The Arthur Miller Collection

by Arthur Miller, Stacy Keach (Performer), Jane Kaczmarek (Performer)

Ten essential plays by one of the greatest American playwrights of the last century.

©2012 L A Theatre Works

Genres: Plays, Drama

17 pages, Audio CD

First published December 1, 1983

About the author

Works of American playwright Arthur Asher Miller include Death of a Salesman (1949), for which he won a Pulitzer Prize, and The Crucible (1953).


This essayist, a prominent figure in literature and cinema for over 61 years, composed a wide variety, such as celebrated A View from the Bridge and All My Sons , still studied and performed worldwide. Miller often in the public eye most famously refused to give evidence to the un-American activities committee of the House of Representatives, received award for drama, and married Marilyn Monroe. People at the time considered the greatest Miller.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_...

Reviews

[Bennett Treadwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Came for Death of a Salesman. Stayed for All My Sons and View from a Bridge

[MountainAshleah · Rating 4 out of 5]

When an artist’s tempestuous life still crops up in the media, it’s easy to forget the actual work that originally brought him to fame. So how refreshing for me to discover The Arthur Miller Collection, another exceptional production from L.A. Theatre Works. Containing 10 important plays by one of America's most acclaimed playwrights, the collection showcases four of Miller's most famous plays (The Crucible, All My Sons, A View From the Bridge, Death of a Salesman), along with lesser-known but equally dramatic pieces. On this 19-CD collection, more than 75 highly-talented actors bring Miller’s plays to life, and the cast is impressive across the board. Some of the well-known names include Richard Dreyfuss, Amy Brenneman, Anthony LaPaglia, James Farentino, Fionnula Flanagan, Julie Harris, Linda Purl, and many, many more.

Over the years, I've had the good fortune to experience Miller’s major plays in different live productions on stage, so I was a bit unsure if the audio-only production would lessen the experience. Just the opposite--the exceptional acting and direction actually increased my enjoyment of the plays. The audio versions bring the words to the forefront, highlighting Miller's famous gift for dramatic dialogue. The actors' timing is perfect--you feel as if the characters are right there in the room (or the car) with you, wrestling with their demons and dilemmas, arguing with one another, struggling with (in)humanity—-the productions are so very authentic, it’s easy to forget "it's just a play."

I started with the lesser known plays, which include The Ride Down Mt Morgan, a delightfully wicked tale of a wealthy, smug man strolling through his indulgent life--until a car wreck lands him in the hospital with his wife and "second" wife both in attendance. Incident at Vichy and The Price are very moving, even heartwrenching, in their exploration of the human condition. Each production in the collection is well-directed, well-acted, and of excellent quality. This collection is highly recommended for individuals and institutions.

[Steven Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I’ll be honest with you, I don’t like plays very much and frankly I couldn’t tell you what makes a play good or bad. I do, however, know what I like, and I can tell you that I like the works of Arthur Miller. Some months ago Trond Knutson at L A Theatre Works sent me a copy of their production of Miller’s Death of a Salesman and I loved it. Stacy Keach was fantastic in the role of Willy Loman and Arthur Miller captured the essence of working-class America and their pursuit of the “American Dream” perfectly.

That’s just one of the plays gathered into this collection. You’ll also find All My Sons which is about one American family that was greatly impacted by World War 2. And then there’s The Crucible in which Miller draws an eerie comparison between the Salem witch trials and the Communist trials that were sweeping the country at the time he wrote the play.

Read the full review at Audiobook-Heaven