A View from the Bridge is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with A Memory of Two Mondays at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, and Miller subsequently revised and extended the play to contain two acts; this version is the one with which audiences are most familiar.Christopher Bigsby, The Cambridge Companion to Arthur Miller, pp. 104–108, Cambridge University Press, 2010 . The two-act version premiered in the New Watergate theatre club in London's West End under the direction of Peter Brook on October 11, 1956.
The play is set in 1950s America, in an Italian-American neighborhood near the Brooklyn Bridge in New York."A View from the Bridge: Tense, searing take on outsiders' anguish", The Daily Telegraph, Sydney, 26 October 2017 It employs a chorus and narrator in the character of Alfieri. Eddie, the tragic protagonist, has an improper love for, and almost an obsession with, Catherine, his wife Beatrice's orphaned niece, so he does not approve of her courtship of Beatrice's cousin Rodolpho. Miller's interest in writing about the world of the New York docks originated with an unproduced screenplay that he developed with Elia Kazan in the early 1950s (titled The Hook) that addressed corruption on the Brooklyn docks. Kazan later directed On the Waterfront, which dealt with the same subject.
Synopsis The action is narrated by Alfieri, who was raised in 1900s Italy but is now working as an American lawyer, thereby representing the "Bridge" between the two cultures.
Act 1 In the opening speech, Alfieri describes the violent history of the small Brooklyn community of Red Hook and tells us that the second-generation Sicilians are now more civilized, more American, and are prepared to "settle for half" and let the law handle their disputes. But there are exceptions, and he then begins to narrate the story of Eddie Carbone, an Italian American longshoreman who lives with his wife Beatrice and her orphaned niece Catherine.
Eddie is a good man who, although ostensibly protective and fatherly towards Catherine, harbors a growing passion for her as she approaches her 18th birthday. We learn that he has not had sex with his wife for nearly three months. Catherine is studying to become a stenographer and Eddie objects to her taking a job she has been offered until she finishes her coursework, expressing a dislike for the way she dresses and the interest she is beginning to show in men. Beatrice is more supportive of Catherine's ventures and persuades Eddie to let her take the job.
Eddie returns home one afternoon with the news that Beatrice's two cousins, brothers Marco and Rodolpho, have safely arrived in New York as illegal immigrants. He has agreed to house them saying that he is honored to be able to help family. Marco is quiet and thoughtful, possessing remarkable strength, whereas Rodolpho is more unconventional, with plans to make a career singing in America. Marco has a family starving in Italy and plans to return after working illegally for several years, whereas Rodolpho intends to stay. Although Eddie, Beatrice, and Catherine are at first excellent hosts, cracks appear when Rodolpho and Catherine begin dating.
Eddie convinces himself that Rodolpho is homosexual and is only expressing interest in Catherine so he can marry her and gain status as a legal citizen. He confronts Catherine with his beliefs and she turns to Beatrice for advice. Beatrice, starting to realize Eddie's true feelings, tells her that she should marry Rodolpho and move out. In the meantime, Eddie turns to Alfieri, hoping for help from the law. However, Alfieri tells him that the only recourse he has is to report Rodolpho and Marco as undocumented. Seeing no solution to his problem, Eddie becomes increasingly desperate and takes his anger out on Rodolpho and, in teaching him to box, "accidentally" injures him. Marco reacts by quietly threatening Eddie, showing his strength by holding a heavy chair above Eddie's head with one hand and "smiling with triumph".
Act 2 A few months have passed and Eddie reaches a breaking point when he discovers that Catherine and Rodolpho have slept together and are intent on marrying. Drunk, he kisses Catherine and then attempts to prove that Rodolpho is gay by suddenly and passionately kissing him. After a violent confrontation, Eddie orders Rodolpho to leave the apartment.
Eddie visits Alfieri and insists that the kiss has proved Rodolpho is gay and that he is only marrying Catherine for citizenship, but once again Alfieri says the law cannot help. Out of desperation, Eddie phones immigration services but in the meantime, Beatrice has arranged for Marco and Rodolpho to move in with two other undocumented immigrants in the flat above. Eddie learns that Catherine and Rodolpho have arranged to marry within a week and about the two new immigrants that have moved into the building and, with both anger and fright, frantically urges Catherine and Beatrice to move them out. When immigration officials arrive and arrest Marco, Rodolpho, and the two other immigrants, Eddie pretends that the arrest comes as a complete surprise to him, but Beatrice and Marco see through this. Marco spits in Eddie's face in front of everyone and accuses Eddie of killing his starving children. Eddie tries to convince the neighborhood of his innocence but they turn away from him.
Alfieri visits Marco and Rodolpho in custody, obtaining their release on bail until their hearing comes up. Alfieri explains that Rodolpho will be able to stay once he has married Catherine but warns Marco that he will have to return to Italy. Vengeful, Marco confronts Eddie publicly on his release, and Eddie turns on him with a knife, demanding that he take back his accusations and restore his honor. In the ensuing scuffle, Eddie is stabbed with his own knife by Marco and dies, as his stunned family and neighbors stand around.
When he witnesses Eddie's death, Alfieri trembles because he realizes that, even though it was wrong, something "perversely pure" calls to him and he is filled with admiration. But, he tells the audience, settling for half-measures is better, it must be, and so he mourns Eddie with a sense of alarm at his own feelings.
Characters and cast Notable casts Character Broadway West End Broadway Revival West End Revival Broadway Revival Broadway Revival London Revival Broadway Revival 19551956198319871997201020142015Eddie CarboneVan HeflinAnthony QuayleTony Lo BiancoMichael Gambon Anthony LaPagliaLiev Schreiber Mark Strong BeatriceEileen HeckartMegs JenkinsRose GregorioElizabeth Bell Allison JanneyJessica Hecht Nicola Walker Catherine Gloria MarlowMary UreSaundra SantiagoSuzan Sylvester Brittany MurphyScarlett Johansson Phoebe Fox Alfieri J. Carrol NaishMichael GwynnRobert Proskyalign="center" Stephen SpinellaMichael Cristofer Michael GouldMarco Jack WardenIan BannenAlan FeinsteinMichael Simkins Adrian RawlinsCorey Stoll Michael ZegenRodolpho Richard DavalosBrian BedfordJames HaydenAdrian Rawlins Adam TreseMorgan Spector Russell ToveyLouis David ClarkeRichard HarrisStephen Mendillo Russell Dixon Gabriel OldsRobert Turano Richard HansellMikeTom PediNormal MitchellJohn Shepard Joan Arthur Daniel Serafini-SauliJoe Ricci align="center" align="center", TonyAntony VornoRalph NossekPaul PerriPaul ToddMark ZeislerMatthew Montelongo align="center" align="center", Officer 1 Curt ConwayJohn StoneRamon RamosAllan Mitchell John SperedakosAnthony DeSando Thomas Michael HammondOfficer 2 Ralph BellColin RixJames VitaleSimon Coady Christian LincolnMarco Verna align="center", align="center",
Characters Eddie Carbone - A longshoreman who is married to Beatrice while pining for his wife's niece Catherine. Beatrice - The warm and caring wife of Eddie Carbone and aunt of Catherine. Catherine - Catherine is a beautiful, smart, young Italian-American girl who is very popular among the boys in the community. Alfieri - An Italian-American lawyer. Alfieri is the narrator of the story. Marco - Marco is a hard-working Italian cousin to Beatrice. He is a powerful, sympathetic leader. Rodolpho - Beatrice's young, blonde cousin from Italy. Rodolpho prefers singing jazz to working on the ships. He cooks, sews, and loves to dance. Louis - A longshoreman and friend of Eddie's. Louis hangs out with Mike outside Eddie's home. Mike - A longshoreman and friend of Eddie's. Mike is often seen with Louis outside the Carbone home. Tony - A friend of the Carbones. He assists Marco and Rodolpho off the ship and brings them safely to Beatrice's home. Two Immigration Officers - Two officers from the Immigration Bureau who come to look for Marco and Rodolpho at Eddie's request.
Production history
Premieres The one-act, verse version of A View from the Bridge opened on Broadway on September 29, 1955, at the Coronet Theatre (now the Eugene O'Neill Theatre); Marilyn Monroe was in the audience."Marilyn's Manhattan, Both Public and Private" by Pat Ryan, The New York Times, January 6, 2011 It ran for 149 performances. This production was directed by Martin Ritt and the cast included Van Heflin as Eddie and Eileen Heckart as Beatrice.
Its two-act version premiered in London's West End under the direction of Peter Brook. It opened at the New Watergate theatre club (currently Harold Pinter Theatre) on October 11, 1956, and the cast included Richard Harris as Louis and Anthony Quayle as Eddie,Arthur Miller, A View from the Bridge / All My Sons (London: Penguin, 1961), p. 9; Arthur Miller, Introduction to Plays: One (London: Methuen, 1988), p. 51. with lighting design by Lee Watson.
Revivals in New York Dustin Hoffman acted as assistant director and stage manager for a successful 1965 production of the play Off-Broadway at the Sheridan Square Playhouse in New York City. The play's director, Ulu Grosbard, suggested to Arthur Miller that Hoffman would one day make a great Willy Loman (a role that Hoffman would later play to great acclaim). Miller was unimpressed and later wrote "My estimate of Grosbard all but collapsed as, observing Dustin Hoffman's awkwardness and his big nose that never seemed to get unstuffy, I wondered how the poor fellow imagined himself a candidate for any kind of acting career."
Another production in New York opened on February 3, 1983, at the Ambassador Theatre, with Tony Lo Bianco as Eddie and directed by Arvin Brown. It ran for 149 performances.
An award-winning production in New York opened on December 14, 1997, at the Criterion Center Stage Right and subsequently transferred to the Neil Simon Theatre. It ran for 239 performances. It was directed by Michael Mayer and the cast included Anthony LaPaglia, Allison Janney, and Brittany Murphy. The production won the Tony Award for: Best Revival of a Play; Best Leading Actor in a Play (LaPaglia); it also won Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Revival, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Janney), and Outstanding Direction of a Play.
A revival at the Cort Theatre on Broadway in 2009 starred Liev Schreiber, Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Hecht. The limited, 14-week engagement, directed by Gregory Mosher, began with previews on December 28, 2009, and officially opened on January 24, 2010. It ran until April 4, 2010.Jones, Kenneth."View from the Bridge Ends Limited Broadway Engagement" playbill.com, April 4, 2010 Johansson won a Tony Award for her performance.
From October 2015 through February 2016, a production of the play that originated at the Young Vic Theatre in London in 2014 ran on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre featuring its original London cast."A View from the Bridge review – Miller reinvented with visceral power" by Alexis Soloski, The Guardian, November 13, 2015 It won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play; the director, Ivo van Hove won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play.