After 30 years, ‘Death of a Salesman’ returns to PlayMakers

The PlayMakers Repertory Company brought back the acclaimed and riveting Broadway play, “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller, which is set to run from Jan. 29 to Feb. 16. 

This year ends a 30-year streak since Chapel Hill last witnessed this classic, and PlayMakers, along with Director Michael Wilson, was sure to put their mark on it. Everything in the show was intentional, from the lighting and the set to the subtle inflections in the actors’ voices. 

“Death of a Salesman” is as relevant and relatable now as it was when it first premiered on Broadway in 1949. Labeled as “Certain Private Conversations in Two Acts and a Requiem,” at the show's core, Willy Loman, the titular salesman, is a 63-year-old attempting to filter through reality as his mind slowly deteriorates. 

Willy has flashbacks of his life as he regrets and questions why his elder son Biff didn’t meet the expectations that Willy had hoped he would. Biff, on the other hand, becomes more self-aware, taking himself away from delusions of grandeur in a way his younger brother, mother and father have not. 

“This show has so much resonance with me, being a person going into theater, because I resonate so much with Biff because everybody's trying to find themselves and figure out where they're fitting in in the world,” Jayden Peszko, a sophomore majoring in dramatic arts, who played Howard as the understudy Friday and Wednesday night, said.

This season at PlayMakers, the vision is about addressing American history and the idea of the American Dream, said Assistant Director Kira Cornell, a senior majoring in dramatic art and history.

“Which I think, topically, is a really important conversation for us as a society, and especially as the Chapel Hill community, to deal with just because of the huge change that our country is experiencing right now and our world is experiencing, and theater is such a vessel for change and the show especially was a vessel for emotional catharsis,” Cornell said.

For Peszko, being a part of this production was a dream. Loman, played by Jeffery Cornell, and Biff, played by Allen Tedder, are both UNC graduates. Peszko sees being on the set as a young member of the cast and having the opportunity to work with Wilson, who has worked on Broadway, as two accomplishments. 

Wilson, the lighting technician and crew worked together to create a deliberate set. The props and set were muted in color or just black, and the lights fluctuated hues from warm yellow to a cool-toned blue.

With an almost three-hour runtime, each scene was curated to maximize the viewing experience. The scenes in the hotel contained warmer colors, while in the Loman home, the projected image, lighting and set were purposely black and grey. This was all to compliment the darker themes in the play and it was not lost on the audience. 

“When I first walked in, I hadn't seen this set until today, and I was like, ‘Wow, this seems really complex,’” said Emersen Fitch, a senior who attended the show. “And I love how they used every single element of it.”

The director also tweaked some scenes from the original play to create a new understanding. While conceptualizing this play, Wilson questioned “what if?” to test the boundaries and leave his artistic touch. 

One of those scenes was a memory when Ben, Willy's older brother, came to his house in Brooklyn. In this scene, Wilson wanted to have Ben glance at Linda, Willy's wife, to make  a simple look denote something “romantic.”

The performances of the actors themselves combined with the themes of the story were raw and emotional. The final bow at the end of the show was accompanied by a standing ovation.

“It was spectacular,” Fitch said. “I mean, I left crying. I knew it was gonna be somewhat darker material but just the entire show is extremely clever.”

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