Willy Shines Again in Lyric Stage’s “Death Of A Salesman”
Quinn Banford ’15 / Emertainment Monthly Stage Editor
While the tragedy of Willy Loman, retold in Lyric Stage’s latest rendition of Death of a Salesman, might be perceived to those that know nothing of the new production as an outdated version of middle class reality, the Lyric’s creative take on the Arthur Miller classic keeps alive the show’s beating core. What does stay true throughout time is Miller’s aptitude to portray the act of falling from honesty. Willy loses and becomes tragic because he never faces his dishonest characteristics: cheating on his wife, glamourizing his eldest son’s talents, and holding his own pride above all. As he always does, but more acutely so in Lyric Stage’s production, Loman does not die the death of a salesman but the death of a fool.
Ditching the tradition of curtains, Death of a Salesman makes use of its lighting design to coordinate with powerful acting and a wall-less set. These three components combine to perform the Arthur Miller classic so realistic and intensely that the fifties appear to be a thing of yesterday, not the sixty years it has actually been. To connect such a length of time, from the back then to the present, is a positive attribute of this production, emphasizing the timelessness of the Loman narrative.
Working with such a knockout text allows the other parts of the theater to shine. When centered on a mumbling Willy Loman (Ken Baltin), the lighting loses its bluish hue, while an orange glow expands, a visual entrance into Loman’s mind. This technique helps to show reality changing, fully consuming the present with a vivid memory of the glorious past.
The costumes further the believability of Willy’s hallucinations, specifically Biff (Kelby T. Akin) and Happy’s (Joseph Marrella), which reflect their youth. Mrs. Loman (Paula Plum) is also seen in a different light. In the past the entire family is cheery, lively, and apparently happy. Seeing Willy as the only unchanging character in these sequences has a significant effect on how to perceive his character growth. Because his prideful attitude does not shift, it is clear that Willy is the only Loman who has not changed while Biff, Happy, and Mrs. Loman all have been affected.
The actors in Death of a Salesman did a phenomenal job in bringing these aspects together. Ken Baltin was phenomenal and played Willy Loman’s character as if he and Miller had deliberated the performance together. Finding it difficult to be for and against Willy, Baltin persuades the audience to feel pity for such a pathetic character. The continuing descent into the depths of Loman’s frail mind allowed for the full tragic effect to be felt by the audience. Baltin made Willy a relatable character. He can be a grandfather, a father, an uncle, a friend, or a man on the train.
Kelby T. Akin’s performance as Biff was successful at capturing the pain of childhood trauma, the acceptance of failure, and seeking a new lifestyle beyond the tragedy of his current one. At times, Akin’s emotional outbursts sent a common shudder through his audience members. He had the range necessary to carry the audience to laughter and tears – a great performance overall. And Paula Plum’s undertaking of Willy’s emotional and caring wife, Linda, was probably the biggest reason for the sniffling and tears among audience members. The house lights were too quick for the surrounding crowd, who needed a moment to grab a tissue from their pockets at the finale scene, and most of the credit should go directly to her.
The Lyric Stage left the Sunday matinee audience with a few more thoughts to carry home and a moving performance to remember.