Much of this success is attributed to Miller’s facility in portraying the universal hopes and fears of middle-class America. In the decades following its premiere, Death of Salesman has become one of the most performed and adapted plays in American theatrical history. The work garnered numerous honors and awards, including the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and enjoyed a lengthy run (742 performances) on Broadway. Subtitled Certain Private Conversations in Two Acts and a Requiem, the play was first produced in 1949 and struck an immediate, emotional chord with audiences. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is considered by many to be both the playwright’s masterpiece and a cornerstone of contemporary American drama.
