Salesman in China revisits Arthur Miller's Chinese staging of Death of a Salesman
Acclaimed Canadian theatre director Jovanni Sy discusses his new play, which is on now in Stratford
In 1983, in the midst of the Cold War, Arthur Miller went to China to direct a Mandarin version of his famous play Death of a Salesman. Despite some hurdles, the production ended up being a touchstone moment in Chinese-American cultural relations.
Now, a new play called Salesman in China tells the story of the American playwright's incredibly high-stakes collaboration with the Chinese artist Ying Ruocheng. Jovanni Sy, the director and co-writer of Salesman in China, joins guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us more.
Salesman in China recently opened at the Stratford Festival. You can catch it at the Avon Theatre in Stratford, Ont., until Oct. 26.
The full interview with Jovanni Sy is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Jovanni Sy produced by Ben Edwards.