Arthur Miller fue una figura prominente del drama estadounidense, cuya prolífica carrera abarcó más de seis décadas, dando forma significativamente al panorama literario de la nación. Sus obras, todavía estudiadas y representadas a nivel mundial, profundizan en complejas complejidades morales y ofrecen una aguda crítica social. Miller exploró magistralmente temas como la culpa, la responsabilidad y el esquivo sueño americano, empleando un estilo distintivo caracterizado por una profunda perspicacia psicológica y una potente tensión dramática. Es ampliamente considerado uno de los dramaturgos estadounidenses más importantes de su época, dejando una marca indeleble en el teatro.
En este relato, Miller narra su historia de vida con humor y pasión, reflejando el gran espíritu que lo ha convertido en uno de los escritores más admirados del país. Recuerda su infancia, educación, su perspectiva política, éxitos y fracasos en su carrera, así como la notable variedad de personas que ha conocido.
"Una chica cualquiera" es la novela más reciente de Arthur Miller, donde explora la vida de Janice, una mujer que se casa con Sam, un hombre de ideología radical. A medida que la política y la guerra afectan su relación, Janice se cuestiona su valor y la distancia con Sam se vuelve insalvable. Miller sugiere aceptar lo que se ofrece y no lamentar.
«El crisol» puede enmarcarse en la categoría de teatro político, por un lado, y teatro histórico, por otro. Ambientada en las colonias inglesas en el Nuevo Mundo, a finales del siglo XVII, la obra no habría sido escrita de no ser por otro momento histórico: lo que dos siglos y medio después estaba aconteciendo en Estados Unidos y en el resto del mundo, justo en los albores de la conocida como Guerra Fría. Otra “caza de brujas”, la que tuvo lugar a principios de los años 50 del pasado siglo, sin duda una de las más conocidas, que el propio Miller sufrió y durante la que escribió «El crisol». Los acontecimientos que se produjeron en Salem, Massachusetts, en 1692, durante los cuales casi doscientas personas fueron acusadas de practicar la brujería, y que terminaron con la ejecución de varios inocentes, son una manifestación perversa del pánico de las autoridades ante la pérdida de poder y su empeño por restaurarlo. Lo que empezó siendo un juego de niñas terminó convirtiéndose en un instrumento para hacer volver a los colonos al redil de la fe y las buenas costumbres, estableciendo una suerte de imperio del terror. El paralelismo entre Salem y los albores de la Guerra Fría figura en el mapa de nuestra conciencia histórica gracias a la obra del genial dramaturgo norteamericano.
In the spring of 1948 Arthur Miller retreated to a log cabin in Connecticut with the first two lines of a new play already fixed in his mind. He emerged six weeks later with the final script of Death of a Salesman - a painful examination of American life and consumerism. Opening on Broadway the following year, Miller's extraordinary masterpiece changed the course of modern theatre. In creating Willy Loman, his destructively insecure anti-hero, Miller himself defined his aim as being 'to set forth what happens when a man does not have a grip on the forces of life'.
An unforgettable portrait of a self-deluded anti-hero and the failure of the American dream; a classic parable of mass hysteria that became a powerful indictment of McCarthyism; a depiction of a family haunted by the death of their son and other ghosts of the past; a tragic examination of how one man's unhealthy obsession leads to the ultimate betrayal. Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, All My Sonsand A View from the Bridgeare the masterpieces which secured Arthur Miller's place as the leading figure of the American stage. In time for his centenary celebrations in October 2015, Penguin Classics will publish a clothbound hardback edition of these four essential plays alongside photographs of the stage productions taken by Miller's widow Inge Morath, and other photographers.
"In 1920 Čapek wrote what was to become his most famous work, the play 'R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)', a meditation on the themes of humanity and subjugation that introduced the 'robot'. He was prolific throughout the 1920s, his plays addressing a range of subjects, although best remembered as a writer of early science fiction. Čapek also dealt with contemporary moral and political issues, including the rise of corporations and European fascism"-- "Determined to liberate the mass-produced but highly intelligent robots forged in the machinery of Rossum's island factory, Helena Glory arrives in a blaze of righteousness. Soon perplexed by the robots' seeming humanity but absolute lack of sentience, she deserts her strident campaigning and falls in love with Domin, the factory's General Manager. Yet even as their life on the island appears to become more comfortable, the tide is turning against the humans ... Drawing huge international attention following its original production in 1921, 'Rossum's Universal Robots' was a strikingly prescient meditation on the themes of humanity and subjugation that were to dominate the twentieth century. Seen as a precursor to works including Huxley's 'Brave New world', it is a true classic of the dystopian genre, and remains all too resonant"--
"In this collected works, five of Arthur Miller's most-produced and popular plays are brought together in a new edition, alongside an exclusive introduction by Ivo van Hove, the celebrated contemporary director of Miller's works. All five plays were written by Miller within a ten-year period which began with his first Broadway hit, All My Sons, in 1947 which led Brooks Atkinson of the New York Times to state that 'theatre has acquired a genuine new talent.' This was followed in 1949 by his exploration of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman, which went on to win the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The Crucible followed in 1953, produced during the McCarthy era and becoming a parable of the witch-hunting practices of a government determined to root-out Communists. A View from the Bridge, originally performed in 1955, concerns the lives of longshoremen in the Brooklyn waterfront and has remained one of Miller's most produced plays. Originally presented as a one-act companion piece to A Memory of Two Mondays, both plays explore the dreams and working lives of ordinary Americans in the early decades of the 20th century. Freshly edited and featuring a bold new design, this updated edition of Arthur Miller Plays 1 is a must-have for theatre fans and students alike."--Back cover
This book documents the making of the legendary film The Misfits (1961). Directed by the Hollywood auteur John Huston, it starred three of the most charismatic actors of all time - Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift. Its script was composed by Arthur Miller, one of America's greatest playwrights and Marilyn's husband. As part of the promotional strategy for the film, the Magnum photographic agency was given exclusive access to the shoot. Nine of its most famous photographers - including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Eve Arnold and Elliott Erwitt - covered the production, both on and off the set. 200 of their pictures are reproduced in rich duotone, providing both a fascinating documentary of the making of a film and an intimate portrait of its stars. The photographs are paralleled with an essay by the Editor-in-Chief of the established film magazine Cahiers du cinéma , Serge Toubiana, in which he recounts the tragic and triumphant story of the film that was to become Monroe and Gable's swansong. The book also contains a revealing interview between Toubiana and Arthur Miller, in which Miller discusses the making of the film, the troubled relationships between the stars (including his own with Monroe) and the fascinating background to the photographs.
Set against the backdrop of the 1970s, the narrative explores the activism of Rabbi Meir Kahane and the Jewish Defense League as they confront Soviet officials to advocate for the rights of Soviet Jews. Their aggressive tactics aim to spotlight the struggle for freedom and human rights, reflecting the intense political climate of the era. The book delves into themes of activism, identity, and the complexities of Jewish life under oppression.
Set against the backdrop of post-Six Day War Israel, a young law student and his wife embark on a transformative journey that spans nearly four decades. Their annual visits evolve into a deep connection with the country, culminating in their dream of making aliyah. This narrative explores their experiences and challenges as they adapt to life as Israeli citizens, highlighting themes of identity, belonging, and the enduring impact of their travels.