Classic Drama 'Death of a Salesman' at SVP

When Arthur Miller’s second play, Death of a Salesman, opened on Broadway in 1949 it caused a sensation as a daring and searing look at an average man chasing the American Dream. Seventy years later, Miller’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning masterwork is still relevant according to director Diane L. Parker.

“Whether it’s 1949 or 2019, many people struggle in pursuit of happiness, success, and acceptance. How we choose to handle challenges and obstacles has an impact – either positive or negative – on the people closest to us.”

Death of a Salesman, considered by many critics as the greatest American play, has been performed the world over, resonating in multiple languages and cultures. Opening later this month is a highly anticipated production in London featuring an African American cast headed by noted actor Wendell Pierce. Somerset Valley Players’ production also features African American actors in the leading roles.

“I wanted to direct the show because it is relatable to any racial/ethnic group,” explains Parker. “The themes are universal, and I wanted the challenge of directing the show incorporating diversity.”

“The challenges and obstacles African Americans faced during the late 1940s bring a different perspective to the play and heighten the sense of failure for Willy Loman,” Parker continues. “Without changing a word of the text, there are subtle indications of the race being a concern in various scenes. I believe it makes the play even more intriguing.”

The role of ne’er-do-well salesman Willy Loman has been career defining for many noted actors, including Lee J. Cobb, George C. Scott and Dustin Hoffman. Finding the right Willy Loman for this production had Parker looking for “an actor with emotional range, flexibility and a willingness to explore.” She found those qualities in New Jersey actor and playwright Di Shawn J. Gandy.

Parker believes that her experience as a woman of color impacts how she has directed the play. “I’ve been raised, mentored, and surrounded by strong black women,” she recounts. “They knew how to be loving and nurturing and to stand tall when focused with discrimination, heartache, and pain. That is what I bring to Death of a Salesman – the strength, dignity, and loving phenomenon of an African American woman.”

Produced by Emily M. Windus and stage managed by Harriet Trainor, Death of a Salesman runs October 18 through November 3 at the Somerset Valley Players theater on 689 Amwell Road (Route 514) in Hillsborough. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 8 p.m. Sunday matinees start at 2 p.m. The theater is air conditioned, barrier free and wheelchair accessible.

For tickets and show times go to www.svptheatre.org.