Arthur Miller's The Death Of A Salesman - Essay Example

Although these created effects that are disturbing, the whole production does not border on being maudlin. The combinations of these impressions were effectively utilized in the play in order to reveal the ideas of self-deception and illusion. The play tells of Willy who dwells in the past to escape the financial dilemma he faces. Willy has an erroneous and rather odd notion of success, which for him requires only wealth and popularity. Linda, Willy Loman's wife, tries to persuade herself that her spouse is psychologically fit.

Willy's predicament affects his two sons as a result - Happy who desires to linger in the fantasy world constructed by Willy - and Biff who eventually craves to detach himself from this delusion and accept the reality of Willy's problems which include his affair, his deteriorating career, and the family's dreadful pecuniary condition. Willy's predicament is delineated in this powerful presentation produce by Miss O Productions. Eddie Jones as Willy leads the many compelling performances. Jones has certainly gone beyond the taxing requirements of this immense character.

As Willy, Jones is especially engaging which made his portrayal uniquely convincing. Although Jones exuded a very highbrow version of the role, this cerebral representation of Willy did not impede him from identifying effectively with Loman's persona. Jones was indeed Willy personified. Ivan Baccarat and Aaron McPherson take the roles of Biff and Happy, Willy's imprudent and miserable sons. Both are brilliant actors whose brotherly interaction easily convinces the audience. The strong and determined character of Linda is played by Anne Gee Byrd who sometimes exhibited vulnerability.

This frailty becomes Ms Byrds strength, in fact, as the audience failed to fit her in any kind of stereotypical behavior. Linda was responsible for keeping Willy from pursuing his dream in Alaska, and Ms Byrd conveyed an intermittent intimation of dissatisfaction, which resulted to Willy's disparaging outbursts toward her more comprehensible. Jeremy Shouldis and Bob Machray are flawless in the roles as Bernard and Uncle Ben, and Alan Charof is a standout performance for the role of Willy's friend Charley.

As Arthur Miller transformed the manner which contemporary plays were constructed - involving exquisite scenes and shifts in time - as when Willy's past intermingle with the present in almost harmonious beauty, this innovation cannot be emulated easily in its most fluid form. However, the set for this production fit the play superbly; the set designers constructed space as translucent as the play's fluidity of time. The set design was soundly and imaginatively planned but sometimes generates an effect of opacity.

The walls and curtains bestow an unyielding firmness which contrasts with the trancelike configuration of the play. The production is replete with magical scenes emphasized by the flicker of the lights. In the opening scene, Biff talks about his dreams of owning a ranch while Linda tells her boys about her husband's great value. Ben then enters, amidst the playful glimmer of the light - its shades emphasizing this notable entrance. But there are also instances where prompts plunge, lines don't come easy, staging is dreary, fluidity is irregular and actors lose balance on the stage amidst the