San Jose Stage Company Presents DEATH OF A SALESMAN, Now thru 4/26

San Jose Stage Company presents the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning American classic, Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller.

Considered one of the greatest American plays ever written, this powerful and provocative drama is Miller's scathing indictment of the American Dream and will be directed by Kenneth Kelleher (who recently received Best Director for SJSC's production of The Threepenny Opera - Theatre Bay Area Awards 2014) and will feature San Jose Stage Artistic Director Randall King as Willy Loman. The long-time collaborators team up to present what the New York Times says is "now and forever a great play."

In Miller's early works, most notably All My Sons (1947) and Death of a Salesman (1949), Miller "condemned the American ideal of prosperity on the grounds that few can pursue it without making dangerous moral compromises." (http://www.levity.com/corduroy/millera.htm) Miller's critical examination of social and political issues continued in works such as The Crucible (1953), in which he likened the anti-communist House Un-American Activities Committee investigations to a literal witch hunt, and A View from the Bridge (1955), which dealt with immigration policies. In his works nearly a decade later, Incident at Vichy (1964) and The Price (1968), Miller commented on human responsibility and the cost of pursuing success.

"The pursuit and failure of the golden dream is in cahoots with the immigrant experience of America in the first half of the twentieth century," said Ken Kelleher, director of the production. Miller's story of Willy Loman, the everyman, melds the past and the present into a tale that examines time and the American meaning of life."

In Death of a Salesman, Willy and his family's delusions, failures, and shredded dignity speak to the hollowness of the American Dream and a culture that often measures one's merit through ambition, a prescribed notion of success, wealth, and status. Hailed as a watershed American drama, Willy's humiliating struggles are definitive of the every man: What does it mean to be relevant, successful, and to live a life that matters.

"Miller's prophetic masterpiece speaks to today's socio-political, economic and emotional upheavals for the individual and for our collective society - these are profound themes that have shaped our season," said Randall King, The Stage's Artistic Director. We are thrilled to present this iconic and universal work to our audiences."

CAST (by order of appearance):

Randall King* (Willy Loman): Randall is the Artistic Director and co-founder of San Jose Stage Company. Under his leadership, the Company has produced over one hundred-fifty stage plays and musicals and premiered forty-five new works, including thirteen world premieres. He was most recently seen at The Stage as Frank Hamer and Judge in Bonnie and Clyde, EKO in The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Mark Rothko in Red, Jack Lawson in Race (winner of the 2013 Standout Contemporary Production/SVTAwards), Dodge in Buried Child (winner of the 2012 Standout Drama Production/SVTAwards), Johnny Friendly in On The Waterfront, Milan and The Waiter in Rock N' Roll, Sharky in The Seafarer (named Top Ten in Theatre in 2009 by the Bay Area News Group), Ariel in The Pillowman (winner of the 2010 Standout Dramatic Production Award by the Wave Magazine and Artsopolis-sponsored SVT Awards), and Richard Roma in GlenGarry Glen Ross. Randall has directed many productions including The Stage's smash hits Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin and the World Premiere of Cumberland Blues. He has performed in leading roles at many theaters including San Jose Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Sacramento Theatre Company, and the Alaska Theatre Festival. Randall has been seen in films directed by Francis Ford Coppola (The Rainmaker), Lawrence Kasdan (Mumford), and Michael Bay (The Rock) and others, and has also appeared in numerous television productions.

Lucinda Hitchcock Cone* (Linda): Lucinda returns to San Jose Stage Company where she last appeared in Bonnie and Clyde and the San Francisco production of Cumberland Blues. She has appeared on many Bay Area stages including American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Rep, TheatreWorks, B Street Theatre, Aurora Theatre Company and Marin Theatre Company to name a few. She performed with the national tour of Big River and has received four Bay Area Critics Circle Awards, a Dramalogue Award, and a Dean Goodman Choice Award.

Jeffrey Brian Adams* (Happy): Jeffrey is making his San Jose Stage Company debut. Recent credits include Into the Woods (Prince) and Promises, Promises (Chuck) at San Francisco Playhouse. New York credits include Venus in Fur (Thomas), As You Like It (Orlando), Red Light Winter (Davis), Women and Wallace at Theatre Row and the New York Fringe Festival's premiere of Animals. A graduate of Santa Clara University, Jeffrey received his MFA in acting at The New School for Drama in New York City.

Danny Jones* (Biff): Danny is overjoyed to be making his San Jose Stage Company debut. Whether he is commercial fishing in Alaska or treading the boards of a stage, Danny is known for his earnest dedication to the task at hand. He co-founded The Night Shift Theatre Company in New York City, holds an MFA from the Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.

Joey Pisacane (Bernard): Joey is making his San Jose Stage Company debut. His recent credits include Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar (Children's Musical Theater San Jose) and Ernst in Spring Awakening (San Francisco State University). Recent film credits include Blackout (Stanford University) and Happenings of the 8th Day (Cinequest). He attended San Francisco State University before moving to Los Angeles to participate in NBC's "The Voice," and then to New York to pursue opportunities in acting, music, and fashion photography.

Adrienne Herro (The Woman): This is Adrienne's San Jose Stage Company debut. Her recent credits include: 42nd Street Moon (Carnival, Dubarry Was a Lady), Broadway by the Bay (Oliver, Anything Goes), Coastal Repertory Theater (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change), Hillbarn Theatre (Holes, City of Angels, Will Rogers Follies, Ragtime, Joseph ... Dreamcoat, Mame), and California's Great America Showtime Theater (On Broadway).

Michael Bellino (Charley): Michael was last seen at The Stage as Mac in On the Waterfront. His other San Jose Stage appearances include Blade to the Heat, Gibraltar, Devour the Show, Savage in Limbo and Angry Housewives. He has appeared on many Bay Area stages in long career, including The Eureka Theatre, Magic Theatre, The Oakland Ensemble Theatre, Chamber Theatre, Bindlestiff, and The Exit, to name a few. As an Associate Artist of 3 Girls Theatre Co. in San Francisco, Michael is active in developing and producing the work of local women playwrights.

Kevin Blackton* (Uncle Ben): Kevin returns to San Jose Stage Company, where, as an associate artist, his roles have included Freddie (It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Play), Kevin (Every Christmas Story Ever Told), Mr. Lockhart (The Seafarer), Norbert ( The Great American Trailer Park Musical) to name a few. Last summer, he made his San Francisco Opera debut with Show Boat. Other career highlights include The Preacher (Violet, for which he received the Bay Area Critics Circle Award), Mr. Gilmer (To Kill A Mockingbird), and Sid (Old Money) at TheatreWorks; Second Engineer (The Harry Ape) at Marin Theatre Company and many others.

Will Springhorn, Jr*. (Howard): Will is an Artistic Associate at San Jose Stage where his favorite roles include Kent in Reasons to be Pretty and Frederick Wentworth in the world premiere of Persuasion at The Stage and Will in Coronado at SF Playhouse, and Edmund in King Lear with San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. Other roles at The Stage include Noah in The Rainmaker, Ralph in Reefer Madness,Tiger Brown in The ThreePenny Opera and Buck in Bonnie and Clyde to name a few. Will has worked locally with TheatreWorks, SF Playhouse, 42nd Street Moon, Magic Theatre, Berkeley Rep and Theatre Rhino, and has appeared in numerous film festival films. www.willspringhornjr.com

Courtney Hatcher (Jenny/Letta): Courtney returns to San Jose Stage Company after last being seen as Trish in the regional premiere of Bonnie and Clyde. Other favorite roles include Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical (Palo Alto Players), Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray (Broadway By The Bay), Mary Lane in Reefer Madness The Musical (San Jose Stage Company), Brooke Ashton in Noises Off (Coastal Repertory Theatre), and Janet Van De Graaff in The Drowsy Chaperone (Hillbarn Theatre).

Brandon Leland (Stanley): Brandon previously appeared at San Jose Stage Company as Jimmy Curry in The Rainmaker, and Bob the Saw/Smith in The ThreePenny Opera. Other credits include Guys and Dolls with Broadway By the Bay, Hanschen in Foothill College's production of Spring Awakening, and Sgt. Brodie in The Real Thing at The Pear Avenue Theatre. Brandon is also a member of percussion movement group The Street Drum Corps, and regularly tours the country with his band "Till I Fall."

Ashley Garlick (Miss Forsythe): Ashley is back at San Jose Stage Company, where she was last seen as Eleanore in Bonnie and Clyde. A recent graduate of Chico State University with a BA in Theatre Arts and English Literature, some of her favorite productions have included Monty Python's Spamalot (Lady of the Lake), On the Verge (Fanny), and Doctor Faustus (Greed).

*Members of Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers.

Kenneth Kelleher (Director): Kenneth serves as resident director at San Jose Stage Company, where he has directed over twenty shows. Among his notable productions for The Stage include the award-winning production of The ThreePenny Opera (Theatre Bay Area Outstanding Production of a Musical and Outstanding Direction of a Musical), the World Premiere of Jane Austen's Persuasion and Red to name a few. He served as Resident Director of The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, and was Artistic Director of Pacific Repertory Theatre. He has directed for San Jose Repertory Theatre, TheatreWorks, California Shakespeare Theater and numerous other theaters.

Cliff Caruthers (Sound Designer): Cliff has created soundscapes and music for hundreds of plays across the country, including Venus in Fur, The Rainmaker, Buried Child, and On the Waterfront for San Jose Stage Company; Troilus and Cressida for Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Tragedy: A Tragedy for Berkeley Repertory Theatre; American Night for California Shakespeare Theatre; Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike for Alley Theatre, Pelleas and Melisande for The Cutting Ball Theater; Elektra and Dead Metaphor for American Conservatory Theatre and Happy Days for Guthrie Theater to name a few.

Tanya Finkelstein (Costume Designer): This is Tanya's debut with San Jose Stage Company. As both a lighting and costume designer, some of her credits include costumes for TheatreWorks' world premieres of The North Pool, Fly By Night, Wheelhouse, The Loudest Man on Earth; costumes for Palo Alto Players' Eurydice; lighting for Renegade Theatre Experiment's Bug, All This Intimacy, 9 Circles, Boom; costumes for Renegade's A Clockwork Orange, Right Place Right Time, Killer Joe, Imperial Fizz, Perishable: Keep Refrigerated, The Norwegians; and monster design for She Kills Monsters. Her work has also been seen at Dragon Productions, Em Space, Collective Theatre Productions and Magic Theater.

Giulio Perrone (Scenic Designer): Giulio returns to San Jose Stage Company, having previously designed the sets for A Weekend with Pablo Picasso (Sets and Costume Design), The Rainmaker, Bonnie and Clyde and The ThreePenny Opera to name a few. Giulio has designed for many companies including Opera San Jose, TheatreWorks, California Shakespeare Festival, Magic Theatre and San Diego Repertory Theatre, among others. He's also worked internationally and received a 2000 Pew National Artists Residency grant, a 2002 Pew-Theatre Communications Group grant and a Los Angeles DramaLogue award.

Maurice Vercoutere (Lighting Designer): Maurice returns to San Jose Stage Company, where he designed the lights for Venus in Fur, as well as the world premieres of Buffalo'ed, Lolita Roadtrip, and Tenders in the Fog, for which he received the Dean Goodman Award for Lighting. His other designs for The Stage include The ThreePenny Opera, Idols of the King, The Glass Menagerie, The Blood Knot, and How I Got That Story. He has designed for many theatres, including TheatreWorks, Marin Theatre Company, Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, Pacific Repertory Theatre, Theatre on the Square, and Magic Theatre, where he designed the world premiere of The House of Yes.

Pictured: Jeffrey Brian Adams* (Happy), Randall King* (Willy Loman), and Danny Jones* (Biff) star in Arthur Miller's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece Death of a Salesman.

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