After the Fall : A Play in Two Acts

Rating:
Summary: A painful play to write and to see
Review: Arthur Miller, having divorced actress Marilyn Monroe and married photographer Inge Morath, and in the aftermath of Monroe's still-controversial death, wrote this as part catharsis and part explanation of the recent events in his past. Treating Monroe as it does, it inspired a groundswell of revulsion for Miller that after forty years has not fully abated.

Nonetheless, this is a fascinating work that on its own merits has some appeal.

Rating:
Summary: An Epithalamion.
Review: An explicit play of the mind, with diction in the place of fiction, the trumpery of illusion forced into an epithalamion of sorts.

Rating:
Summary: Where do we go from here?
Review: Everyone's read Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, myself included... but in my opinion, this play is Miller's most exceptional work! It is presented in a much less formulaic, more postmodern arrangement than his other works. He tackles goodness and sin in a manner uniquely his own, examining what modern man must seek out in life. He offers a hope for humankind which can only be achieved by the acknowledgement that we all exist "after the fall" from innocence and the necessity of each of us to relearn to live and to love in our way.

Rating:
Summary: Miller's Catharsis
Review: Having read most of Miller's previous work, I hold it to a high standard. "After the Fall" shows many of the simmilarities of his other works. Unlike the other ones, he is symbolically the main character here. In this work, Miller writes a cathartic explanation of his life including two failed marriages, one to Marilyn Monroe. Rather than entertaining, it comes off as rather unsettling.

The main character, Quentin narrates to the audience in the show. He is viewing his past as the various people in his life appear in a sequence of events. Through his childhood, we see hints of the origins of the problems the character faces, such as a manipulative mother. This seems to be the justification he uses for failed relationships. By Holga being the last character we see, it seems that he is insinuating that he should have never left his first wife. At the same time, he clears himself of any fault in the demise of Maggie (the veiled symbol for Marilyn Monroe).

In reality, there was a lot going on in the play. Perhaps it was even too busy. But even more worrisome is Miller's use of the stage to justify or rationalize his life. I love Miller's work. This play, which was intended to be disturbing, is disturbing in a way which Miller could have intended. It is one play the work could have gone without.

Rating:
Summary: Absorbing, biographical account.
Review: I seem to remember Arthur Miller dismissing the notion that this Book is biographical, but it certainly reads that way....
One can not help but draw comparison to marilyn monroe from
the maggie character...in a most unfavorable way.
The main character's relationship with the various characters in this book reveal Arthur Millers feelings about his own Life...it's almost like a comment on his marriage to the movie legend and an explanation what happened to her.
As a Marilyn fan i find this to be an interesting read and a glimpse into Arthur Miller's side of it all.

Rating:
Summary: Where do we go from here?
Review: This play, which takes place in the imaginal world of the character Quentin, is in a sense an ongoing self-analysis as he bravely re-collects how he has chosen to live, love, and relate to people. But beneath all the idealistic frenzy he discovers an "angel" who "brings us back exactly what we want to lose--and so you must love him, because he keeps truth in the world." Outstandingly penetrating and brilliantly written.

Rating:
Summary: Arthur Miller's Hidden Gem
Review: With themes such as innocence, responsibility, self-examination, betrayal, and more, this is a far reaching, hard hitting play. A semi-autobiography, this play works on several levels; it breaks the fourth wall, but is also powerful outside the narration, it has a complex theme that is slowly discovered, but it's scenes are urgent andeffective. A great play for a casual read, an amazing source of scenes, and a wonderful play for production