[NEohioPAL] Avery Brooks Stars in Oberlin's DEATH OF A SALESMAN This Fall

[Charlotte Landrum]

NEohioPAL-ers, help us spread the word about this exciting production of
"Death of a Salesman" at Oberlin this fall!



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
*
AVERY BROOKS STARS IN OBERLIN COLLEGE'S RADICAL NEW INTERPRETATION OF DEATH
OF A SALESMAN, SEPTEMBER 18-21, 2008*

*Set in 1950s Brooklyn, director Justin Emeka's production uses
nontraditional casting to infuse Arthur Miller's classic American play with
diverse cultural perspectives
*
OBERLIN, OHIO (August 14, 2008) — Avery Brooks, the distinguished stage,
film and television actor known for his celebrated performances in roles
from the classics to science fiction, will portray one of the American
theater's most tragic figures, Willy Loman, in a radical new interpretation
of Arthur Miller's modern classic, *Death of a Salesman*, presented by
Oberlin College at Hall Auditorium in Oberlin, Ohio from *September 18 to
21, 2008*.

Directed by Justin Emeka, an assistant professor of theater and
African-American studies at Oberlin, this *Death of a Salesman* — performed
with a mixed-race cast — intends to bring new light to Miller's powerful
portrait of how the American dream turns into a nightmare for one man and
his family.

Oberlin's* Death of a Salesman* will step beyond the margins of
standard-issue color-blind casting, boldly embracing nontraditional casting
that incorporates the race and ethnicity of the actor into the role he or
she is playing. All members of the Loman family are African-American; the
woman with whom Willy has an affair is white; and the characters of Charlie
and Bernard are depicted as Jewish immigrants who fled Eastern Europe during
the rise of the Third Reich.

Mr. Emeka — who has set *Salesman* against the backdrop of a black family's
struggles in a multicultural, multiethnic Brooklyn, New York during the 40's
and 50's — states, "If the American theater seeks to be more inclusive and
representative of our country's diverse population, we must learn to explore
the classics of American theater through diverse cultural perspectives."

Mr. Emeka considers his interpretation of *Salesman* to be the evolution of
the argument presented by the late August Wilson in his memorable 1996
address to the Theatre Communications Group National Conference, "The Ground
on Which I Stand," in which he opposed the practice of casting black actors
in plays written for white actors and having them, "play white," casting
them "in the role of mimics." The production also gained inspiration from
Calvin Hernton (1932-2001), a scholar, critic, poet, and member of the
Oberlin African American studies faculty for 27 years, who mentored both
Brooks and Emeka during their student days.

Joining Mr. Brooks in *Death of a Salesman* will be a cast comprised of
professional actors and Oberlin college students.  Veteran New York actress
Petronia Paley plays Linda Loman; Los Angeles-based Mark Jablon of
*ER*portrays Charlie; Justin Emeka plays Biff; and Oberlin student
Raphael
Sacks, fresh from his London debut in the English National Opera's *Lost
Highway*, is Howard.  Jazz musician Ralph Jones, a former student of Oberlin
Conservatory professor Marcus Belgrave and the new faculty-in-residence at
Oberlin's Afrikan Heritage House, will perform incidental music on stage
during the play.

In the days surrounding the production run, cast and collaborators have
scheduled special opportunities to discuss with the public their
groundbreaking approach and its place in contemporary theater. On *Saturday,
September 20, at 4 p.m.*, director Justin Emeka will be joined by *Arthur
Miller scholar Enoch Brater *and other cast members for *"Arthur Miller's
Cross-Cultural Exchanges,"* a discussion of diverse cultural perspectives in
Miller's plays. Emeka also plans to schedule a discussion of nontraditional
casting at Cleveland's historic Karamu House.

*Public performances of Death of a Salesman are September 18, 19, and 20 at
8 p.m. and September 21 at 2 p.m at Hall Auditorium, located at 67 North
Main Street in Oberlin, Ohio.  *Tickets are $12 for the general public, $8
for seniors ages 55 and older, and $5 for students, and can be reserved by
calling Oberlin's Central Ticket Service at 440-775-8169 or 800-371-0178, or
by visiting the box office in the lobby of Hall Auditorium. Box office hours
are noon-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.  Ticket order forms can also be downloaded
at www.oberlin.edu/salesman.

In addition, the cast of *Salesman* will perform a *special matinee for area
schoolchildren on Thursday, September 18, at 11:00 a.m. *Schools and
teachers interested in learning more should contact Alexander Birnie at
440-775-8171 or Alexander.Birnie at oberlin.edu by August 29th. A limited
number of tickets are available.

Starring:
Avery Brooks '70, Willie Loman *
Petronia Paley, Linda Loman
Justin Emeka '94, Biff Loman *
Darryle Johnson '07, Happy Loman *
Marc Jablon, Charlie
Josh Sobel '09, Bernard *
Abdullah Bey, Ben
Raphael Sacks '09, Howard *

Justin Emeka, director

* Denotes Oberlin students and alumni

###


-- 
Charlotte Landrum
Associate Director of Conservatory Media Relations
Oberlin Conservatory of Music
39 West College Street
Oberlin, OH 44074
www.oberlin.edu/con
Voice: 440.775.5474
Fax: 440.775.5457
charlotte.landrum at oberlin.edu
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