Here in America [by The Jam Squad]

About the Play

Here in America is a compelling drama by acclaimed playwright David Edgar that imagines a confrontation between two giants of American theater and cinema: Elia Kazan and Arthur Miller. Set during the height of McCarthyism in 1952, the play explores a pivotal moment when these creative collaborators faced an impossible choice: betray their friends to anti-Communist investigators or risk losing their careers.

On a rainswept afternoon, Hollywood and Broadway’s leading director Elia Kazan meets his closest collaborator, the playwright Arthur Miller. As the anti-Communist crusade blacklists hundreds of their colleagues, both men must decide where their loyalties lie. Adding to the tension, both are passionately involved with an actress about to become the most famous movie star in the world.

This taut, 80-minute drama examines the personal and professional consequences of political pressure during one of America’s most controversial periods. Following its successful premiere at the Orange Tree Theatre in London in 2024, directed by James Dacre, the play will be published in July 2025.

Critical Acclaim

Here in America has received praise from theater critics for its nuanced exploration of a complex historical moment:

“Compelling and subtle… allows the audience to make up its own mind… cerebral and rewarding” —The Times
“A fascinating and fertile subject… captivating to watch… the comparisons we can draw with modern-day America are all too clear” —Telegraph
“An intriguing, knotty new drama about artists trying to survive in a time of political repression… Edgar ably captures his famous subjects’ complexities and contradictions, nailing their honed intellectualism and overweening egos… a taut, noirish mood of unspoken menace” —The Stage
“A lively take on the personal politics of art and ideology” —Guardian

Historical Context

The early 1950s saw the rise of McCarthyism, named after Senator Joseph McCarthy, who led a campaign to identify and remove suspected Communists from American public life. The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigations devastated the entertainment industry, with many artists blacklisted and unable to work if they refused to “name names” of suspected Communist sympathizers.

The real-life relationship between Kazan and Miller fractured over their different responses to these pressures. Kazan chose to testify before HUAC, naming former Communist Party members, while Miller refused to do so. Their divergent choices led to a decades-long estrangement and inspired some of their most significant works, including Miller’s The Crucible and Kazan’s film On the Waterfront.

About the Author

David Edgar is one of the UK’s leading playwrights and a pioneer in teaching playwriting. He founded the Playwriting Studies course at Birmingham University in 1989 and was appointed Professor of Playwriting Studies in 1995.

Edgar has written numerous acclaimed plays including The New Real (RSC/Headlong, 2024), adaptations of A Christmas Carol and Nicholas Nickleby for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Pentecost, Playing With Fire (National Theatre), and Continental Divide. He is also the author of How Plays Work (Nick Hern Books, 2009; revised 2021) and editor of The State of Play: Playwrights on Playwriting (2000).

Publication Details

Price: $23.00 USD
Pages: 88
Publisher: Theatre Communications Group
Imprint: Nick Hern Books
Publication Date: July 8, 2025
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781839043697
Dimensions: 5 x 7.75 inches