PLAY CRITIQUE

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Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is a tragedy in that the audience witnesses

the protagonist, Willy Loman, regress from a confident and energetic father to a spiteful

and rather hopeless shell of a human being. This eventually culminates in Loman taking

his own life in a misguided effort to prove his worth to his family and “friends”. This act of

self-sacrifice in the name of dignity actually fits the very definition of tragedy Arthur

Miller himself put forth.

To me, the theme of the play is centered around the question of self-identity,

specifically the denial of it. Willy Loman is constantly seen insulting other professions,

such as farmers, while always praising his work as a salesman. Ironically, Willy actually

enjoys activities such as gardening and home renovations significantly more than his

career. Willy’s confusion regarding his own passions arguably contributes to his

downfall. Of course, the character of Biff is also tethered to the notion of self-identity, as

he longs to stray from his father’s suffocating career choice and forge his own unique

path.

I appreciated how the multi-level set of the Loman residence flawlessly

functioned as a realistic plane of interactions between the characters.

Additionally, the use of warm-colored lighting during hallucination/flashback

scenes reinforces how picturesque Willy Loman’s life used to be and therefore,

reemphasizes just how far he’s fallen.

As a 1950’s period-piece, the costumes and hair are very reminiscent of the mid-20th

century; I found it interesting that the character’s costumes had little color to them with the

exception of flashback/hallucination scenes.

In regards to makeup, I personally felt the pale and withered look of Willy and

Linda Loman especially helped add a prominent sense of despondence to their characters.

While there weren’t many people on the stage at a single time, the movements taken

by various actors made for a very realistic and more importantly, natural performance. Scenes

in the Loman household were choreographed so well, it seemed as if I was actually watching

the interactions of a normal suburban family.

The directing was very effective, and essentially gave the play a sense of flow and

rhythm.

There were very few scene transitions. As such, the scenes truly seemed like one long and

therefore realistic interaction between family members and/or acquaintances. Lee J. Cobb’s

performance as Willy Loman just emanated the desperation and hopelessness, which is perfect

considering the struggles and hardships the character has to constantly face.

Overall, the play itself was intricate, insightful, and moving. Every character seemed

to have their own unique personalities and more importantly, their own personal struggles.

Every point of conflict presented on stage just seemed real, and the interactions between

characters always added more to the overarching plot.