In Edward Albee’s A DELICATE BALANCE, on an otherwise uneventful night, long-time friends arrive at the front door unannounced and terrified and ask if they can stay. An unexplained fear has gripped them, and they have turned to old friends as their first and last resort. What will they do? Edward Albee won the first of his three Pulitzer Prizes for this American classic, an absorbing look into the everyday hopes, fears, and secrets we all so delicately balance.
Written by EDWARD ALBEE through 1965 and into 1966, it premiered on Broadway in 1966. Met with critical acclaim for its exploration of fragile structures within an upper-middle-class household, it went on to win the 1967 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the first of three that Albee would receive for his works. Since its debut, Edward Albee’s A DELICATE BALANCE has been revived multiple times on Broadway and produced extensively around the world, praised for its sharp dialogue and psychological insight.
Directing this production is Walnut Street Theatre Producing Artistic Director BERNARD HAVARD. Havard’s recent Walnut Mainstage productions include Driving Miss Daisy; Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit; Oscar Wilde’s A Woman of No Importance; The Humans; God of Carnage; and ART. He has spent his life in theatre as an actor, stage manager, director, managing director and producer. Recognized as one of America’s leading theatre producers, he has proudly served America’s Oldest Theatre for 43 years. Under his leadership, the Walnut became a not-for-profit, self-producing theatre, and has gained international recognition as one of America’s premier regional theatres.
The show features an exceptional cast of Walnut favorites. ALICIA ROPER (Noël Coward’s Hay Fever) portrays Agnes, a woman who acts as the fulcrum for keeping her family in control and balanced through her role as wife, sister, and mother. PAUL L. NOLAN (ELF The Broadway Musical) brings to life Tobias, Agnes’ husband who clings to self-control and his marriage like a habit. GRACE GONGLEWSKI (Last of the Red Hot Lovers) takes on the role of Claire, Agnes’ alcoholic younger sister who sees the cracks that exist in the relationships but who seems to care nothing for social politeness. WENDY SCHARFMAN (Driving Miss Daisy) and PETER SCHMITZ (A Woman of No Importance) play Edna and Harry, respectively; the couple are friends of Agnes and Tobias’ who ask to stay with the family due to an unnamed terror in their own home. Rounding out the cast is ALANNA J. SMITH (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) as Julia, Agnes and Tobias’ emotional daughter who has come home after leaving her fourth failed marriage.
The creative team includes an incredible team of long-time Walnut collaborators. ROMAN TATAROWICZ (Million Dollar Quartet) returns as Scenic Designer and reunites with RYAN O’GARA (Million Dollar Quartet) as Lighting Designer; the pair transform the Walnut stage into a well-appointed 1960s suburban living room. CHRISTOPHER COLUCCI (Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective) joins as Sound Designer to immerse audiences throughout the drama of the show. REBECCA DWIGHT (Oleanna) as Costume Designer and AMARI CALLAWAY (Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective) as Wig Designer work together to translate the unmistakable mid-century aesthetic of the era onto the cast.
Don’t miss this strikingly psychological story of human dynamics and emotions hiding beneath the surface.
Previews begin February 24, 2026 and the show runs through March 29, 2026. Open captioning will be available for the Sunday, March 8, 7pm performance. The 2025-26 Season concludes with 1776 The Musical.
For tickets, and information, visit WalnutStreetTheatre.org or Ticketmaster.com or call 215-574-3550.
All show titles, dates, and prices are subject to change.
