"The Goat" at Lyric Stage Company

The Lyric Stage Company will present Edward Albee’s "The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?," from February 17 through March 18.

At the heart of "The Goat' is Martin, a successful architect, just turned fifty, who leads an ideal life with his loving wife, Stevie, and teenage son, Billy. When he confides to his best friend Ross that he has found a new love – and that the new love is a goat named Sylvia – everyone must deal with the consequences. This savage but funny Tony Award-winning drama has been described as Albee’s most provocative and controversial play since "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

Spiro Veloudos, Producing Artistic Director of the Lyric, will direct this Boston premiere. “I have been waiting for the rights on 'The Goat' to become available for about three years,” says Veloudos. “This is a brilliant play by arguably America’s greatest living playwright.”

Veloudos said he was drawn to the work because “Albee asks tough questions, and doesn’t give answers. He really pushes the envelope and makes us reevaluate our ideas about marriage and family, and our society’s values and thresholds of acceptance.”

Though the play is ostensibly about a man in midlife crisis who has an extramarital affair with a goat, Albee uses the opportunity to explore larger questions, asking, what are our society’s boundaries in the 21st century? What is taboo in a world where anything goes? What are the limits of our tolerance?

But before you get the impression that "The Goat" is completely heavy, Veloudos offers, “I assure you that the play is also terribly funny and sharp.”

The cast includes Paula Plum as Stevie, Patrick Shea as Martin, Richard Snee as Ross and Tasso Feldman as Billy.

Edward Albee's plays include "The Zoo Story" (1958), "The Death of Bessie Smith" (1960), "The Sandbox" (1960), "The American Dream" (1960), "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1961-62, Tony Award), "The Ballad of Sad Café" (1963), "Tiny Alice" (1964), "A Delicate Balance" (1966, Pulitzer Prize; 1996, Tony Award), "Everything in the Garden" (1967), "All Over" (1971), "Seascape" (1974, Pulitzer Prize), "The Lady from Dubuque" (1977-78), "The Man Who Had Three Arms" (1981), "Finding the Sun" (1982), "Marriage Play" (1986-87), "Three Tall Women" (1991, Pulitzer Prize), "The Lorca Play" (1992), "Fragments" (1993), "The Play About the Baby" (1997), "The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?" (2000, 2002 Tony Award), "Occupant" (2002), and the "Zoo Story" companion piece, "Peter and Jerry" (2004).

Mr. Albee is a member of the Dramatists Guild Council and President of The Edward F. Albee Foundation. He was awarded the Gold Medal in Drama from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1980, received the Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts in 1996, and was awarded a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2005.

The Lyric Stage Company will offer several post-performance special events in conjunction with this production. All forums and discussions are free to audience members attending the respective performances below.

Sunday Talkbacks
Audience members can meet the actors and share their thoughts with their fellow theatregoers following the 3 P.M. Sunday performances on February 19 and March 5.

Forum Series
The Spectrum of Human Sexuality
Thursday, February 23, following the 7:30 P.M. performance
Join special guest Steven Pinker, the Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and author of How the Mind Works and Blank Slate, for a wide-ranging discussion of human sexuality and themes from the play.

“Love, Sex, and Who Does the Dishes” – Marriage in the 21st Century
Friday, March 3, following the 7:30 P.M. performance
Join special guests Karen Propp and Jean Trounstine, editors of the new book Why I’m Still Married, for a discussion of contemporary relationships and modern marriage.

The Style and Substance of Edward Albee
Thursday, March 9, following the 7:30 P.M. performance
Panelists scheduled to appear include Albee experts Melia Bensussen, assistant professor of performing arts and producing director at Emerson College, and Scott Edmiston, freelance director and Director of the Office of the Arts at Brandeis University.

For tickets and information, stop by the Lyric Stage Company Box Office at 140 Clarendon Street (The YWCA Building) in Boston, 617-585-5678 or visit www.lyricstage.com.

-- OnStage Boston

			Lyric Stage Gets Albee's "Goat" February 17 - March 18 The Lyric Stage Company will present Edward Albee’s "The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?," from February 17 through March 18. At the heart of "The Goat' is Martin, a successful architect, just turned fifty, who leads an ideal life with his loving wife, Stevie, and teenage son, Billy. When he confides to his best friend Ross that he has found a new love – and that the new love is a goat named Sylvia – everyone must deal with the consequences. This savage but funny Tony Award-winning drama has been described as Albee’s most provocative and controversial play since "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Spiro Veloudos, Producing Artistic Director of the Lyric, will direct this Boston premiere. “I have been waiting for the rights on 'The Goat' to become available for about three years,” says Veloudos. “This is a brilliant play by arguably America’s greatest living playwright.” Veloudos said he was drawn to the work because “Albee asks tough questions, and doesn’t give answers. He really pushes the envelope and makes us reevaluate our ideas about marriage and family, and our society’s values and thresholds of acceptance.” Though the play is ostensibly about a man in midlife crisis who has an extramarital affair with a goat, Albee uses the opportunity to explore larger questions, asking, what are our society’s boundaries in the 21st century? What is taboo in a world where anything goes? What are the limits of our tolerance? But before you get the impression that "The Goat" is completely heavy, Veloudos offers, “I assure you that the play is also terribly funny and sharp.” The cast includes Paula Plum as Stevie, Patrick Shea as Martin, Richard Snee as Ross and Tasso Feldman as Billy. Edward Albee's plays include "The Zoo Story" (1958), "The Death of Bessie Smith" (1960), "The Sandbox" (1960), "The American Dream" (1960), "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1961-62, Tony Award), "The Ballad of Sad Café" (1963), "Tiny Alice" (1964), "A Delicate Balance" (1966, Pulitzer Prize; 1996, Tony Award), "Everything in the Garden" (1967), "All Over" (1971), "Seascape" (1974, Pulitzer Prize), "The Lady from Dubuque" (1977-78), "The Man Who Had Three Arms" (1981), "Finding the Sun" (1982), "Marriage Play" (1986-87), "Three Tall Women" (1991, Pulitzer Prize), "The Lorca Play" (1992), "Fragments" (1993), "The Play About the Baby" (1997), "The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?" (2000, 2002 Tony Award), "Occupant" (2002), and the "Zoo Story" companion piece, "Peter and Jerry" (2004). Mr. Albee is a member of the Dramatists Guild Council and President of The Edward F. Albee Foundation. He was awarded the Gold Medal in Drama from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1980, received the Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts in 1996, and was awarded a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2005. The Lyric Stage Company will offer several post-performance special events in conjunction with this production. All forums and discussions are free to audience members attending the respective performances below. Sunday Talkbacks Audience members can meet the actors and share their thoughts with their fellow theatregoers following the 3 P.M. Sunday performances on February 19 and March 5. Forum Series The Spectrum of Human Sexuality Thursday, February 23, following the 7:30 P.M. performance Join special guest Steven Pinker, the Johnstone Family Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and author of How the Mind Works and Blank Slate, for a wide-ranging discussion of human sexuality and themes from the play. “Love, Sex, and Who Does the Dishes” – Marriage in the 21st Century Friday, March 3, following the 7:30 P.M. performance Join special guests Karen Propp and Jean Trounstine, editors of the new book Why I’m Still Married, for a discussion of contemporary relationships and modern marriage. The Style and Substance of Edward Albee Thursday, March 9, following the 7:30 P.M. performance Panelists scheduled to appear include Albee experts Melia Bensussen, assistant professor of performing arts and producing director at Emerson College, and Scott Edmiston, freelance director and Director of the Office of the Arts at Brandeis University. For tickets and information, stop by the Lyric Stage Company Box Office at 140 Clarendon Street (The YWCA Building) in Boston, 617-585-5678 or visit www.lyricstage.com. -- OnStage Boston 02/09/06

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