Edward Albee’s “Marriage Play,” “Counting the Ways,” and “The Perfect Marriage”



(TEANECK, NJ) — While Black Box’s ongoing monthly ‘From A To Zoo’ series covering all of Edward Albee’s play will resume in December, this month brings an exclusive fundraiser workshop presentation to the stage in Teaneck!  The State of Unions: Edward Albee’s Marriage Play, Counting The Ways, and The Perfect Marriage, an (almost) never seen monologue about exactly what it sounds like, is the first pairing of these vital, rarely seen works from an American master. 

Performances of The State of Unions are on Tuesday, November 14th, Wednesday, November 15th, and Thursday, November 16th at 7:30pm at Debonair Music Hall (1409 Queen Anne Road between Walraven and State Street) in Teaneck, New Jersey.  Seating is limited; tickets are a $25 donation per seat and available for purchase online. Free parking is ample at Debonair Music Hall and the venue entrance is on street level.

In 1987’s Marriage Play, featuring Black Box regulars Mike Gardiner and Danielle MacMath, Jack and Gillian employ verbal and physical battles to explore their life together and the institution itself.  In 1976’s Counting The Ways, a vaudeville, a long married couple portrayed by Zach Abraham and Deb McLean discover that time has wrought changes in their relationship. Both are directed by BB’s Artistic Director Matt Okin.  2006’s The Perfect Marriage, a rarely seen monologue, features Ilana Schimmel and is directed by The Edward Albee Foundation’s Executive Director Jakob Holder.

Edward Albee was born on March 12, 1928, and began writing plays 30 years later. His plays include The Zoo Story (1958), The Death of Bessie Smith (1959), The Sandbox (1959), The American Dream (1960), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe? (1961-62, Tony Award), Tiny Alice (1964), A Delicate Balance (1966, Pulitzer Prize; 1996, Tony Award), All Over (1971), Seascape (1974, Pulitzer Prize), Listening (1975), Counting the Ways (1975), 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), Fragments (1993), The Play About the Baby (1997), The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? (2000, 2002 Tony Award), Occupant (2001), At Home at The Zoo: (Act 1, Homelife. Act 2, The Zoo Story) (2004), and Me, Myself & I (2008).

Mr. Albee was awarded the Gold Medal in Drama from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1980.  In 1996 he received the Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts.  In 2005, he was awarded a special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.

The Black Box is Northern NJ’s incubator for new and under produced works  by world-class writers as well as the home of Black Box Studios, the area’s only collaborative performing arts school est. 2007.  Starting in Fall 2021, the company has produced and developed new and under-produced plays by Broadway and Hollywood artists such as Eric Bogosian, Paul Schrader, Beth Henley, Craig Lucas, Neil Labute, and John Guare. Nw collaborations are in progress with The Estates of Sam Shepard and IB Singer, as well as with artists including Craig Lucas & Craig Carnelia, Nicky Silver, Migdalia Cruz, John Lahr, Daniel Handler, Ken Levine, Ishmael Reed, Billy Martin, Halley Feiffer, and more.

Debonair Music Hall (1409 Queen Anne Road) is a live music venue that brings the best national touring acts and local bands to Teaneck, New Jersey.