Broken Glass

Summary

BBC production of Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass, produced in association with WGBH Boston.

Theatre play

Broken Glass by Arthur Miller [more information]

Play synopsis

The play focuses on a middle-aged Jewish couple in New York City in November 1938, the time of Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass) in Nazi Germany. ‘Phillip works at a Wall Street bank, where he works on foreclosing. Sylvia suddenly becomes partially paralysed from the waist down after reading about the events of Kristallnacht in the newspaper. Dr Harry Hyman is contacted by Phillip to try to help Sylvia recover. Dr Hyman believes that Sylvia’s paralysis is psychosomatic, and though he is not a psychiatrist, he begins to treat her according to his diagnosis. Throughout the play, Dr Hyman learns more about the problems that Sylvia is having in her personal life, particularly in her marriage. After an argument with his boss, Philip suffers a heart attack and is dying at his home. Phillip and Sylvia confront each other about their feelings. Before Phillip dies (although his death is never confirmed), his final words are "Sylvia, forgive me!". Upon his "death", Sylvia is cured of her paralysis.' Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Glass_%28play%29.

Production history

'Broken Glass was first staged, and received its world premiere, at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, before transferring to the Booth Theatre from April 24, 1994 to June 26 of the same year, totaling 73 performances. The original production was produced by Robert Whitehead, Roger L. Stevens, Lars Schmidt, Spring Sirkin, Terri Childs, and Timothy Childs; and directed by John Tillinger. It received its British premiere at the Royal National Theatre’s Lyttelton Theatre on August 4, 1994.' Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_Glass_%28play%29.

Date of transmission

Saturday 29 March 1997

Time

10.15pm

Series

Performance

Channel

BBC2

Production company

BBC; WGBH Boston

Credits

Director

David Thacker

Producer

Fiona Findlay

Playwright

Arthur Miller

Screenplay by

David Holman

Screenplay by

David Thacker

Composer

Adrian Johnston

Designer

Bruce Macadie

Costume Designer

Lyn Avery

Make-up

Gillian Thomas

Film Editor

Kate Evans

Assistant to the Director

Alan Charlesworth (credited as ‘First Assistant Director’)

Assistant to the Director

Alexander Jacob (credited as ‘Third Assistant Director’)

Assistant to the Director

Sarah White (credited as ‘Second Assistant Director’)

Script Editor

Michael Hastings

Associate Producer

Ruth Mayorcas

Executive Producer

Simon Curtis (for BBC)

Executive Producer

Rebecca Eaton (for WGBH / Boston)

Cast

Ed Bishop	Stanton Case
Sharon D. Clarke	Flora
Sam Douglas	Neighbour
Henry Goodman	Philip Gellburg
Konstantine Kostov	Jewish Paperboy
Mark Lambert	J. O’Leary
Margot Leicester	Sylvia Gellburg
Gabrielle Lloyd	Myra
Elizabeth McGovern	Margaret Hyman
Mandy Patinkin	Dr Harry Hyman
John Rogan	Bernard
Nitzan Sharron	David
Jason Shephard	Bill Van Der Hart
John Sterland	Dr Sherman
Julia Swift	Harriet

Additional details

Play tags

American drama; Germany, as theme or setting; Judaism

Audiovisual sources

Title

Broken Glass (BBC / WGBH Boston, 1997)

Archive

BBC Information and Archives [more information]

Address

White City
London
UK

Telephone

+44 (0)20 8008 2288

Website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/informationandarchives/

Access

BBC Information and Archives is not open to the public.

Print sources

Title

Arthur Miller on the small screen 5: Broken Glass (BBC, 1997) (Blog article)

Author/creator

Amanda Wrigley (Author)

Reference

http://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2013/11/29/arthur-miller-5-broken-glass, published 29 November 2013

Title

By Robert McCrum (Newspaper article)

Author/creator

Robert McCrum (Reviewer)

Reference

The Observer, 23 March 1997, p. [16?]

Title

From Edward Albee to Tennessee Williams: American Drama on the British Small Screen (Blog article)

Author/creator

Amanda Wrigley (Author)

Reference

http://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2014/06/20/american-drama, published 20 June 2014

Title

Performing Small Miracles (Newspaper article)

Author/creator

James Christopher (Author)

Reference

The Times, 24 February 1997, p. 19

Title

Radio Times, 29 March 1997 (Magazine)

Linking notes

article on p. 83

Title

TV & Radio (Newspaper article)

Reference

The Guardian, 29 March 1997, p. C75