Death of a Salesman

Joseph Ziegler in Death of a Salesman. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

A cozy family home is created on stage: the kitchen, complete with a refrigerator from the late 1940s and a cellar under the floor, is at the front, and a small flight of stairs leads to two small bedrooms overhead. The once-white front door is now covered in dirty streaks, a testament to the many years the family has lived in the house. This is the setting for one of the most important plays of the 20th century, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. Toronto audiences have an opportunity to catch Soulpepper’s remounted production, now on stage for a limited engagement at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts.

Clad in a three-piece brown suit and matching hat, salesman Willy Loman (played by Joseph Ziegler, who won a Dora Award for his performance in the 2010 production) is an outwardly confident, charismatic family man. When the audience meets Willy for the first time, it is late at night and as he comes through the worn-out front door, his wife Linda (Nancy Palk) rises from her bed to greet him. Although 60 years old, Willy is still traveling for work, which concerns his wife as his exhaustion and increasing mental degeneration nearly caused an accident driving home. Willy and Linda’s two sons, Biff (Ari Cohen) and Happy (Mike Ross) are both visiting, and Willy laments to Linda the fact that although Biff was a golden boy in his high school years with a promising athletic future, he is now 34 years old and has accomplished nothing. Biff and Happy, roused from their sleep in the next bedroom by their disappointed father’s voice, discuss his mental state, as well as how they could potentially go into business together.

Many of Death of a Salesman‘s scenes follow Willy’s thoughts as he drifts back to happier days. One memory in particular lightens the entire mood of the theatre as the audience watches a younger Biff, smiling ear to ear with a football in hand, listen attentively to Willy as he tells his boys how well-liked and successful they will be. Willy’s successful brother, Ben (William Webster), although clearly a hallucination, appears frequently with advice for Willy from his own life. Willy’s mind frequently drifts to a darker place, where he remembers an affair with a woman (Raquel Duffy), who appears laughing in Willy’s dresser mirror. It is clear that Willy’s mental state is rapidly declining, and in a moment of honesty between Linda, Happy, and Biff, it is revealed that his increasing failure as a salesman has led him to frequent suicide attempts.

Miller’s gripping, heartbreaking story is complemented by outstanding performances by a brilliant cast. Ziegler’s Willy Loman is commanding and self-assured, which makes the insecurities he confides to his wife even more distressing, and Palk plays Linda Loman to perfection, her fierce love and loyalty to her husband are a constant theme throughout the production. Cohen also stands out in his portrayal of Biff, playing the role with a raw emotion and intensity that brings the audience to tears on several occasions.

Soulpepper’s Death of a Salesman brings a treasured literary work to life until October 6th. Don’t miss your chance to see it this time around. Visit Soulpepper.ca for more information and to buy tickets.

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