Quicklets: Learn More. Read Less. Arthur Miller was one of the twentieth century's most important playwrights. Strongly influenced by the bold naturalism of Henrik Ibsen, he changed the landscape of American theatrical drama with his social realist masterpiece Death of a Salesman in 1949. Miller was awarded a Tony and a Pulitzer Prize for the play. In 1953, Miller debuted The Crucible, a politically charged work with obvious parallels to the House Un-American Actvities Committee, lead by Joseph McCarthy. Miller's play about a literal witch hunt commented on McCarthy's search for Communists in the United States. In 1996, Miller wrote a screenplay adaptation of The Crucible. The film starred Winona Ryder and Daniel-Day Lewis. Miller received an Academy Award nomination for the screenplay. The Crucible was first performed on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theater on January 22, 1953. Miller felt the staging was cold and over stylized, a sentiment echoed by many reviewers. However, The New York Times lauded the play as a powerful work. In 1953, The Crucible was awarded a Tony for Best Play. It is now considered a classic of modern American theater.