[NEohioPAL]"Powerful" review of Death of a Salesman at Actors' Summit

[Thackaberr at aol.com]

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Miller's `Death'  still shows life 
Powerful  performances propel Actors' Summit  production 
Kerry  Clawson 
Beacon  Journal 
Director Alex Cikra and his players create a  world of beautiful desperation 
in Actors' Summit's production of Arthur Miller's  Death of a Salesman.  
That tone begins with the dim lighting in  this modern tragedy's first scene, 
from the moment title character Willy Loman  walks on stage with his slumped 
head and ragged  voice. 
Neil Thackaberry gives an unforgettable  performance as washed-up salesman 
Willy. It's striking how he transforms his  brightly booming, radio-quality 
voice -- dulling it and blunting his  pronunciations to portray this despairing, 
ordinary  guy. 
In this story, set in the late 1940s in  Brooklyn, Willy Loman tries to make 
sense of why he has failed as a salesman. As  he loses his grip on reality, he 
drifts into scenes from his past, revealing how  he has falsely relied on 
being well-liked as a means to  success. 
This story has plentiful irony as Willy  slips between illusion and reality: 
He places his faltering hopes for the  American Dream in his good-for-nothing 
sons, whom he has taught that lying,  stealing and cheating will get them 
ahead. 
It's a credit to Cikra that every nuance of  his actors' performances serves 
to help the audience clearly see Willy's folly,  yet we empathize with this 
deeply flawed character as his wasted life spirals  downward. 
The Pulitzer Prize-winning Death of a  Salesman was Miller's third play, 
premiering on Broadway in 1949. It's had  four revivals, the most recent in 1999, 
which garnered Tonys for stars Brian  Dennehy and Akron native Elizabeth 
Franz. 
The Actors' Summit production is a big treat  with a cast that includes 
several of Northeast Ohio's finest actors. Son Biff,  portrayed by the excellent 
Nick Koesters, is the only character who grows and  changes in this story. He 
shines in his character's final confrontation with  Willy. 
The rest of the Loman family is hopelessly  stuck, although mother Linda has 
a tragic nobility that actress Paula Duesing  achingly brings to life. Her 
Linda is old and downtrodden, yet fiercely  protective of her husband. 
John Galbraith also is believable as the  immoral Happy, who has inherited 
his father's illusions of grandeur and false  notions of success. Deb Holthus 
does a brief but nice turn as a woman with whom  Willy has an affair. 
Rounding out the cast is the versatile Marc  Moritz, who convincingly takes 
on five roles: young Bernard; his father,  Charley; Willy's brother, Ben; and 
Willy's boss, Stanley. Within seconds, Moritz  takes on entirely different 
personas with just the change of a hat or an altered  accent. 
Actors' Summit has cut two very small female  parts from the play, but no 
meaning is sacrificed in the restaurant scene where  Miller originally placed 
them to tempt Biff and  Happy. 
Set designer MaryJo Alexander has created a  representational, no-frills 
Loman household that differs dramatically from  Miller's detailed stage 
directions. The focus is the kitchen, with a small bed  at stage right and some very 
simple boys' bunks on a riser  above. 
At Actors' Summit, you don't see rooftops  crammed around the Loman 
household, as Miller called for. This sparse set allows  us to focus largely on 
character, and we can amply imagine how Willy feels  closed in by his little life. 
Miller holds a timeless mirror up to  American society in this tragedy of the 
corruption of the common  man. 
It's one thing to lose the American dream:  Playwright Miller saw his own 
father struggle with losing a business during the  Great Depression. 
But the ultimate tragedy may be the  inability to admit to yourself that you 
never had it to begin  with. 
  
____________________________________

Mad Shopper Kerry  Clawson writes occasional theater reviews. She may be 
reached at 330-996-3527 or  by e-mail at _kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com_ 
(mailto:kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com) . See her theater blog at  
_http://kerryclawson.wordpress.com_ (http://kerryclawson.wordpress.com/) .  
If you would prefer to not receive  additional emails from Actors' Summit, 
please respond to this email with  Unsubscribe in the subject line. 
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<DIV>
<P class=3DHeading11 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><STRONG>Miller's `=
Death'=20
still shows life<o:p></o:p></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DHeading21 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><STRONG><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Powerful=20
performances propel Actors' Summit=20
production<o:p></o:p></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DHeading51 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Kerry=20
Clawson<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DHeading61 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Beacon=20
Journal<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Director Alex Cikra and his players=20=
create a=20
world of beautiful desperation in Actors' Summit's production of Arthur Mill=
er's=20
<I>Death of a Salesman. </I><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">That tone begins with the dim lighti=
ng in=20
this modern tragedy's first scene, from the moment title character Willy Lom=
an=20
walks on stage with his slumped head and ragged=20
voice.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Neil Thackaberry gives an unforgetta=
ble=20
performance as washed-up salesman Willy. It's striking how he transforms his=
=20
brightly booming, radio-quality voice -- dulling it and blunting his=20
pronunciations to portray this despairing, ordinary=20
guy.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">In this story, set in the late 1940s=
 in=20
Brooklyn, Willy Loman tries to make sense of why he has failed as a salesman=
. As=20
he loses his grip on reality, he drifts into scenes from his past, revealing=
 how=20
he has falsely relied on being well-liked as a means to=20
success.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">This story has plentiful irony as Wi=
lly=20
slips between illusion and reality: He places his faltering hopes for the=20
American Dream in his good-for-nothing sons, whom he has taught that lying,=20
stealing and cheating will get them ahead.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">It's a credit to Cikra that every nu=
ance of=20
his actors' performances serves to help the audience clearly see Willy's fol=
ly,=20
yet we empathize with this deeply flawed character as his wasted life spiral=
s=20
downward.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">The Pulitzer Prize-winning <I>Death=20=
of a=20
Salesman</I> was Miller's third play, premiering on Broadway in 1949. It's h=
ad=20
four revivals, the most recent in 1999, which garnered Tonys for stars Brian=
=20
Dennehy and Akron native Elizabeth Franz.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">The Actors' Summit production is a b=
ig treat=20
with a cast that includes several of Northeast Ohio's finest actors. Son Bif=
f,=20
portrayed by the excellent Nick Koesters, is the only character who grows an=
d=20
changes in this story. He shines in his character's final confrontation with=
=20
Willy.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">The rest of the Loman family is hope=
lessly=20
stuck, although mother Linda has a tragic nobility that actress Paula Duesin=
g=20
achingly brings to life. Her Linda is old and downtrodden, yet fiercely=20
protective of her husband.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">John Galbraith also is believable as=
 the=20
immoral Happy, who has inherited his father's illusions of grandeur and fals=
e=20
notions of success. Deb Holthus does a brief but nice turn as a woman with w=
hom=20
Willy has an affair.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Rounding out the cast is the versati=
le Marc=20
Moritz, who convincingly takes on five roles: young Bernard; his father,=20
Charley; Willy's brother, Ben; and Willy's boss, Stanley. Within seconds, Mo=
ritz=20
takes on entirely different personas with just the change of a hat or an alt=
ered=20
accent.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Actors' Summit has cut two very smal=
l female=20
parts from the play, but no meaning is sacrificed in the restaurant scene wh=
ere=20
Miller originally placed them to tempt Biff and=20
Happy.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Set designer MaryJo Alexander has cr=
eated a=20
representational, no-frills Loman household that differs dramatically from=20
Miller's detailed stage directions. The focus is the kitchen, with a small b=
ed=20
at stage right and some very simple boys' bunks on a riser=20
above.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">At Actors' Summit, you don't see roo=
ftops=20
crammed around the Loman household, as Miller called for. This sparse set al=
lows=20
us to focus largely on character, and we can amply imagine how Willy feels=20
closed in by his little life.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">Miller holds a timeless mirror up to=
=20
American society in this tragedy of the corruption of the common=20
man.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">It's one thing to lose the American=20=
dream:=20
Playwright Miller saw his own father struggle with losing a business during=20=
the=20
Great Depression.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DNormalWeb1 style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: auto 225pt auto 0i=
n"><FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">But the ultimate tragedy may be the=20
inability to admit to yourself that you never had it to begin=20
with.<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<DIV class=3DMsoNormal=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 225pt 0pt 0in; TEXT-ALIGN: center"=20
align=3Dcenter><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>
<HR align=3Dcenter width=3D"100%" color=3D#cccccc noShade SIZE=3D1>
</FONT></DIV>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 225pt 0pt 0in">=
<FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><SPAN class=3Dtagline><I>Mad Shopper=
 Kerry=20
Clawson writes occasional theater reviews. She may be reached at=20
</I></SPAN><st1:phone o_x003a_ls=3D"trans" phonenumber=3D"$6996$$$"><SPAN=20
class=3Dtagline><I>330-996-3527</I></SPAN></st1:phone><SPAN class=3Dtagline>=
<I> or=20
by e-mail at <A href=3D"mailto:kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com"><FONT=20
color=3D#000099>kclawson at thebeaconjournal.com</FONT></A>. See her theater bl=
og at=20
<A href=3D"http://kerryclawson.wordpress.com/"><FONT=20
color=3D#000099>http://kerryclawson.wordpress.com</FONT></A>.</I></SPAN>=20
</FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 225pt 0pt 0in">=
<FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman"><EM></EM></FONT></FONT> </P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 225pt 0pt 0in">=
<FONT=20
size=3D3><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman">If you would prefer to not receive=20
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Unsubscribe in the subject line.</FONT></FONT></P>
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