REVIEW: “DEATH OF A SALESMAN” IS A DEEPLY TRAGIC BUT REWARDING THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE
An American classic has come to Dundas Little Theatre. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is one of the longest running plays in theatre history starting back in 1949. The play follows Willy Loman, an aging salesman whose grip on reality is slipping as he confronts his professional failures and family disappointments. The play explores themes of self-worth and how identity shapes and sometimes seeks to destroy us.
Director Matthew Willson has taken this classic and turned inward to focus on the mental health of the Loman family, but in particular Willy Loman, to heartbreaking effect. It is a gripping drama that holds its audience firm and forces them to look at the deterioration of a man’s mental state during a period where men were simply expected to “pull it together” and carry on.
Set in Brooklyn in the late 1940’s, Dundas Little Theatre’s set by John Bello is cleverly designed. A large black curtain shields us from entering the world of the Loman’s, but once the show begins, reveals a multi-storied home with a staircase I can only describe as an endurance trial for this cast. It’s realistically decorated and the staged areas allow for several flashback scenes to happen seamlessly. There’s a few sightline issues, but they don’t last long. The costumes by Elaine Sharp and Helena Adamczyk are period accurate and help to show when characters are playing a younger version of themselves in flashbacks. The lighting and sound design work well together from the melancholic jazz music of the time to the sad flute motif heralding a flashback and the almost poetic lighting choices near the end of the show.
Bruce Edwards portrays Willy Loman and his performance showcases a great range of mental erosion and bewilderment. He is a titan on stage with several long, emotionally complex monologues that are delivered with such care and precision that you believe the actor is gone and only Willy Loman remains. Every tear, each explosion of rage, every whimper of despair is authentic and deeply impactful. What gravitas. What a talent.
Christine Hopkins is magnificent as Linda Loman. She is a tired but loyal wife, attentive and aware. Her opening scene, reacting to Willy’s account of a near accident in his car, establishes her history of concern with her husband’s actions and his deteriorating mental state. She has several key scenes, unleashing her disgust and despair at her sons which reveal deeper facets of her mental state and the unwillingness to confront the harsh realities of her family. Like her husband, ultimately, she, too, only dreams of a burden free life that eludes her till the end.
The boys, Biff (Jeff Giles) and Happy Loman (Adam Lemieux) are equally strong and believable as brothers. Lemieux manages to convey the ways in which Happy is desperate to please and be acknowledged by both his parents effectively throughout (especially in flashbacks). Giles is superb as Biff as he struggles with the admiration and revulsion of his father, his own bright potential and embarrassing failures. There is an intense confrontation scene between Edwards and Giles near the play’s conclusion that brought tears to my eyes (and the sold out Sunday matinee audience could be heard sniffling too). Truly impassioned work here.
Erik Peters is charming but no nonsense as the Loman’s neighbour Charley and there is some incredible support from the likes of David Widder-Varhegyi as nerdy neighbour Bernard, John Wallace as ghostly and enticing Uncle Ben, and Rebecca Durance Hine as the giggling, tarty mistress. The entire cast is truly dedicated and has their moments to shine. They all lend their talents to this tragedy that unfolds and we, as an audience, are richer for it. Bravo.
Death of a Salesman remains a relevant piece of theatre 76 years after its first staging on Broadway. This production Salesman is not simply the story of a man crushed by the demands of his job. It’s about the dehumanizing horror living under capitalism and how so many dreams and aspirations end up crushing one’s soul. It also effectively shows the ways in which men’s mental health was ignored by society at the time and the repercussions of said ignorance. It is a deeply tragic but extremely rewarding theatrical experience. I highly recommend this powerful production from Dundas Little Theatre. Don’t miss it.
The cast of Dundas Little Theatre’s “Death of a Salesman:” Willy Loman - Bruce Edwards, Linda Loman - Christine Hopkins, Biff Loman - Jeff Giles, Happy Loman - Adam Lemieux, Bernard - David Widder- Varhegyi, The Woman - Rebecca Durance Hine, Charley - Erik Peters, Uncle Ben - John Wallace, Howard Wagner - Brian Melanson, Jenny - Liz Buchanan, Stanley - Josh Aubin, Miss Forsythe - Antoinette Laleon, Letta -Erin Lyon
Photography by: Keith Sharp
