FAM AND YAM

An imaginary interview. Edward Albee. An excellent companion piece for one of his more lengthy one-act plays.

2 men; interior.

Westport, Conn. Whitebarn Theatre - Aug. 27, 1960
New York, Theatre de Lys - Oct. 25, 1960


Yam (the young American playwright) has requested an interview with Fam (the famous American playwright). The interview begins as Yam clucks appreciatively over all the evidences of Fam's success-the paintings, the view, the sheer luxury of his apartment. Fam endeavours to bring the conversation back to the subject at hand, the article for which Yam is gathering material. Yam responds with a vengeance. As Fam swallows off one glass of sherry after another, Yam proceeds to mount a vitriolic attack on the insidious commerciality of the Broadway theatre; methodically ticking off evil element after evil element. The whole thing amuses Fam enormously, and he is laughing so hard in his sherry-induced haze that he fails to realise that words - dangerous ones - are being put in his mouth. Suddenly the interview ends and Fam, still chortling, sees Yam to the door. Moments later the telephone rings. It is Yam, thanking his host for the "interview" which, obviously, he intends to use as the basis for his article. Fam is struck - too late - by the realisation of the trap into which his fatuousness has allowed him to be led. He turns ashen as his paintings frown, reel, tilt and crash down around him.