This week in history on Feb. 6, 1992, The Daily Cougar’s Rebecca McPhail reported ‘playwright and UH drama professor Edward Albee recently bared a little more than his soul’ on a Florida beach.
Albee, best known for writing the play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, was arrested by the Metro-Dade Police Department around 12:30 p.m. Jan. 19 for ‘exposure of a sexual organ,’ police spokesman detective Donald Blocker said.
Albee said he was taking a walk on the beach near his home in the Key Biscayne area when he noticed his bathing suit was sandy and opted to change his clothes behind some bushes. He said he was careful to prevent others from noticing him.
‘I didn’t even see anybody,’ he said.
Albee acknowledged his guilt, but blamed the media for drawing unnecessary attention to the incident.
‘I’m guilty of what they said – taking my suit off,’ he said. ‘I’m tired of it. Unless people keep writing about it, it’ll be forgotten.’
The presence of police had increased in the area after complaints from park employees who said nude sunbathers shouted and threw objects at them.
McPhail reported Albee could face a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail if convicted.
