The American Clock
A Radio Play Presentation
Written by Arthur Miller
Directed by ensemble member Austin Pendleton
Steppenwolf NOW
About THE SHOW
The Great Depression, spanning roughly the decade between the stock market collapse of October 1929 and the United States' entrance into World War II, is not a time of easy definition. Marked by extraordinary levels of unemployment and a failing financial system, the period was defined by a desperately urgent need running headlong into an American optimism that had always been the hallmark of the young nation.
In trying to capture that experience for The American Clock, Arthur Miller discarded tidy structure in favor of a freewheeling emotional expressiveness, meant to capture the feeling of the moment more than a clear narrative history.
We follow the Baum Family as they fall from their privileged position in New York society and must relocate to the more humble confines of working class Brooklyn. As their day-to-day reality shifts to a struggle for survival, their dreams of what the future might hold shift and falter as well.
Interspersed throughout the Baum family story, Miller gives us snapshots of the rest of the nation—an Iowa farm auction that tips towards rebellion, a quiet bar at midnight filled with the titans of industry who had lost it all, a man riding the rails in search of whatever work he could find—each finely etched portrait providing another layer of experience.
While experiencing these disparate scenes can feel, at times, disorienting, perhaps that is Miller’s point. It was a disorienting time, bereft of certainty. And yet, if you take a step back, a larger image starts to emerge from the collection of individual moments, almost like a kaleidoscope or an impressionistic painting based more in feeling than classical narrative structure.
The American Clock is, ultimately, a cumulative experience. And like all of the best intrepid journeys, there is a richness to be gained by letting go of the reigns and allowing the experience to take you along for the ride.
An audacious, sprawling and epic tale from the remarkable chronicler of American life, Arthur Miller, The American Clock is a kaleidoscopic view of life in the 1930s set against the backdrop of the Great Depression. This rarely produced play captures both the heart-rending struggle and the resilient, joyful spirit of the American people. Austin Pendleton directs an expansive, intergenerational cast of more than 30 Steppenwolf ensemble members as they tackle more than 50 roles in this radio play rendition of a quintessentially American story.
In this lonely time of isolation, Steppenwolf brings you a tale from America’s past and invites you to sit back, power down your screens and let the power of a well-told story spark your imagination and touch your heart.