Samuel Beckett is widely regarded as one of the most influential playwrights of the 20th century. Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1906, Beckett attended Trinity College Dublin and later taught at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. He wrote his first novel, Dream of Fair to Middling Women, in 1932, but it was never published during his lifetime.
Beckett's first major play, Waiting for Godot, premiered in Paris in 1953 and is now considered a seminal work of the Theatre of the Absurd. The play's two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait for the eponymous Godot, who never arrives. The play's ... read more
Edward Albee was an American playwright known for his darkly comedic and often controversial works. Born on March 12, 1928, in Washington, D.C., Albee was adopted as an infant by Reed and Frances Albee, a wealthy couple who owned vaudeville theaters. He was raised in Westchester County, New York, and attended a number of private schools before being expelled from one for academic reasons.
Albee's interest in theater began at a young age, and he began writing plays in his teens. He attended Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, but left after just a year and a half. He moved to New ... read more
