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| Bendard (Shaun Hall) and Willy (Zach Grenier)* |
Death of a Salesman, written in 1946 by playwright Arthur Miller, is one of those classic tragedies that we all have to read at some point in our
educational history. This play is well known for an analysis of the “American
Dream”. Willy (Zach Grenier), a 63
year old washed up salesman anguishes over his lack of self-success and the lack of career accomplishments of his two sons, Happy and Biff (Maxwell Eddy and Alex Mickiewicz). He fades in and out of reality as he relives his past but in the present, he has a delusional view of his imagined success. When forced to face his failed
“American dream,” he ends his life.
To be honest, in my youth without much life experience, I just did not get it. In my empty nest period, this play was much more relevant-I think Willy missed the American dream that was right in front of him because of an unbalanced focus on being liked by others and equating success with monetary gain.
To be honest, in my youth without much life experience, I just did not get it. In my empty nest period, this play was much more relevant-I think Willy missed the American dream that was right in front of him because of an unbalanced focus on being liked by others and equating success with monetary gain.
Reflection:
I was captivated by
the characters’ emotional dialogue. The last 24 hours of Willy Loman's life is packed with action, moving between Willy’s flashbacks and his current
struggles. There is just so much going on in this play. My eyes teared up 3 times during the show. I see now why this play is considered one of the
greatest plays of all time. Even though it
was written in 1940's it remains relevant today with rich characters whose actions have many layers of meaning. It all came alive in this Pittsburgh Public Theater production.
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| Willy (Zack Grenier) and his wife Linda (Kathleen McNenny)* |
As the play opens,
you can feel the emotional weight that Willy caries as he comes home to his wife struggling with two heavy suitcases
following a long cancelled sales trip. His wife, Linda (Kathleen McNenny), is always so loving and supportive. She even endorses Willy’s unrealistic delusions of grandeur throughout
the play. We also get a glimpse of his sons’ love and admiration for their
father during one of Willy’s daydreams of his past where he throws ball with his son Biff, the high school football star and with Happy, the younger
brother who fades into the background of
Biff’s glory.
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| Willy with Biff (Alex Mickiewicz) Happy(Maxwell, Eddy)* |
Zack Grenier, as Willy, brilliantly produces abundant audience empathy for his character. You could see the erosion of self confidence in Willy’s face when after 35 years working for a company, he was forced to
live on commission and to ask his
successful and only friend,Charlie (Randy Koviz), for money. He looked so tired from traveling at age 63. You could feel
his desperation as he asked his younger boss, Howard Wagner (Joseph Domencic) to work in town requesting 65 dollars a week salary, then going to 50 dollars, and
finally as low at 40 dollars but to no
avail. I heard the audience sigh and
some even gasp during this scene. I
of course was brought to tears.
At times during this
play I just wanted to hug Willy. Other
times, I wanted to shake him and say to him, “ Look at what you
have in your relationship with your wife, a women who loves you, and look at those two sons that just want your acceptance. You have the ‘American Dream’ and stop equating your success with popularity and money!” I pitied
him because as I see it, he missed the
boat by not seeing all the good that he
had in his life.
Pittsburgh Public Theater's production of Death of A Salesman makes you feel. This is just what a classic
tragedy is meant to do. This
production turned a play that I just did
not get and for that matter, did not much like, into one that
I loved! I say experience a classic again as an empty-nester and start with Pittsburgh Public Theater's Death of a Salesman.
Spiritual Source
For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10)
Other sources
* Photos by Michael Henniger
* Photos by Michael Henniger
Death of A Salesman https://ppt.org/production/47689/death-of-a-salesman
O'Reilly Theater https://trustarts.org/pct_home/visit/facilities/oreilly-theater/
