Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Edward Albee’s scathing portrait of a 20th century American marriage

Starring Gabrielle Rose,
Kevin McNulty,
Meg Roe, Craig Erickson
Directed by John Wright

Meet George and Martha.  Come over for a few drinks.
Stay for a boozy little game of "Get the Guests."
You'll never forget it.

"A rare night of theatre... a flawless cast brings new depth to an already perfect play"
— The WestEnder, Andrea Warner

“To spend an evening with George and Martha is to be on the battlefield of an alarmingly ferocious, caustically funny marital war.  It's a fight to the death.  You don't even think about doing this play unless you have a truly superb cast — and we have." JOHN WRIGHT, DIRECTOR

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a superlative classic of the American stage – a revealing and completely engrossing drama that challenges both actors and audiences to bring the best of their wits and hearts to the events of the evening.

In the concluding scene of the play, Albee is at his most brilliant, invoking, as he so often does, a metaphor that illuminates all that has preceded. It is poetic, deeply moving and unforgettable.

“. . . while "Virginia Woolf" may be the most vicious portrait of a marriage this side of Strindberg, it is also – deeply and truly – a love story." BEN BRANTLEY, NEW YORK TIMES, 2005

Albee recently revised the play and the new version has been presented to rave reviews in New York and London. Blackbird Theatre and the outstanding cast of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf are extremely excited to present the new version of this powerfully thrilling drama to theatregoers in Vancouver.

"This is not just a play about marital warfare: it is Albee's state of the union message about the American tendency to prefer fantasy to reality. And the climax here acquires a shattering emotional power . . ." MICHAEL BILLINGSLEY, THE GUARDIAN, 2006

Among the most emotionally rigorous works ever written for the stage, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? tells the story of George and Martha, a history professor and his wife, who turn the late evening visit of a new young campus couple, Nick and Honey, into a fraught and wild game of “Get the Guests.” As the exchanges become increasingly savage and the humour more trenchant, it becomes apparent that the marital warfare between George and Martha conceals deep wounds.

“[Theatregoers] are destined to leave . . . feeling like winners, shaken but stirred by the satisfaction that comes from witnessing one helluva fight.” BEN BRANTLEY, NEW YORK TIMES, 2005

*Warning: not suitable for children under the age of 14 years.

Critical Response:

Don't Be Afraid: This Virginia Woolf will set you free
"...Blackbird Theatre's smart new production, which runs through three hours of malicious fights, backstabbing, and word games like a knife through butter, is worthy of Albee's greatness." MICHAEL HARRIS, THE GLOBE AND MAIL ...read more

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Roars and Soars
"Backed by a superb supporting cast, Gabrielle Rose takes one of the great female roles in modern theatre and makes it both roar and soar." PETER BIRNIE, THE VANCOUVER SUN ...read more

"...gripping, awfully funny ("It was funny but it was awful," Martha says at one point, describing the play perfectly), and tremendously moving. John Wright's Blackbird Theatre production does full justice to Albee's remarkable script." JERRY WASSERMAN, VANCOUVERPLAYS.COM ...read more

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? A Fantastic Evening of Theatre
"After the first two acts, I was impressed, but I was also nitpicking. At the end of Act 3, I couldn't sustain the nitpicking because I was crying too hard." COLIN THOMAS, GEORGIA STRAIGHT ...read more

Woolf Has Teeth and Tenderness
"George and Martha are no-holds-barred warriors on the marital battlefield, but ironically, the more brutal the verbal attacks, the more we understand how deeply connected they are. Strange but true: Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a love story." JO LEDINGHAM, THE COURIER ...read more

This Woolf Has Teeth
"...this Tony Award-winning play is still the ultimate portrayal of marriage and bittersweet misery, as proven by Blackbird Theatre's new production." ANDREA WARNER, THE WESTENDER ...read more

"Damned good play, damned good actors." ED FAROLAN, REVIEW VANCOUVER ...read more

Gabrielle Rose – Martha
Gabrielle Rose is a veteran of theatre and film. This past decade has presented has her with the most challenging roles of her career: Sister Aloysius in Doubt, Amanda (Jessie nomination) in The Glass Menagerie, Leni Riefenstahl (Jessie nomination) in The Blue Light, Mary Stuart in Mary Stuart, Amanda in Private Lives, Elizabeth Rex (Jessie Award) in Elizabeth Rex, Theresa (Jessie Award) in Memory of Water and now Martha in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Her film career has also been busy in the last couple of years. She was lauded for her performance in Mothers and Daughters where she created her role of Brenda. She has garnered rave reviews for her work as the crazed grandmother Vivian in the horror flick Grace and her two most recent features – Hungry Hills and Excited – were screened at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival.  Excited opened the Canadian Content section at the Vancouver Film Festival.  She received a Leo in June for her work in the series Sanctuary. In 2007 Gabrielle was named ‘Woman of The Year’ by Vancouver Women in Film and Television Spotlight Awards.  This year her life work was recognized and she has been awarded a star on the Vancouver Walk of Fame on Granville Street.