Timothy Hutton, the Players president, will present Albee with his award. The "Eddie," which was last presented to Angela Lansbury, honors "theatre luminaries for their enduring body of work." Among those scheduled to attend the Albee celebration are Maureen Anderman, Kathleen Butler, Ben Gazzara, George Grizzard, Bill Irwin, James Karen, Elizabeth McCann, Brian Murray, Mercedes Ruehl, Marian Seldes, Joanna Steichen, Frances Sternhagen, Elaine Stritch, Richard Thomas and Elizabeth Wilson. The award is named after Edwin Booth, who founded the Players in 1888. Past recipients of the award include Helen Hayes, Jose Ferrer, Garson Kanin, Jason Robards, Jack Lemmon, Christopher Plummer, Marian Seldes and Angela Lansbury.

Four major Edward Albee productions will be seen during the 2007-2008 season, during which the playwright will turn 80 (on March 12, 2008). The season has been dubbed "The Albee Season" and will include Peter and Jerry at Second Stage; Me, Myself and I at the McCarter Theatre; The Sandbox and The American Dream at the Cherry Lane Theatre; and Occupant at the Signature Theatre Company.

Albee won Best Play Tony Awards for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Goat or Who Is Sylvia?. He was also Tony nominated for The Ballad of the Sad Café, Tiny Alice, A Delicate Balance and Seascape. Albee is also the recipient of three Pulitzer Prizes, the Gold Medal in Drama from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, the Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts.

The Players is located at 16 Gramercy Park South. For more information contact John Martello at (212) 475-6116.