How Did Arthur Miller Influence 20th Century American Theatre
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In his novel, Once There Was a War, American author John Ernst Steinbeck writes that “theatre is the only institution in the world which has been dying for four thousand years and has never succumbed,” in fact, he continues, “it requires tough and devoted people to keep it alive.” Those who are truly devoted to the livelihood and evolution of theatre are few and far between. However, Arthur Miller’s revolutionary philosophy on 20th century American society brought theatre into a brand-new dimension.
The first thing to remember is that playwrights, like Arthur Miller, are more than just people who write plays for the entertainment of others. According to the American Association of Community Theatre, playwrights must possess certain skills such…show more content… As a young child, Arthur was able to live comfortably with his family in New York as a result of his father Isidore’s financial success with a women’s clothing manufacturing business. Despite the family’s economic prosperity, the Wall Street crash of 1929 forced them to abandon their lavish lifestyle in New York for one of financial hardship in Gravesend, Brooklyn. During this time, Arthur work hard to support his family while still in high school. Upon his graduation from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1932, Miller continued working various servile jobs just to pay his way through college. With the intent of becoming a writer, Arthur Miller began his college career at the University of Michigan in 1934 as a journalism major. While attending the university he wrote for the student paper, as well as spending much of his personal time writing his first piece, No Villain. As a matter of fact, he received the Avery Hopwood Award for No Villain shortly after switching his major from journalism to English. The Recognition he received after winning the award inspired Arthur to begin his career as a