He's also won three Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. "
Virginia Woolf," a drama about the relationship between a history professor and his hard-drinking wife, who is the daughter of the college president, remains, his best-known work. The play led to a film version in 1966 starring
Richard Burton and
Elizabeth Taylor. "I've always liked the movie less than the play," Albee says. "In part, I was very fond of both Richard and Elizabeth - I didn't think they were the right cast for the play."
In a wide-ranging interview, Albee talks with Smith about being an orphan and his adopted parents, his craft, and a future project. He also says he ran into some barriers early on in the business because he was openly gay, something Albee says he never wanted to hide. "I'm not embarrassed by it," he says. "I'm not ashamed of it. Why should I go along with people who are idiotic?"
Smith's interview with Albee was broadcast today, Jan. 27, 2013 on
CBS SUNDAY MORNING (9:00 AM, ET) on the
CBS Television Network. Rand Morrison is the executive producer. Follow
CBS Sunday Morning on
Twitter and
Facebook.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride
