OUR TIMES WITH BILL MOYERS {WILLY LOMAN COMES TO CHINA: "DEATH OF A SALESMAN" IN PEKING} (TV)
Summary
One in this documentary series, hosted by Bill Moyers, which examines major issues of the day and how they affect individual Americans. In this edition, Moyers travels to Peking to cover Arthur Miller directing the Chinese production of his play, "Death of a Salesman." Before leaving for China, Moyers interviews Miller at his Connecticut home, who says that his chief challenge in this production is to translate the pursuit of the American dream to a Chinese audience. The show intersperses scenes of Miller directing the Chinese cast with black-and-white clips of the 1966 American television production starring Lee J. Cobb, George Segal, James Farentino, and Mildred Dunnock. In China, Moyers interviews Miller, who explains that the Chinese actors had no trouble connecting with the play since it uses a universal, emotional language. However, he wonders how the Chinese people will respond to his contemporary theatrical style of writing since Chinese audiences are used to being manipulated and told exactly how to feel. Scenes are then shown from the play's Chinese premiere. During the play's intermission, Moyers asks members of the audience their opinions of the play and receives the following comments: members of any society have the same problems as Willy Loman; the play brings to China a new understanding of life in America; and people of all cultures have dreams. The show concludes with Miller saying he comes away from the experience thinking that we are all one man. Commercials deleted.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the CBS Foundation, 1998.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: July 5, 1983 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:23:04
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:38240
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Arthur Miller Collection, The; China; Theater; Writers
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1983
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Andrew Lack … Executive Producer
- Harry Moses … Producer, Director, Writer
- Bill Moyers … Host, Interviewer
- Arthur Miller … Guest
- Lee J. Cobb
- Mildred Dunnock
- James Farentino
- George Segal