A Delicate Balance

Agnes and Tobias seem to live a quiet enough life, even with Agnes’ ever-present,
alcoholic sister Claire making an occasional scene. Then when one night their best friends,
Harry and Edna, arrive unannounced and lock themselves upstairs with no intention of leaving,
and their daughter, Julia, comes home from the failure of her fourth marriage, the delicate
balance of their family begins to unravel.

Albee’s remarkable, ageless play gives no easy answers, but within the bite, wit and
unexpected twists and turns of this family in crisis we are treated to a masterpiece of modern
drama. Themes of loss, love, family and failure are nothing new to Albee, but in A Delicate
Balance they converge in a frightening roller-coaster ride that dissembles the promise of the American dream.