The centenary of the “Death Of A Salesman” playwright’s birth is being celebrated with Broadway revivals and much academic truffle-sniffing, but this event might get closest to the heart of Arthur Miller’s legacy: The Arthur Miller Foundation has announced a star-filled Broadway benefit performance on Jan. 25.
The one-night-only gathering to raise funds for the Foundation’s theater and film education programs will feature performances by Alec Baldwin, Ellen Barkin, Laurence Fishburne, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Tony Kushner, Sam Shepard and others. Tony Award winner Gregory Mosher is directing the readings drawn from Miller’s autobiography and unpublished works as well as scenes from “Death Of A Salesman,” “The Crucible,” “All My Sons” and more.
“I respect Arthur Miller, the man and the work, a lot, and I owe my own involvement in the theater to what I learned in public schools,” Mosher told Deadline. “So it’s a no-brainer to lend a hand to the Arthur Miller Foundation’s sensible and serious effort in NYC public schools.”
The event will take place on the set of Miller’s “A View From The Bridge,” being revived at the Lyceum Theatre. The evening will be produced by Cindy Tolan and Damon Cardasis; Sandi Farkas and Rebecca Miller are Board Co-Chairs of the Arthur Miller Foundation, with Mara Manus serving as Founding Director.
“We at the Arthur Miller Foundation believe that arts education should be a right, not a privilege,” said Rebecca Miller. “Please join with us as we build sustainable and scalable programs which put the arts back into the curriculum of our public schools.”
All proceeds from the evening will go to the Arthur Miller Foundation for Theater and Film Education, which is committed to promoting access and equity to theater and film education in our public schools.
The Arthur Miller Theater Education Program, in partnership with the Office of Arts and Special Projects at the New York City Department of Education, provides significant mentorship, training, and support for new theater teachers, increasing the number of New York City public school students with access to dedicated theater education. The program will reach over 5,000 students in its inaugural year.
In addition, the Arthur Miller Theater and Film Pilot Program supports in-school theater and film courses for students at NYC public school Quest to Learn. Created last year in partnership with Institute of Play, the program continues to grow, with the goal of exporting to other schools in need.