A blog of my running thoughts while reading. *Warning: Spoilers*
The American Dream was an extremely strange, disturbing play. Parts of it were almost too absurd to really make any sense while the plot that was there was just creepy. I can’t even imagine what the impact of this play would be if one actually saw it performed! It’s extremely disturbing.
The preface to The American Dream was little more than a rant against critics. It read very strangely. Albee railed against critics, called them little more than censors and all but stated that they shouldn’t exist. It was a “they just don’t get my art” rand of the first order.
And it was followed by three clips from critics’ reviews of the show praising it highly.
This was an extremely strange play (The Zoo Story). I keep trying to figure out what it said about human nature or something, but I’m not certain that it really said anything. Peter was really dumb. He should have left as soon as Jerry mentioned that he would see what happened at the zoo on TV. That suggested that either Jerry was involved in something illegal or that Jerry was crazy (or both). The play was really just weird and disturbing.
It is indeed strange that Albee’s first premiere was in Berlin and in German, a language he does not speak a word of. I find it interesting that his second premiere was also in Berlin and his third play was commissioned for a festival in Italy, but opened in New York instead. He certainly had an odd beginning to his career as a playwright!