Snow.
Rain.
Slush.
That's what I had to deal with to fulfill my resolution to go see Death of a Salesman at DeSales University last week. So I was surprised to see that the majority of the audience was probably old enough to remember when the Arthur Miller play debuted back in 1949. My grandparents won't drive if it's dark outside, let alone in a wintry mess!
Anyway, I enjoyed the performance (which was actually better than the book) but senior theatre-English-education major Victoria Rose Bonito stole the show as Linda Loman. I truly believed she thought the world of her husband, despite his inability to live the American dream. I truly believed her desperation as she tried to explain to her sons how much their father needed them. And although she's probably not a day over 25, I truly believed she was a 60-year-old woman who tried to see the positive in her gloomy world.
Not to say that Wayne S. Turney, associate professor of performing arts at DeSales, wasn't good in the role of Willy Loman - the man has been performing for well over 20 years. It takes talent to have a passionate conversation with a figment of your aging imagination, which Wayne did beautifully as Willy. The emotions he conveyed on stage ran the gamut - humor, pride, passion, sadness, confusion - and I think ol' Arthur would've been pleased with Wayne's performance.
I didn't care for the bad New York accents or the blatantly fake cigarette smoking during the performance. If you can't do something right, don't do it at all, I say. (Plus, the "older" audience members started to hack and cough like you wouldn't believe as the smoke drifted through the theater.)
Death of a Salesman runs through March 1 at Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, so if you plan to go, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the performance.
Jenny,
I saw the play this past Saturday and I too loved it. I was in tears as Willy loses his job. It could have been set on 2010.
I agree with you about the smoking. There's no point and it made so many people cough that I missed a couple lines of dialogue. My only complaint was that there wasn't a DeSales Student ticket price~but that's just me.
Posted by: Megan | February 24, 2009 at 09:41 AM
Good insight, Megan. It truly is amazing how a play from the 40s can still apply today.
Posted by: Jenny | February 24, 2009 at 11:20 AM