Death of a Salesman
Updated: 12/10/2025, 3:18:26 PM Wikipedia source
Death of a Salesman is a 1949 stage play written by the American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway on February 10, 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a montage of memories, dreams, and arguments of the protagonist Willy Loman, a travelling salesman who is despondent with his life and appears to be slipping into senility. The play addresses a variety of themes, such as the American Dream, the anatomy of truth, and infidelity. It won the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. It is considered by some critics to be one of the greatest plays of the 20th century. The play is included in numerous anthologies. Since its premiere, the play has been revived on Broadway five times, winning three Tony Awards for Best Revival. It has been adapted for the cinema on ten occasions, including a 1951 version by screenwriter Stanley Roberts, starring Fredric March. In 1999, New Yorker drama critic John Lahr said that with 11 million copies sold, it was "probably the most successful modern play ever published."
Infobox
Tables
| Character | Broadway | Broadway Revival | Royal Shakespeare | Broadway Revival | Broadway Revival | Broadway Revival | Broadway Revival |
| 1949 | 1975 | 1980 | 1984 | 1999 | 2012 | 2022 | |
| Willy Loman | Lee J. Cobb | George C. Scott | Bob Peck | Dustin Hoffman | Brian Dennehy | Philip Seymour Hoffman | Wendell Pierce |
| Linda Loman | Mildred Dunnock | Teresa Wright | Francesca Annis | Kate Reid | Elizabeth Franz | Linda Emond | Sharon D. Clarke |
| Biff Loman | Arthur Kennedy | James Farentino | Michael Maloney | John Malkovich | Kevin Anderson | Andrew Garfield | Khris Davis |
| Happy Loman | Cameron Mitchell | Harvey Keitel | Paul Greenwood | Stephen Lang | Ted Koch | Finn Wittrock | McKinley Belcher III |
| Uncle Ben | Thomas Calmers | Jack Somack | Peter Guiness | Steve Pickering | Louis Zorich | John Glover | André De Shields |
| Bernard | Joe Maross | Lewis J. Stadlen | Shaun Scott | David Chandler | Richard Thompson | Fran Kranz | Stephen Stocking |
| Charley | Howard Smith | James Greene | Paul Moriarty | Charles Durning | Howard Witt | Bill Camp | Delaney Williams |
| The Woman | Naomi Stevens | Rosalyn Kahn | Helen Mirren | Kathryn Rossetter | Kate Buddeke | Molly Price | Lynn Hawley |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 1949 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Won | |
| Best Author of a Play | Arthur Miller | Won | ||
| Best Producer of a Play | Kermit Bloomgarden & Walter Fried | Won | ||
| Best Featured Actor in a Play | Arthur Kennedy | Won | ||
| Best Director | Elia Kazan | Won | ||
| Best Scenic Design | Jo Mielziner | Won | ||
| New York Drama Critics' Circle | Best American Play | Arthur Miller | Won | |
| Theatre World Award | Cameron Mitchell | Won | ||
| Pulitzer Prize | Drama | Arthur Miller | Won | |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 1976 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Play | George C. Scott | Nominated |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 1984 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Won | |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Revival | Won | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Dustin Hoffman | Won | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | John Malkovich | Won | ||
| David Huddleston | Nominated | |||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Revival | Won | ||
| Outstanding Debut Performance | John Malkovich | Won | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result nothing |
| 1999 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Play | Brian Dennehy | Won | ||
| Best Featured Actor in a Play | Kevin Anderson | Nominated | ||
| Howard Witt | Nominated | |||
| Best Featured Actress in a Play | Elizabeth Franz | Won | ||
| Best Direction of a Play | Robert Falls | Won | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Won | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Brian Dennehy | Won | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Kevin Anderson | Won | ||
| Howard Witt | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Elizabeth Franz | Nominated | ||
| Best Director of a Play | Robert Falls | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Music in a Play | Richard Woodbury | Nominated | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Brian Dennehy | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Kevin Anderson | Won | ||
| Outstanding Actress in a Play | Elizabeth Franz | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Play | Robert Falls | Nominated | ||
| Drama League Award | Distinguished Production of a Revival | Won | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Won | |
| Best Actor in a Play | Philip Seymour Hoffman | Nominated | ||
| Best Featured Actor in a Play | Andrew Garfield | Nominated | ||
| Best Featured Actress in a Play | Linda Emond | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction of a Play | Mike Nichols | Won | ||
| Best Lighting Design of a Play | Brian MacDevitt | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound Design of a Play | Scott Lehrer | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Won | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Philip Seymour Hoffman | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Bill Camp | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Play | Mike Nichols | Won | ||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Brian MacDevitt | Won | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Won | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Play | Philip Seymour Hoffman | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Andrew Garfield | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Play | Mike Nichols | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Brian MacDevitt | Nominated | ||
| Drama League Award | Distinguished Revival of a Play | Won | ||
| Theatre World Award | Finn Wittrock | Won | ||
| Clarence Derwent Awards | Most Promising Male Performer | Won | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2019 | Critics' Circle Theatre Award | Best Actress | Sharon D. Clarke | Won |
| Evening Standard Theatre Award | Best Actor | Wendell Pierce | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell | Nominated | ||
| 2020 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Revival | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | Wendell Pierce | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Sharon D. Clarke | Won | ||
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Arinzé Kene | Nominated | ||
| Best Director | Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell | Won | ||
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| 2023 | Tony Awards | Best Actor in a Play | Wendell Pierce | Nominated |
| Best Lighting Design of a Play | Jen Schriever | Nominated | ||
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Direction of a Play | Miranda Cromwell | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play | Sharon D. Clarke | Nominated | ||
| Wendell Pierce | Nominated | |||
| Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Sharon D. Clarke | Nominated | |
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Revival of a Play (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play | Sharon D. Clarke | Nominated | ||
References
- www.therep.orghttps://web.archive.org/web/20170205120021/http://www.therep.org/attend/productions/default.aspx?prodid=39
- The New Yorkerhttps://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/01/25/making-willy-loman
- Miller: Death of a Salesmanhttps://books.google.com/books?id=xW7QIhl5eWUC&q=death+of+a+salesman
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/08/nyregion/the-big-city-willy-loman-revenge-of-a-nephew.html
- Death of a Salesmanhttps://books.google.com/books?id=VmJa4tLn0vMC
- Twentieth Century Interpretations of Death of Salesmanhttps://archive.org/details/twentiethcentury00koon
- The New York Timeshttps://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/00/11/12/specials/miller-common.html
- The Midwest Quarterlyhttps://go.gale.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA449656101
- Studies in Death of a Salesman
- The Times of Indiahttps://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Salesman-Ramlal-leaves-audience-spellbound/articleshow/5312561.cms
- www.mumbaitheatreguide.comhttps://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/reviews/14-salesman-ramlal-hindi-play-review.asp
- Salesman in Beijing
- Sullivan, Steve. Va Va Voom, General Publishing Group, Los Angeles, California, p.50.
- Gans, Andrew."Starry Revival of Arthur Miller's 'Death of a Salesman' Opens on Broadway" Archived 2012-03-17 at the Waybhttp://www.playbill.com/news/article/160706-Starry-Revival-of-Arthur-Millers-Death-of-a-Salesman-Opens-on-Broadway
- "'Death of a Salesman' to begin Broadway previews Sept. 17"https://broadwaynews.com/2022/08/03/death-of-a-salesman-to-begin-broadway-previews-sept-17/
- New York Theatre Guidehttps://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/nathan-lane-laurie-metcalf-to-star-in-death-of-a-salesman-on-broadway
- "Actor Warren Mitchell dies"http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/actor-warren-mitchell-dies_39147.html
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/nov/18/warren-mitchell-obituary-letter
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/theater/26lloyd.html
- LondonTheatreDirect.comhttps://www.londontheatredirect.com/news/1629/Arthur-Miller-Classic-Death-Of-A-Salesman-To-Make-West-End-Transfer.aspx
- londonboxoffice.co.ukhttps://www.londonboxoffice.co.uk/death-of-a-salesman-tickets
- Death of a Salesmanhttps://salesmanaustralia.com.au/
- The Agehttps://www.theage.com.au/culture/theatre/the-20th-century-s-best-play-is-tragically-relevant-lapaglia-s-salesman-will-convince-you-of-that-20230908-p5e31s.html
- The Sydney Morning Heraldhttps://www.smh.com.au/culture/live-reviews/anthony-lapaglia-s-willy-loman-rips-apart-the-american-dream-20240523-p5jfz9.html
- Death of a Salesman theatre programme, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, March 2025
- https://playbill.com/article/nathan-lane-laurie-metcalf-christopher-abbott-will-lead-death-of-a-salesman-broadway-revivahttps://playbill.com/article/nathan-lane-laurie-metcalf-christopher-abbott-will-lead-death-of-a-salesman-broadway-revival
- Deadlinehttps://deadline.com/2025/04/paul-mescal-monica-barbaro-national-theatre-lineup-1236379989/
- Golden Globes Awardshttps://goldenglobes.com/film/death-of-a-salesman-1951/
- Teaching Classics of American Drama. Worksheets with Instructions & Answer Keys
- "BBC Radio 3 — Drama on 3, Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller"https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06gpwk4
- Chicago Tribunehttps://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/10/04/column-in-stratford-salesman-in-china-looks-at-arthur-miller-fighting-off-his-ghosts-in-1983-beijing/
- www.writerstheatre.orghttps://www.writerstheatre.org/wife-of-a-salesman
- Milwaukee Rephttps://www.milwaukeerep.com/shows/show/wife-of-a-salesman/
- Chicago Tribunehttps://www.chicagotribune.com/2022/03/15/review-muddled-wife-of-a-salesman-at-writers-theatre-cant-compete-with-its-arthur-miller-inspiration/
- Stratford Festivalhttps://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/Production/Salesman-in-China
- "2019 Results | Critics' Circle Theatre Awards"https://criticscircletheatreawards.com/results/2019-results/
- www.standard.co.ukhttps://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/evening-standard-theatre-awards-2019-shortlist-in-full-a4277791.html
- www.standard.co.ukhttps://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/evening-standard-theatre-awards-winners-2019-a4294246.html
- Olivier Awardshttps://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/year/olivier-awards-2020/
- "Shucked, Some Like It Hot Lead 2023 Drama Desk Award Nominations"https://www.theatermania.com/news/shucked-some-like-it-hot-lead-2023-drama-desk-award-nominations_1700167/
- GoldDerbyhttps://www.goldderby.com/article/2023/2023-drama-league-award-winners/
- AMERICAN THEATREhttps://www.americantheatre.org/2023/05/16/outer-critics-circle-announces-2023-awards/