He died at his home in Montauk, east of NY, assistant Jackob Holder said.
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The American writer had diabetes although no cause of his death was given.
He burst onto the theater scene with “The Zoo Story” (1958) at age 30. It ran for more than a year and half, and enthralled and shocked theatregoers with its depiction of stifling academia and of a couple whose relationship has been corroded by dashed hopes, wounding recriminations and drink. His masterwork was a controversial 1962 Broadway hit and later spawned an Oscar-winning 1966 film of the same name starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
Edward Albee, victor of the 1967 Pulitzer Prize for drama, for his play “A Delicate Balance“, talks to reporters during a news conference. The Pulitzer board decided the play was not appropriate and a Pulitzer for drama was not awarded that year. The three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright has died at age 88.
He was also known for the plays “A Delicate Balance” and “Seascape“, among others. His rejection of the family values and preference for an artistic lifestyle led to the clashes with his strong-willed mother that he chronicled in “Three Tall Women“, his most autobiographical work. Beyond his Tonys – including one for lifetime achievement – he won three Pulitzer Prizes.
Albee was born in 1928 and was adopted by a wealthy suburban NY couple. He passed away peacefully following a short illness.
Albee had a troubled relationship with his parents and was expelled from several private preparatory schools, and also was expelled from Trinity College in CT. He moved to Greenwich Village in New York City soon after, where he worked at various jobs while learning to write plays.
Edward Albee poses for a portrait in NY in 2008.
Among his many career accolades, Albee was recognised at the Kennedy Center Honors and with the National Medal of Arts in 1996.
Albee was a giant of American letters whose dark, cerebral plays about domestic life were the recipient of numerous awards.
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“He was unanimously hailed as the successor to Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Eugene O’Neill”.
