Most people (and
most scholars) view Willy Loman as a tragic hero, the “low man on the totem
pole,” devoting (and sacrificing) his life to capitalism, only to be crushed by
the system, not unlike today’s auto workers whose jobs have disappeared due to
outsourcing. Spiro Veloudos’ production of Arthur Miller’s DEATH OF A SALESMAN
(playing @ Lyric Stage through March 15th) looks a lot deeper into
Willy’s character.
That dream Willy is chasing is flawed from the
get-go. You can’t just “walk into the jungle” as he imagines his brother Ben
did, and emerge in three years with diamonds. And you can’t succeed with just a
shoeshine and a smile. Veloudos and Ken Baltin have uncovered a stubborn,
belligerent man who is quick to fly off the handle, quick to blame everyone but
himself. Baltin’s Willy condones (and encourages) his sons to steal lumber from
a construction site. Is it any surprise that they cheat and philander when his
fatherly advice is to glad hand your way through life?
While Willy is
bent on pursuing “The American Dream,” his family is falling apart. His absence
as a husband and father is keenly obvious in Veloudos’ production. Baltin
doesn’t romanticize Willy one whit. With his Willy we’re “paying attention” to his
every unkind word, his every lumbering movement. I was surprised that Baltin
managed to elicit my sympathy (for a moment) when he foolishly, selfishly turns
down a generous offer of work.
Paula Plum plays
his wife as a sweet, reticent soul who keeps trying to comfort her unhappy,
non-responsive husband---and we can see the fear on Plum’s
face when she isn’t able to prevent an outburst or a fight between Willy and
his older son, Biff. Kelby T. Aken gives a powerful performance as the second
generation failure in the making. His breakdown makes the tragedy in SALESMAN
resonate, even more (for me) than Willy’s death.
Joseph Marrella
is the younger brother who has learned from his father to exaggerate his
importance, lie about his job and gad about, picking up women. Lovely comic
relief comes in the character of Bernard, the studious kid they all ridicule. He’s
the one who’ll go places, of course, and he won’t be selling anything. Victor
L. Shopov is delightful as the bespectacled boy who morphs into a confidant,
successful adult. Larry Coen plays his father, getting laughs in the first act
and a strong scene in the second, when he tries to help the family.
Miller’s largest
character in the play is the symbolic Ben, the figment/memory fragment of
Willy’s imagination, the heroic “American” ideal of the adventurer/explorer who
triumphantly returns with the spoils. Will McGarrahan strides onto the set
looking cinematic and bigger than life, like Robert Mitchum ready to conquer
the world. It’s a skillful effort from McGarrahan—which gave me chills at the end, when he urges Willy toward the
death in the title of the play.