Death of a Salesman: Attention Must Be Paid

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is more than a great work of art.  It has become a fundamental part of American Drama.  When it was first presented on Broadway in 1949, it won the Pulitzer Prize.  Since then, it has three major revivals on Broadway, been filmed twice, and presented on Television four times.  Its title and characters have entered Pop Culture—one can find references to the work in entertainment as far-fetched as the sitcoms "Seinfeld" and "I Love Lucy."

Therefore, the challenge to any company presenting this work is to mount a production worthy of its place in literature.  Is the current production by the Classical Acting Company up to this challenge?  Succinctly stated, yes.  Although a few rough spots are present, this Death of a Salesman possess high caliber dramatic acting. Miller's powerful prose was presented with proper authority from the artists which caused the drama to soar over the footlights and into our consciousness.

Chief honors for acting go to Susan Sargeant, in the role of Linda, the salesman's wife.  Sargeant has a quiet self-dignity that was ideally suited to the role.  Whether tenderly supporting her exhausted husband or chastising her sons, she delivered the dialogue with quiet force that would have overpowered a hurricane.  The end of the play is placed squarely in her hands, and Sargeant delivers admirably.

As Willy Loman, the titular Salesman, Bradley Campbell turned in an admirable job.  From his first entrance, he presented an excellent picture of world-weariness.  Campbell caught the many sides of the confused drummer well.  His gestures and facial expressions were notable.

Accomplished support was also presented by Clay Yocum and Mike Schraeder as their two sons. The other roles were also well-acted, with special mention to Matt Lyle who played a gregarious waiter in the Second Act.

Death of a Salesman is a memory play—with numerous changes between the past and the present.  A few of these changes were awkward which lead to some minor confusion.  Also, the pace of the production was uneven--primarily in the Second Act, which was disjointed at times.  In this reviewer's opinion, tighter direction could have alleviated this. However, these distractions are minor.  A commanding drama coupled with outstanding performances makes for a stirring evening of theatre. 

To paraphrase a line from Death of a Salesman, this production is qualified to be "well liked, not just liked." Don't miss this opportunity to see a well presented mounting of a Great American Play at the Classical Acting Company's new home. Death of a Salesman will run until September 24.  To purchase tickets, select the link to the Classical Acting Company's website at the top.

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