Edward Albee will be honored and A.R. Gurney will speak at the second annual Eugene O'Neill Celebration, on Saturday, Oct. 20 at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT.
The day-long event, which is free and open to the public, will also feature performances, discussion and workshops on the Nobel Prize-winning playwright's work and legacy.
Three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Albee will receive the Monte Cristo Award (named for the author's childhood home) for "distinguished artistic achievement in the spirit of Eugene O'Neill's pursuit of excellence." A reception will follow in the Rufus and Margo Rose Theater Barn. Gurney will discuss O'Neill's revolutionary contribution to the theater.
The celebration will also include:
*The panel discussion "From James to Eugene O'Neill," about shifting dramatic style in the early 20th century (i.e., how the old bravura melodrama epitomized by James O'Neill gave way to the intensely realistic drama his son wrote). "The Three Marys," a discussion with three actresses who have portrayed Mary Tyrone, the tragic matriarch of Long Day's Journey Into Night.
A professionally cast reading of one of O'Neill's early one-acts and readings from scripts by the playwrights discussed in the "James to Eugene" discussion.
On Sunday, Oct. 21, the Monte Cristo Cottage will be open from 12 to 5 PM. for guided tours. More details and events will follow.
For reservations and more information, call (860) 443-5378.
— by Diane Snyder
