A Delicate Balance is one of Albee's most longlived plays, enjoying receptive audiences and reviews both in the 1960s, when it was first produced, and more recently in the 1990s and 2000s, when it experienced a revival. Although not every review has been positive toward Albee and his work, most acknowledge his impact on American drama, with A Delicate Balance being credited as one of his more influential plays. As Harold Clurman in his 1966 New York Times article writes, "Albee seems to excite everyone to a defiant admiration or to a determined denunciation." Clurman goes on to declare, "Albee is a master of stage speech," which he says is "extremely studied and remarkably euphonious." He also states that A Delicate Balance

comes closest . . . to a synthesis of Albee's traits and talents. Though still somewhat withheld by the mask of comedy and vindictive humor, it voices his...