Stones From Other Hills: The Impact of Death of a Salesman on the Revival of Chinese Theatre in the 1980s

Abstract

This study examines Arthur Miller’s involvement with a 1983 production of Death of a Salesman in Beijing. Through an analysis of primary and secondary sources, I evaluate this production in a broader historical context to give a more nuanced and complex account of how the production came to be. I piece together previous scholarship to provide a richer historical context for the play’s production. I identify the main reasons why Miller was asked to come to China, arguing that the ambiguous nature of the play served as a testing ground for Chinese artists to explore what artistic freedoms were extended to them in the years following the Cultural Revolution. The historical context of the years following the Cultural Revolution also influenced the play’s reception as audiences saw, beyond Miller’s theme of “one humanity,” an aspiration towards economic success and individualism. Using the more complete historical context, I examine the play’s impact in China and uncover aspects of its impact that may have been overlooked. I find that, in addition to what has been written about previously, the 1983 production of Salesman encouraged Chinese actors to learn from foreign theater while also continuing to draw on traditional techniques from Chinese opera.