Review: WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? at Gulfshore Playhouse

Edward Albee’s WHO'S AFRAID OF Virginia Woolf? is one of those plays that reminds you why live theatre matters. It’s long, it’s intense, and it’s definitely confusing - but that’s exactly what makes it brilliant. Written in 1962, it’s a play that doesn’t hand you easy answers or follow a neat plot. Instead, it throws you into the messy, emotional battlefield of a marriage that blurs the line between truth and illusion. It’s the kind of story that makes you think long after the curtain falls, even if you’re not entirely sure what you just witnessed.

This production, directed by Kristen Coury, was everything I could ask for from such a complex play. With Beth Hylton as Martha, Jeffrey Binder as George, Becca Ballenger as Honey, and Sam Bell-Gurwitz as Nick, every performance felt layered, sharp, and deeply human. The set design was incredible - probably my favorite I’ve seen in Gulfshore Playhouse's Struthers Studio Theatre, thanks to Scenic Designer Kristen Martino. It felt rich with detail and completely believable, from the furniture to the endless liquor bottles and glasses. The costumes (designed by Tracy Dorman) and props grounded the show in its time period and made it easy to sink into the world of the story.

What makes this play so fascinating is that it’s not about what happens - it’s about what’s being said, and what’s not being said. The dialogue feels like a game, shifting from playful to cruel in a heartbeat. George and Martha’s relationship is both magnetic and destructive, and watching them go head-to-head is like watching a masterclass in tension. Jeffrey Binder brought incredible depth to George, balancing dry humor, intelligence, and quiet pain. Beth Hylton’s Martha was powerful, unpredictable, and heartbreaking - a woman who uses laughter, alcohol, cruelty, and provocation to cover up her vulnerability. Together, they had electric chemistry that made every moment feel alive and dangerous. 

Sam Bell-Gurwitz and Becca Ballenger rounded out the cast perfectly as Nick and Honey, the younger couple who find themselves drawn into George and Martha’s late-night mind games. Their performances added humor, confusion, and heartbreak to the mix, showing how easily people can get caught in someone else’s emotional storm. I must applaud Intimacy Director Erica Mansfield and Fight Director Rick Sordelet for their work in this layered and intense production.

The beauty of WHO'S AFRAID OF Virginia Woolf? is that it’s not meant to be fully understood the first time you see it. It’s layered, psychological, and full of contradictions. The more you think about it, the more it reveals about truth, love, performance, and the masks people wear to survive. By the end, you might not have all the answers - but you’ll feel like you’ve witnessed something real, something deeply human.

Ft. Myers/Naples Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. LEGALLY BLONDE (Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre)

22.7% of votes

2. A CHRISTMAS STORY (The Naples Players)

9.6% of votes

3. SWEENEY TODD (The Naples Players)

9.4% of votes

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