For some fifty years now, Arthur Miller has been not only America's premier playwright, but also one of our foremost public intellectuals and cultural critics. Echoes Down the Corridor gathers together a dazzling array of more than forty previously uncollected essays and works of reportage. Here is Arthur Miller, the brilliant social and political commentator-but here, too, Miller the private man behind the internationally renowned public figure.Witty and wise, rich in artistry and insight, Echoes Down the Corridor reaffirms Arthur Miller's standing as one of the greatest writers of our time.
A haunting examination of groupthink and mass hysteria in a rural community The place is Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, an enclave of rigid piety huddled on the edge of a wilderness. Its inhabitants believe unquestioningly in their own sanctity. But in Arthur Miller's edgy masterpiece, that very belief will have poisonous consequences when a vengeful teenager accuses a rival of witchcraft—and then when those accusations multiply to consume the entire village. First produced in 1953, at a time when America was convulsed by a new epidemic of witch-hunting, The Crucible brilliantly explores the threshold between individual guilt and mass hysteria, personal spite and collective evil. It is a play that is not only relentlessly suspenseful and vastly moving but that compels readers to fathom their hearts and consciences in ways that only the greatest theater ever can. "A drama of emotional power and impact" —New York Post
The collected essays of the “moral voice of [the] American stage” (The New York Times) in a Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition Arthur Miller was not only one of America’s most important twentieth-century playwrights, but he was also one of its most influential literary, cultural, and intellectual voices. Throughout his career, he consistently remained one of the country’s leading public intellectuals, advocating tirelessly for social justice, global democracy, and the arts. Theater scholar Susan C. W. Abbotson introduces this volume as a selection of Miller’s finest essays, organized in three thematic parts: essays on the theater, essays on specific plays like Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, and sociopolitical essays on topics spanning from the Depression to the twenty-first century. Written with playful wit, clear-eyed intellect, and above all, human dignity, these essays offer unmatched insight into the work of Arthur Miller and the turbulent times through which he guided his country. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
At once witty, wise and deeply provocative, On Politics and the Art of Acting is essential reading for everyone seriously interested in the American political scene."--BOOK JACKET.
Arthur Miller is described by some as the greatest American playwright of the twentieth century. But to fully understand and appreciate his work, students must comprehend the political climate in which he was writing and the changes facing the world at the time. This engaging text provides readers with critical analysis of his themes, style, and language; direct quotations from Miller; and relevant biographical details. Students will learn about the world Arthur Miller was reflecting in his writing and why his works have become American classics.
"For over fifty years, the Dublin Theatre Festival has been one of Ireland's most important cultural events, bringing countless new Irish plays to the world stage, while introducing Irish audiences to the most important international theatre companies and artists. With contributions from leading scholars and practitioners, Interactions explores and celebrates the Festival's achievements since 1957 featuring essays on major Irish writers, directors and theatre companies, as well as the impact of visiting directors and companies from abroad. This book includes specially commissioned memoirs from past organizers and observers of the Festival, offering a unique perspective on the controversies and successes that have marked the event's history. An especially valuable feature of the volume, also, is a complete listing of the shows that have appeared at the Festival from 1957 to 2008."--BOOK JACKET.
"This book is a timely reminder of how theatre can not just entertain, but enlighten and transform us too. The five plays it collects are wonderfully theatrical, moving fluidly from absurdism to tragedy, and from satire to the darkly comic. The translators give us versions that will stimulate and delight readers. performers and audiences. And by giving voice to the 'forgotten playwrights of Central Europe', they also deeply enrich our understanding of the relationship between art, ethics and politics in Europe - both in the past and the present."--BOOK JACKET.
