The Archbishops Ceiling by Arthur Miller

The Archbishops Ceiling Reviews

• 
  Sepehr

  فکر نکنم حداقل تا چند سال آینده این خاطره را فراموش کنم؛ روزی که زیر سقف کلیسای جامع از آرتور میلر را خواندم، روزی که آخرین تلنگر برای بروز فریادی فرو خورده بود. فریادی که چهل و خورده‌ای سال در گلوها حبس بود.
  روزهای آخر کار در کتابفروشی، یک ظهر تابستانی، با رضایت کامل از عملکرد روز، لم داده روی صندلی و زیر کولر نوت گوشی را باز کردم که بنویسم امروز چه روز خوبی بود. که بنویسم امروز توانستم یک نمایشنامه کامل از میلر را طی چند ساعت و در کتابفروشی تمام کنم. که بنویسم چه چقدر آن نمایشنامه را دوست داشتم و چرا دوست داشتم. تصمیم گرفتم قبل از اینکه اینها را بنویسم یه سر به اینستا بزنم. صرفا از سر عادت. صفحه اینستا باز شد با پست‌ها و استوری‌هایی یکسان. خبری بود. خبر یک دختر. دختری را وحشیانه زده بودند. دختر در کما بود. دختر کم سن و سال بود. دختر...داشت... از دست... می‌رفت. و از دست رفت. و دیگر تحمل نکردیم...
  فردا و فرداهای بعدی آن روز، به جای مشتری‌های کتابخوان، معترضین گاز خورده و از نفس افتاده راهشان به کتابفروشی افتاد و ما به جای کتاب، دست آدم‌ها آب و سیگار و دستمال دادیم. دیگر کم کم هرچیز که تا پیش از آن زمزمه بود، فریاد شد. خشم بروز کرد. دیگر اطاعت نکردند. دیگر بی‌اعتنا نبودند. دیگر مردم با هم غریبه نبودند. دیگر هیچ‌چیز مثل قبل نشد... و این داستان ادامه دارد... و فقط یک پایان دارد. اگر جور دیگری شد، یعنی هنوز پایان نیافته. پایانی که آغازگر فصلی جدید است... و این شعر کسرائی که مدام در سرم میپیچد و فارغ شده است از شاعرش از احزاب و هرچیز ایدئولوژیک و سویه‌دار :
  
  آزادی!
  ای آرزوی گمشده گُل کُن،
  تا بلبل تو را
  در باغِ درشکسته نفس هست!
  آخر تو نیستی و در اینجا
  بس بیمِ خو گرفتنِ به قفس هست!
  بشنو! فغان و ناله ی شبگیر است
  بشنو صدای جانِ به زنجیر است
  اینک بیا به یاری، آزادی!
  فردا برای آمدنت دیر است!
• 
  Caterina (on hiatus)

  I saw this performed in the late 80s but before the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall fell. The set consisted of an elaborate, gorgeous baroque ceiling hanging above the entire stage, under which the characters sat uneasily in green velvet-upholstered chairs and sofas. The play was set in an unnamed Eastern European capital where everyone knew that the ceiling above them was bugged and they had to assume that everything they said was being heard and recorded to potentially be used against them. Now that every "ceiling" everywhere is "bugged" -- through our very own cell phones -- it might be a great time for a revival or contemporary adaptation of this play. I don't recall the significance of the fact that this ceiling was the Archbishop's, but today alas the first thing that comes to mind is the concealment of sexual abuse -- that would give the play a different very twisted twist. What made the play powerful when I saw it: everyone knows that they are being listened to, so no one can ever say what they think or what they mean. Instead, people spoke in elaborate codes to be able to imply and hint at things without saying them, with plausible deniability. So it's questionable whether any actual communication takes place, and the audience isn't really totally sure what's going on either, although Arthur Miller, being brilliant, managed to achieve that fine balance that still allowed the audience to understand and glean meaning out of the confusion.
  
  I'm enjoying reconnecting with past "eras" of my life by delving into my memory banks and adding the books/literature that made a significant impression on me over the years. There are plenty of holes in my memory -- including some books I can't for the life of me remember the title or author! -- so for most books I'm not adding a rating or review, but this one stood out. However, no guarantee that I'm remembering everything as it was ... maybe the chairs weren't upholstered in green velvet ...
• 
  Morgan

  I liked the fact it was about a writer, this was an alright play.
• 
  Adrian

  More at home in the Cold War era, but the themes of truth, discreet monitoring and mixed affiliation still work - now in devices hidden in plain sight rather than microphones in the ceiling, which only makes it more unnerving. Quite dense and less accessible than his other plays but could be a nice taut atmosphere.
• 
  Ali

  Set is an ornate room in a former Archbishop's palace in an Eastern European capital, Sigmund, a middle-aged author, having embarrassed the current regime, is faced with the choice of detention and punishment or defection to the West. The situation is complicated by the presence of Myra, a poet and actress, who has been the mistress of all three characters present at the meeting. The complexity of the relationship of these four, is the inextricable interweaving of politics, art and sex, and the constant uncertainty as to whether what they say may be overheard. Absurd!
  این اثر آرتور میللر را حسن ملکی به فارسی برگردانده که در 1376 در سری آثار "نسل قلم" منتشر شده است.
  
• 
  May Ling

  Interesting, well written tale. You forget how well this guy writes. The topic is a bit more racy and that makes it fun. Great little play and read. Would love to see it performed.
• 
  E7boehm

  
  Very good book. But dated issue of the cold war. Intresting view of history.