Review: Soulpepper's 'Death of a Salesman'

Nabil Shenouda
Contributor
I don’t have much experience with plays, but Soulpepper’s current production of Arthur Miller’s classic Death of a Salesman resonated with me in both its story and performance, especially as someone who has toiled in real estate sales myself.
Soulpepper’s small venue and simple set and costumes make it clear the company doesn’t have the same budget as other big names in theatre. But what their production lacks in special effects and intricate set design, it makes up for in content, creativity and chemistry.
For those who, like me, are unfamiliar with Arthur Miller’s classic, the play is about an overworked salesman, Willy Loman, who places too much pressure on himself and his children to achieve great things. His problem is that the great things are always measured monetarily, and achieving them always rests on a hope and a prayer. In the end, he commits suicide in the faith that his son, who, ironically, realizes what is truly valuable, will do something great with the insurance money.
Soulpepper’s production featured a huge range of interactions between the play’s characters, especially Biff and Willy Loman. Through flashbacks and fast-forwards, we see these two characters in loving embraces, at each others’ throats, and crying in each others’ arms, all within minutes. These transitions were seamless and easy to follow, and the relationship between characters in each scene was as believable as in the next. Soulpepper’s being a family business probably lends itself to that level of chemistry.
Even though it was written over 60 years ago, today’s evolving professional world is the perfect context for Death of a Salesman. Its themes reflects the increasing need for workers to “sell themselves” to employers and the individual and familial pressure that ensues. Death of a Salesman explores this pressure through the salesman, but we can all say we have experienced something similar, either through work, school or a combination of both.
The play also critiques the ambitions of parents who place too much pressure on their children to be great people. Willy Loman has the best intentions at heart when he encourages his sons, but doesn’t realize he is encouraging the pursuit of an unrealistic goal. Willy’s son Biff admits “I’m a nobody,” rebelling against this in a way that resonates with many people’s experiences.
Through a combination of its universal themes and brilliant performance, Soulpepper’s production of Death of a Salesman feels anything but dated, especially in a world where everyone feels like a “nobody” sometimes.
Death of a Salesman is being performed at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the Distillery District until November 20.