Rise of the Inhumanities

Playwright Edward Albee, winner of three Pulitzer prizes for his plays, spoke at the seventh annual Chicago Humanities Festival on the theme, “Birth and Death.” After remarks about his personal background, he emphasized that people must care about the rising tide against interest in and funding for the arts and humanities in the U.S. He argued that humans are the only creatures who consciously produce art and therefore art must be fostered by every means. He also criticized those in Congress who want to end the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. electorate for putting them in office. After his remarks, he took questions from the audience. close