“… Derek Kwan 關顯揚 impresses in a number of roles, including Ying’s father and a street performer who opens the second act in a marvellous way.” – Glenn Sumi, So Sumi
“Salesman in China is a BRILLIANT new play, fully ready to take the world’s stages by storm” – Kelly Nestruck, Globe and Mail
“A production that demonstrates the capactiy for art to unite, challenge and, ultimately, heal us”
– Joshua Chong, Toronto Star
“This has been a very special project. I joined during the pandemic for a workshop reading of the piece and was instantly struck by the writing and unique perspectives represented in the script. Being part of the premiere and witnessing the audience’s response has bowled me over. It was truly an honour to debut at the Stratford Festival with this show. I played four different characters and I relished the challenge to make each as distinct, fully dimensional, and unrecognisable as possible from the next.” — Derek
In 1983, American playwright Arthur Miller travelled to China to direct a production of his classic play, Death of a Salesman. Working with the Beijing People’s Art Theatre, Miller and his collaborators struggled to bridge the gap between languages, cultures and national identities with local audiences having been long shut off from the West. Salesman in China retells this daring act of cultural cross-pollination on stage.
Stratford Festival presents:
Salesman In China 推销员在中国
by Leanna Brodie and Jovanni Sy
suggested by the memoirs of Arthur Miller and Ying Ruocheng
Chinese translations by Fang Zhang
WORLD PREMIÈRE
Aug 1 – Oct 27, 2024
Avon Theatre, Stratford
Jan 16 – 25, 2025
National Arts Centre, Ottawa
Featuring:
Jo Chim 詹翠珊, George Chiang 江重仁, Harriet Chung 鍾浩賢, Howard Dai 戴中豪, Justin Eddy, Tai Wei Foo 符岱微, 郝邦宇 Steven Hao, Kim Horsman, Phoebe Hu 胡馨勻, Ziye Hu, Nestor Lozano Jr., Tom McCamus, Gordon S. Miller, Sarah Orenstein, Adrian Pang 彭耀順, Agnes Tong 唐若馨, Matthew Wang, Asher Albert Waxman, Angus Yam 任孝聰, Harmony Yen
Director: Jovanni Sy
Assistant Director: Nick Fangzheng Wang 王方正
Stage Manager: Bona Duncan
Composer, Sound Designer: Alessandro Juliani
Costume Designer: Ming Wong 黄慧明
Set Designer: Joanna Yu 余頌恩
Lighting Designer: Sophie Tang 汤语菲
Projection Designers: Chimerik 似不像
Fight Director: Anita Nittoly
Movement Director: Harriet Chung 鍾浩賢
Dramaturges: Nina Lee Aquino, Bob White
*Winner of 2024 Quebec Writers’ Federation Prize for Playwriting*
