A Delicate Balance -- by Edward Albee (1967)

Description
Well, now I have read all of Albee's Pulitzer Prize-winning plays. A Delicate Balance has been revived twice on Broadway. The 1995 revival included Elaine Stritch, who I imagine nailed the role of Claire; the 2014 revival with Glen Close and John Lithgow must have been explosive.

Here is Playbill.com's summary: "Suburban couple Agnes and Tobias, who live with Agnes's alcoholic sister Claire, must cope with the unexpected arrivals of their friends Harry and Edna and their daughter Julia, in Edward Albee's Pulitzer Prize-winning play."

Agnes spars with her sister and questions both her life and marriage. At the end of Act One, the best friends of Agnes and Tobias, Edna and Harry, arrive in full-fledged fear. They are terrorized by their loneliness. At the top of Act Two, Julia, Agnes and Tobias' daughter, returns home after her fourth failed marriage. The individuals grapple with their sad lives as they drink and drink and drink and drink. 

Classic Albee.  

Candid Reactions

• Oh, shoot! This is dedicated to one of my favorite authors, John Steinbeck!!!!
• Albee just goes straight for the jugular of humanity (whatever that means) in his plays. 
• Ah, yes. The curse of consciousness. First nod to Steinbeck?
• Tobias' assertion, "We do what we can" (9) is pathetic. 
• Agnes provides an intriguing perspective on addiction: "even addiction is a repeated temporary" (10).
• What really is the difference between brutality and the "souring of love?" (13)
• Why are they all so dead-set (pun intended) on Agnes' death?
• Claire's commentary towards her family is just . . . YIKES. 
• Albee challenges humanity again by having his characters scrutinize aphorisms. 
• I love how Albee can slip in tiny anecdotes that can subtly add in wonderful metaphors and reveal character. 
• Is there a difference between a drunk and an alcoholic?
• The symbolic deaths of characters are curious to watch. 
• Another anecdotal gem! 
• Oh, Harry and Edna need help. 
• Gotta love the inherent paradox in the statement: "AND THERE WAS NOTHING" (47). Again, Albee reminds me of e.e. cummings with his examination of the presence of nothing/absence. 
• What exactly is Claire referencing at the end of Act 1? Do we ever find out?
• Wasn't expecting that mood swing, Tobias!
• Claire's biting, sardonic towards Julia are both laughable and cringe-inducing. 
• Claire did not just say, "and here comes Julia, home from the wars, four purple hearts" (71). What a nasty, yet appropriate metaphor for Julia's failed marriages and the state of her bruised heart. 
• At the top of Act Two Scene Two, Agnes' determination reminds me of the one daughter from August: Osage County. Agnes declares, "I shall . . . keep this family in shape. I shall maintain it, hold it" (80). Good luck, Agnes. 
• And halfway through the play we have the callback to the title. So refreshing. 
• Claire's entrance with the accordion is brilliant in its advancement of both character and thematic development. Didn't see that one coming. 
• What the rooms in the house begin to represent help elevate the play. 
• Claire plays the role of the foolish sage with her drunken words of advice and maxims. She states, "We submerge our truths and have our sunsets on untroubled waters" (93). You won't find a more poetic, psychological statement elsewhere in the play.
• Julia's breakdown is childish and guttural, which evokes the human spirit. 
• It's all about belonging. 
• Claire is bent on truth-telling. There are more parallels to August: Osage County than I thought.    
• There are some exchanges in the play that stick your hair up. Here is one of them:
• Tobias: "Where do I live?"
• Agnes: "The dark sadness. Yes?" (129)
• Claire's insight on change is filled with double-meanings. 
• In so many words, Albee proposes that relationships founded on conditions are destined for emptiness. 
• The "aria" near the end of Act Three reminds me of Effie White's breakdown in Dreamgirls. 
• Much like I wasn't expecting Tobias to explode in Act One, I was not expecting him to explode at the end of the play. Talk about a crescendo!
• Tobias' end monologue could be discussed for hours. 
• I have to admit, I kinda had to roll my eyes with the "let's embrace the light" ending of the play. It felt like a cop-out conclusion to me. 

Top Two Aspects/Reasons for Winning
1. Unusual Themes
Albee's ability to develop theme on such a bare plot is remarkable. He decides to riff on emptiness and lack of fulfillment -- opposite descriptors of the American Dream. Loneliness is another theme he intertwines with the itchy fabric of his play. The irony, of course, is that a packed house is filled with lonely people. While several stories can focus on the benefits and necessity of healthy relationships, this story focuses on the detractors and damages of close relationships. Oh, Albee, you prickly playwright!

2. The Human Challenge
There are several comedic moments in the play; however, I would classify the play mainly as a tragicomedy. The play is satiric, but more acidic than comedic. The failures of the familial and friend-based relationships do encourage the reader/audience member to reconsider what the standards are, or should be, for meaningful relationships. At times, I found myself giggling while reconsidering the standards; at other times, I found myself petrified. 

Classroom Implications
Due to Albee's abstraction and absurdity, I believe this text would prove challenging to students not because of the plot, but because of the theme. The plot is simple, the meaning is not. I would definitely choose to use the text as a character study, for each character provides a unique perspective to the theme of emptiness, fear, and belonging. The themes could be dissected with great discussion. It could be interesting to compare the characters' beliefs in a debate.

Personal Takeaway
Playwriting is composing. The playwright dictates the tempo, tones, dynamics, and dissonance/harmony.

Ranking

	Dialogue	Characters	Plot/Conflict	Symbol/Literary Devices	Overall Enjoyment	TOTAL SCORE 7.25
0	Unfollowable; unrealistic; diction does not match character	Undeveloped; does not reflect humanity	Not engaging; predictable; reader can step away from text because it isn’t gripping	Devices are apparent for cleverness and do not enhance the story	Reader has no interest in re-reading play
1	Not consistently realistic	Well-developed; most depictions reflect humanity (1.5)	Semi-engaging; some unnecessary plot-points (1.25)	Devices somewhat enhance story  (1.5)	Reader would re-read with pleasure and reminded of work (1.25)
2	Realistic; connotative; diction matches characters (1.75)	Fully-developed; depictions reflect humanity	Engaging; unique; reader finds it impossible to put down text because the conflict is so gripping!	Devices seamlessly enhance the story and provide rich interpretation	Reader would re-read the play on own volition, enthusiastically