in 2001, Peter Donaldson played George (opposite fellow stage vet Martha Henry’s Martha) in Edward Albee’s searing dramedy of manners Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Donaldson, one of Canada's finest actors, had a penchant for making each role his own through a refreshing insight and honesty that served him well for almost 25 years.
Directed by William Carden, (one of Albee’s preferred theatre colleagues) the 2001 Stratford production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, starred Martha Henry and Peter Donaldson, with actors Claire Julien as Honey, and Sean Arbuckle as Nick. 2011 would have been Peter Donaldson’s 25th season at Stratford. He was reprising the role of Duke of Buckingham in Richard III (which he also played in 1997) in addition to playing Marcus Andronicus in Titus Andronicus.
Donaldson, who had a commanding stage presence, will be remembered for many fine roles and sublime performances at Stratford, including Jamie in Long Day’s Journey into Night (1994, which garnered Donaldson a Best Supporting Actor Genie in 1996 for the film adaptation), his tour de force Timon in Timon of Athens (2004) and Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird (2007)
Rewinding through Donaldson's glorious character rolodex, other stellar work includes Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre, for 1999’s Our Town and 2009 /10’s Glengarry Glen Ross, plus Atom Egoyan film The Sweet Hereafter.
Donaldson’s solid interpretations were an asset to any cast from his work in Stratford musicals Hello Dolly, Gypsy, and Guys and Dolls, to Bard's roles Rufio (opposite Christopher Plummer) in Caesar and Cleopatra, or Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet in 2008.
In 2001, Donaldson redefined another great role when he played George, in the Stratford Festival production Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at the Avon Theatre.
In Suite 101 tribute, here's a 2001 interview excerpt with actor Peter Donaldson as he chats about playing the character of George, and playwright Edward Albee.
Middle Age Feeling of Inadequacies, Musicality of Edward Albee
How do you keep George from penetrating your day to day life?
Peter Donaldson: “I don’t. George is as much a part of me as he is of anybody else. He is middle aged and trying to deal with one’s own feelings of inadequacy. I don’t have the problem George has, that he is trying to save his marriage. Mine is fine, thank you very much. (Donaldson is married to actor Sheila McCarthy) But George does have that on me. I love George. I think he is a great guy. I think he is a very brave person and I think that he suffers the same types of problems that a lot of us do, dealing with middle age and feelings of inadequacies.”
This play is all consuming. When I watched you and Martha Henry, it was like watching a symphony of emotion. There is such musicality in the dialogue.
Peter Donaldson: “Yes, this play is very musical. That is something that Albee does. He is very specific with the text the same way that if you were reading a score, you get the dynamics, the pianos and the fortes. All of that stuff is in his stage directions and the rhythms of the lines are such, that it is quite musical. And they are speech patterns, I think, that we can recognize from marriages and relationships that have gone on for a long time. One person finishes another person’s sentence, or it is an ongoing kind of pattern.”
Lunch with Edward Albee, the Evolution of George
I have heard that Edward Albee does not usually let professional companies perform his work unless he approves of the cast. Is that correct?
Peter Donaldson: “That’s what I’m told. He has not yet seen this performance. He was here though. He came to do a wonderful speech at the Tom Patterson and he did a question and answer period with the company.
"Then I was lucky enough to go out and have lunch with him. It was interesting because somehow there wasn’t a single thing the guy said all day long that I didn’t agree with. It was pretty great to meet him. He says he is coming back to see the show. So now whether he does or not, I don’t know, but it was nice that he at least told us he was coming back.”
Has George evolved since opening night? Are you doing more things with him as the weeks go by?
Peter Donaldson: “Yes, Billy Carden the director was very adamant that we should play the play as though it was an improvisation. When acting is good, that’s how it happens. The audience should feel as though the play is evolving in front of them and the actors don’t know what they are going to say next. So the last week of rehearsal, that is basically what we did, is try to play it in as many different ways as possible.”
From 2001 Actor Martha Henry on Peter Donaldson as George in Virginia Woolf
Martha Henry: “I trust Peter Donaldson, as much, if not more than any other actor I have ever known. I feel totally safe in his hands. He knows that he can do practically anything to me onstage and I feel that I can do the same with him. If I throw him something that hasn’t happened before, he catches it and throws it back. If he throws me something that hasn’t happened before, I hope I am able to catch it and throw it back.”
Peter Donaldson: “You have to be on your toes because we all have different readings of lines in each performance and that’s what keeps it rolling along.”
Albee’s Vicious Wit Vs Cursing, Donaldson’s favourite Virginia Woolf Line
Do you have a favourite line in this play ?
Peter Donaldson: “Boy, there’s a lot of really great lines. I think one of the nicest lines is, George says to Nick, when he is describing teaching, he says “dashed hopes and good intentions.” I think that sort of sums up George’s career as a teacher.
"But he also says some vicious things too and what’s really nice about the play is people feel as though there is a lot of cursing going on in the play, but there is no cursing at all. It’s just vicious wit that is going on. At one point, George gets very angry and he says to Nick, “My God, you’ve got to have a swine to show you where the truffles are.” (Donaldson laughs) I like that line. There are a lot of lines like that, that I love in this play.”
Peter Donaldson, died of lung cancer on Saturday Jan 8. He was 57 years old. He is survived by his wife, actor Sheila McCarthy and his two daughters.
Coral Andrews - Coral Andrews is an independent media professional who has been writing in Canada for over 30 years.
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