This is the first book to provide a critical history of one of American theatre's most famous plays, Death of a Salesman. Brenda Murphy offers a detailed account of the most significant Salesman produc­tions throughout the world, on the stage as well as on film, radio, and television. The Death of a Salesman first realized on stage was the culmination of the creative collaboration of playwright Arthur Miller, director Elia Kazan, and actor Lee J. Cobb, and was the start­ing point for hundreds of productions in many languages and styles. The play has also provided a number of memorable interpretations by actors such as Dustin Hoffman, George C. Scott, Fredric March, and Mel Gibson.

     Drawing on valuable archival resources, including notebooks, drafts of the script, and director's notes, Murphy explores in detail the genesis of the first production and the role of subsequent perfor­mances in the development of American theatre. Important foreign language productions are also examined, especially as they reflect their social and cultural environment.  The volume includes a chronology, bibliography, discography, videography, and photographs from key productions.

CONTENTS

List of illustrations                                             page xi

General preface                                                            xiii

Preface                                                                         xv

Acknowledgments                                                         xvii

List of abbreviations                                                      xix

•1      THE BROADWAY PRODUCTION                       1

•2      PRODUCTIONS IN  ENGLISH                           70

•3      PRODUCTIONS IN OTHER LANGUAGES       106

•4      MEDIA  PRODUCTIONS                                   127

Production chronology                                                   172

Notes                                                                            183

Discography                                                                  206

Videography                                                                  207

Bibliography                                                                 208

Index                                                                             240