Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Arthur Miller will come to Penn to deliver a speech on April 7, Philomathean Society members announced yesterday.
The literary society -- in conjunction with the Social Planning and Events Committee's Connaissance group -- are sponsoring the lecture. The Office of the Provost is also sponsoring the event, along with the English Undergraduate Advisory Board, the Penn Library and the International Affairs Association. Miller will speak at Zellerbach Theatre.
"I think it's a perfect opportunity for students at Penn to get basically up close and personal with a figure who has had so much impact on recent history," Philo Moderator Nolan Shenai said.
Miller -- the author of Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, among other works -- will read from his essay On Politics and the Art of Acting and will answer audience questions following his lecture. His essay deals with the similarities between politics and acting, Philo Second Censor Caroline Mair said.
Philo members selected the speaker from among a number of applicants, ultimately choosing Miller based on his contributions to literature and culture.
It "made sense to bring someone whose impact is in the literary community" since Philo is a literary society, Shenai said.
Mair agreed that Miller was a standout among their choices.
"He was our number one choice, and we're very happy we got him," she said. "I think that Miller is arguably America's greatest living playwright."
Connaissance Co-Director Mark Guterman also said that Miller was an appropriate choice to address the Penn community.
"We felt that co-sponsoring this event was an excellent opportunity," Guterman said. "He's active in the theater community, and we felt -- and Philo feels -- that he would add a great discourse to the University because of his extensive knowledge about theater, about politics and just in general."
The many and varied contributions Miller has made to society make him an especially influential and informed speaker, Shenai said.
"Arthur Miller is inextricably tied to American theater and is such a famous American playwright," Shenai said. "He's tied to basically the genre as a whole, as well as sort of the anti-Utopian American dream which has since become so popular in literature, in plays -- in art even as a whole."
However, Mair noted that Miller's expertise extends beyond literature.
"Arthur Miller is not just an excellent playwright," Mair said. "He has made extraordinary intellectual, cultural and political contributions to this country."
Adam Levin, co-president of the English Undergraduate Advisory Board, thinks Miller will appeal to a wide range of Penn community members.
"I think a lot of students are familiar with his work," Levin said, adding that "he's been a big presence in the American literary community."
College senior Sarah Koplik said she was excited about Miller's upcoming speech.
"That sounds pretty cool," Koplik said, praising Miller as an appropriate selection.
Philo will also host a series of events during the week of Miller's speech, including a lecture, roundtable discussion and dramatic reading of one of his plays. A playwriting workshop will take place after Miller's speech.
Complimentary tickets will be available to students in an online lottery.
