I hope you had the chance to visit the exhibit of the Edward Albee art collection at Sotheby’s.  Like theatre, such events are fleeting and of the moment.  If you miss it, you will never get another chance to experience it.  I made sure to visit and commune with the objects he collected over his life and surrounded himself with.  They undoubtedly stimulated and inspired him.  It was a wonderful experience.

On Tuesday his collection went under the hammer and was sold to benefit the foundation he established to encourage fledgling artists, both visual and written.  After complete it was what Sotheby’s terms a rare “white glove auction,”  one in which every single lot sells.   Three-quarters of the lots exceeded the high estimate and many auction records for artists were set.  The sale totaled $12.5 million dollars (about 9.25 million Sterling for our friends across the pond).

This is wonderful for a foundation that is carrying out the work of America’s greatest playwright.  It is likely that many final sales prices were inflated by friends and fans of Edward Albee who wanted a memento from the great man or a final gesture of support for his work.  That’s fine.  Be sure to see Albee’s THREE TALL WOMEN on Broadway this spring.  Don’t miss this theatrical event.

As always you can find more at http://www.walterthinnes.com and on Twitter @walterthinnes

TOMORROW: National Coffee Day