Westport Country Playhouse associate artist Annie Keefe has had a legendary life in theater.
Before coming here, she spent more than 20 years at Long Wharf. In 1994 she worked on the world premiere of “Broken Glass” — a riveting story of Kristallnacht and Jewish identity. Playwright Arthur Miller was there for most rehearsals.
Annie Keefe and Arthur Miller. (Photo/T. Charles Erickson)
Keefe recalls:
The material was fascinating, dense and complex, and we were the first people to explore it. It was thrilling to watch the actors, along with Arthur, tease out the plot and build the characters. It was a complicated and difficult birthing process. Director John Tillinger and Arthur were longtime friends, and there were post-rehearsal conversations I wish I had had the sense to focus on. But there were production notes to be sent and schedules to be made and things in the rehearsal hall to reset for the next day.
On Wednesday (October 6), the curtain goes up on the Playhouse production of “Broken Glass.” Keefe looks forward to artistic director Mark Lamos’ interpretation.
She’s also thinking about Arthur Miller. The legendary playwright’s connections with the Playhouse — and this area — are strong.
This will be the 6th Miller production at the Playhouse. “Death of a Salesman” was 1st, in 1966. “The Price,” “All My Sons” (twice) and “The Archbishop’s Ceiling” followed.
In the late 1950s, Miller lived here with his then-wife, Marilyn Monroe.
Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller.
A few years ago, Daniel Brown wrote about the couple for the arts journal AEQAI.
One morning, when he was 12, he saw Miller and Monroe at Weston Market. She wore blue jeans and sunglasses. A babushka covered her head. Brown wanted an autograph; his mother said no, she deserved privacy. He could, however, say “Good morning, Mrs. Miller.”
She replied, “Hello, little boy.” But she looked unspeakably sad.
Brown left the store with his mother.
“Mom,” he asked, “why did Marilyn Monroe look so sad? Doesn’t she have everything she wants? And who is that old guy she’s with?”
(For more recollections from Keefe, click here for the Westport Country Playhouse blog. For information on “Broken Glass,” click here. For Daniel Brown’s full recollection of Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe, click here. For Mark Lamos’ thoughts on Miller, click the YouTube video below.)
(Hat tip: Ann Sheffer)
I’m very much looking forward to this production. What’s also noteworthy is that the Playhouse has organized a variety of events around town, many of which are free, to celebrate the centennial of Arhur Miller’s birth: http://www.westportplayhouse.org/celebrate-arthur-miller
One of my clients enjoys the fact that Marilyn swam in his pool on Fanton Hill.
In the 1950s, when I was eleven, my family lived in Weston, in a white farmhouse at the foot of Lyons Plain Road and Fanton Hill Road. One summer we were visited by three dogs, none of which had collars, which meant we did not know whose pooches they were. The male English spaniel we called “The Colonel.” The bitch spaniel we called “Lizzie.” The red setter was called, of course, “Big Red.” They would show up on a Monday morning, hang around, wander around, come back in time for the dinner my mom left on the back porch. Then they would disappear on Friday. This went on all summer. Finally, we learned that the dogs belonged to Milton Greene, a well-known fashion photographer, who had a weekend home at the top end of Fanton Hill Road. He was as surprised as we were, and just as thankful that we took care of his dogs. He presented us with the first of Lizzie’s litter — a dog we named “Muggles.” The English spaniel was “Bo-Bo.” The setter was, what else: “Michael.” During the year, the dogs would still visit their own “home-away.” The next summer Greene asked if I would like to earn a little money by helping a contractor doing work on his house. I did. One Friday as we were finishing up work, Greene asked if I would like to come in to meet his weekend guests. Most of the names from the world of high fashion were not familiar to me. Only one was: Marilyn Monroe.