Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Whoever called women the weaker sex didn't see much theater. Euripides' Medea used Jason to wipe up the Aegean.

Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth twisted her man around her bloody little finger. Lillian Hellman's Regina ruled the roosters in The Little Foxes. As for Martha, Edward Albee's ticking bomb in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

, good Lord, where to start? To steal dialogue from a Brando movie, Martha could have been a contender. The only thing standing in her way was the '60s, a time when the glass ceiling was so far above women's heads that it didn't even rate as a myth.

She was a university president's daughter who would have done a much better job than the old man. She was married to George, a history professor with the ambition of a slug.

So many repressions simmered inside her that anyone nearby was in danger of a scalding when the pot boiled over, which it did, frequently. A hell of a role, as Kathleen Turner will tell you. Turner played Albee's legendary creation to acclaim in New York and London and brings that production to Tucson this week.

Bill Irwin, who won a 2005 Tony Award for the role, plays George. Turner, who was nominated for a Tony but lost out to Cherry Jones in Doubt, seems such an obvious choice that you have to wonder why the role was so long in coming to her. After all, this is the woman who gave us China Blue in Crimes of Passion, Matty in Body Heat, Barbara Rose in The War of the Roses and Irene Walker in Prizzi's Honor.

Question: Didn't you want the part? Answer: Far from it. I read the play when I was in college and said to myself, "When I'm 50, I want to do that role.

" I knew if you approached Martha too early in your career, you'd regret it. Two years ago, I felt ready. I went to Edward Albee and said, "I want to do the play.

" He really had no desire to get involved in another production, but Bill Irwin and I read for him. At the end of the reading, he said, "When do you want to do it?" Then, of course, I got scared.

Q: You say you've always been a little in awe of Martha. Did your feelings change as you worked on the part? A: I grew to understand her much more, and I grew to understand the time she lived in.

The play is set in 1962, though I must say I don't think it's stuck there. Martha was a woman of intelligence and ambition, but she had very few outlets. She would have been the ideal administrator of a college, but that was unheard of in those days.

Women were forced to live their ambitions through men. George doesn't have any of the ambition and drive that Martha wants from him. Q: Critics have called this one of the funniest Virginia Woolfs they've seen.

Did you change the script? A: Not a word. People think that George and Martha are just two drunks screaming at each other.

There is so much humor and wit. George and Martha are almost teasing each other. Bill and I are convinced that they really are in love.

I think the movie version (which earned Elizabeth Taylor her second Oscar) threw the relationship out of kilter. Q: At least the movie gave us Richard Burton as George. What did you think of his performance?

A: It was good. When you're casting this play, it's never about just finding a George or just finding a Martha. Albee carefully crafted a balance there.

Which is why I think Bill is ideally cast. He brings all the skills of a comic, as well as the talents of a magnificent dramatic actor. Q: Are you worn out when you take your final bow?

A: I am exhausted. Martha demands so much - and the tour has been so long. It's not an easy job.

But the audience response has been so encouraging that it's worth it. A: I'm very picky about the material I choose. I'm not interested in repeating myself.

The script comes first. There has to be a challenge there before I'm willing to invest the time and energy. I'm going to direct at Williamstown Theatre Festival (in Massachusetts) this summer.

Directing is something I really want to do. Q: With all these great roles, can Lady Macbeth be far behind?