Play reimagines Arthur Miller’s staging in China of his drama Death of a Salesman
- Salesman in China recounts Miller and Ying Ruocheng’s Cold War-era collaboration on a Chinese version of the anti-capitalist play
In 1983, Arthur Miller directed a landmark version of his play Death of a Salesman in Beijing with a full Chinese cast performing in Mandarin.
It was a touchstone moment in Sino-American cultural relations, not just because of the ideological significance of staging a work so critical of American capitalism in the heart of Communist China, but it also brought together each country’s leading dramatic personality for a collaboration still talked about in theatre circles.
Miller was the pre-eminent writer known by many, but Ying Ruocheng – who translated the play into Chinese and played the lead role of Willy Loman – was just as monumental a figure.
His complicated collaboration with Miller on Death of A Salesman has now been turned into its own semi-fictitious drama, premiering this month at The Stratford Festival’s Avon Theatre (it opens on August 26, with previews from August 3). The Canadian festival is known for its Shakespeare line-up, but it has also developed a reputation for staging new works.
Salesman In China is written by Jovanni Sy and Leanna Brodie, two veterans of the Canadian stage and real-life partners. Sy, who is Chinese-Canadian, is also serving as director.
