A beautifully believable performance by George Wendt as Willy Loman brought profound depth and sincerity to Arthur Miller’s tragic drama, Death of a Salesman.
Inspired supporting roles drove the storyline home.
The result was a deeply moving production that gripped the audience from the moment the salesman walked on stage.
Many remember studying the play in high school, but were without the life experience to fathom a story about an ageing salesman who has reached the end of his rope and usefulness.
Tired of travel and playing the part, and bereft of the energy and appeal that he started with, Willy flounders while refusing to give up on the dream of making it big. Always the competitor awaiting shouts of victory that never come, he exasperates his family, friends and associates. He lapses into the memories that shaped him, with bewildered regret. Missed opportunities and infidelities are enacted to clarify.
Ultimately his illusory quest costs him dearly.
Wendt is remembered as “Norm” in the popular sitcom Cheers after almost 25 years off the air. His masterful performance in this production will now long be remembered.
It is apparent that he has a depth of knowledge to draw from on this character. Every move he makes is believable, seemingly unrehearsed and new. He listens, speaks and reacts with total spontaneity, eyes flashing and expression conveying Willy’s innocent vulnerability.
The character that is Willy Loman – and those like him – is defined and understood through George Wendt’s perceptive portrayal.
Wendt is a veteran of a multitude of theatrical productions, such as Broadway’s Hairspray, West End London’s Twelve Angry Men, TV roles on The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live, and films such as Outside Providence. Predecessors in the role of Willy Loman on Broadway include Dustin Hoffman, George C. Scott and Brian Dennehy.
Skye Brandon, as Willy’s son Biff, a debunker of false hopes, is remarkable in his performance. Frustration and compassion collide in this gentle soul to a deeply moving crisis point that resonates throughout the audience. This was Brandon’s first time on a Drayton Entertainment stage, though his experience is extensive.
Martha Irving, as Willy’s supportive wife Linda, is heroic in her role as the compassionate wife who bears the brunt of it all for her family. She delivers with passion lines such as “he’s only a little boat looking for a harbour.”
Jeffrey Wetsch is Happy Loman, the superficial Sports hero that his father had pinned so many hopes on. There will be no catharsis for Happy Loman and the part is adeptly played as such.
Flute calls signal the appearance of Willy’s enacted memories, handled seamlessly at stage front.
Thom Marriott, commanding as Willy’s brother Ben, appears repeatedly in his safari attire, boasting, “I went into the jungle at 17 and came out at 21 a very rich man.” Willy’s barefaced admiration for him eventually makes the audience resent Ben’s grand, fruitless entrances.
Jackie Mustakas’ appearances as the mysterious woman, however brief, allow her to skillfully convey a composite, sympathetic character despite her compromising role.
Also offering enjoyable performances were Thomas Duplessie, as Stanley the waiter, with his great manner and Brooklyn accent, and Kevin Kruchkywich, as Willy’s new whipper snapper boss, with his palpable agitation and arrogance.
The play was directed by Marti Maraden, whose wealth of experience and talent is evident. Among a few of her credits outside many for Drayton Entertainment include 18 seasons as an actor and director at the Stratford Festival.
Death of a Salesman premiered on Broadway in 1949, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. Arthur Miller said everything he had written was based on somebody he had seen or known. In his autobiography Timebends: A Life, Miller relates that he based Willy Loman largely on his uncle, Manny Newman. He writes of a chance meeting with him in downtown Boston: “I could see his grim hotel room behind him, the long trip up from New York in his little car, the hopeless hope of the day’s business…”
Allan Wilbee designed a set that works well, allowing a view from every angle of a cross section of a Brooklyn home with its 1940s refrigerator. Further action quietly comes and goes as required at the forefront of the set, with chairs, desks and tables assuming many roles.
Other than the refrigerator, as well as talk of the “damn Studebaker” and $38 weekly salaries, Death of a Salesman is classic that’s as relevant as ever in today’s dog-eat-dog world. The Willy Lomans of the world are still struggling as new age youth and technology move in.
Quick glances around the audience revealed completely mesmerized expressions throughout the performance. With little or no comic relief, Death of a Salesman is a profoundly sad commentary on humanity and Miller offers no solutions. Yet the audience left the theatre knowing they had seen something powerful and timeless.
Death of a Salesman runs until Nov. 4. Tickets are selling out fast. Purchase online at www.draytonentertainment.com, in person at the box office, or by calling 519-747-7788 or toll free 1-855-DRAYTON (372-9866).
