There Is Comedy in the Tragedy, Humanity in the
Despair, and a Remarkable Amount of Heart in
PlayMakers Rep's Death of a Salesman

Jeffrey Blair Cornell stars as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman (photo by HuthPhoto)

Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman premiered on Broadway more than 75 years ago. At that time, the plight of aging salesman Willy Loman, his wife Linda, and his two grown sons Biff and Happy was presented to millions, and struck chords with audiences to many rave reviews. The current PlayMakers Repertory Company production of Death of a Salesman, directed by UNC alum Michael Wilson, revives the characters and themes of this play in a way that is shockingly, tragically relevant.

Julia Gibson and Jeffrey Blair Cornell star as Linda and Willy Loman (photo by HuthPhoto)

PlayMakers Rep's top-notch creative team is part of the reason that the experience is so electric. The set, designed by company veteran Jan Chambers, is nothing short of remarkable. As you walk into the Paul Green Theatre, it looks a bit like a haunted house, all blacks and grays, resting atop an assortment of car parts, a tree in the background, an old swing in the foreground, a few bedrooms, a kitchen, and an ominous pit towards the basement in the center. However, shifts in the lighting transform the space from a house into a restaurant, a hotel and, eventually, a graveyard.

Death of a Salesman stars Allen Tedder (left) as Biff Loman and Matthew Donahue as Happy Loman (photo by HuthPhoto)

Many kudos to lighting designer Carolina Ortiz Herrera. Sweeping spotlights imply a car pulling up to a house, and projections created by Tao Wang shine upstage and create illusions of blue skies and passing trains. Swelling music composed by sound designer John Gromada sets the mood, and every bit of sound is crystal clear and beautiful. Furthermore, the entire space is used -- characters enter from backstage, from the lobby doors, from the balcony, and even from the exits in the audience. The way that this production is structured is so immersive that I felt that a new little world was made.

Death of a Salesman stars Allen Tedder (left) as Biff Loman and Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Willy Loman (photo by HuthPhoto)

That said, the work of the actors was so impressive that even if there wasn't a single production element present, the play would have been compelling. For example, Allen Tedder's Biff is a man with inner turmoil, sometimes seething under the surface, sometimes at peace, and sometimes exploding with a ferocious power. He is critical, he is self-pitying, he is sweet, and he is pompous (especially in the way Tedder portrays him as a teenager). At all times, however, Tedder makes Biff's struggles relatable and familiar to the audience.

Death of a Salesman stars Jeffrey Blair Cornell (left) as Willy Loman and Reez Bailey as Howard Wagner (photo by HuthPhoto)

Matthew Donahue had a very hard job of making Happy, a habitual liar and philanderer, likable; but he made the character so amiable that the audience could forgive his sociopathy, even laughed at it. Of course, the heart of the play lies with Willy Loman, portrayed by Jeffrey Blair Cornell. As the play progresses, it becomes clear that he is fighting a losing battle with time and with himself. As the play progresses, we see Cornell shift Willy between delusions of grandeur and crippling insecurity; and though we can see the man decline, we never see him fully accept defeat, even during his final moments.

Jeffrey Blair Cornell and Julia Gibson star as Willy and Linda Loman (photo by HuthPhoto)

Finally, if the heart of the play lies with Willy Loman, then the soul lies with Willy's long-suffering wife Linda; and Julia Gibson certainly delivered. She presented us with a woman who maintains a sense of strength despite being undermined, who at every turn, with every look, with every kind word is fighting to save her husband's life. Gibson brings a profound dignity to Linda, and it allows the audience to understand why she tries so hard for a man that is so often inconsiderate. We not only sympathize with Linda, but respect her.

The show stars (from left) Jim Bray as Stanley, Elizabeth Dye as Miss Forsythe, and Matthew Donahue as Happy Loman (photo by HuthPhoto)

There is so much more that I could talk about, so many more wonderful performances that I could talk about; but I am running out of time and space, so I want to leave you with two creative choices that I especially appreciated: The first is the final, bitter fight between Biff and Willy. The two men grapple with each other until Biff collapses into a hug, and then into sobs. As Biff pleaded with his father, begging Willy to save himself and his oldest son, there wasn't a single dry eye in the theater.

Death of a Salesman stars Allen Tedder as Biff Loman and Nate John Mark as Mark (photo by HuthPhoto)

The second choice is the motif of reaching out -- primarily, it is Linda that reaches out to Willy, beckoning him to come upstairs or come to bed. In the first half of the play, Willy accepts the invitations from Linda, returning to the land of the living. However, at the end of the play, he refuses her. The result is a heartbreaking scene, as he has just resolved to kill himself and have Biff collect the life insurance policy.

Death of a Salesman stars Samuel Ray Gates (left) as Charly and Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Willy Loman (photo by HuthPhoto)

Now I've seen this play and read it before, but watching Willy seal his fate was something else. I could hardly bear to look, even as I heard him leave the house and I braced for the inevitable car crash.

The show stars (from left) Allen Tedder, Julia Gibson, and Matthew Donahue as Biff, Linda, and Happy Loman (photo by HuthPhoto)

All in all, this was a remarkable piece of art, and a wonderful entry in the PlayMakers Rep's 2024-25 season. There was comedy in this tragedy, humanity in despair, and a remarkable amount of heart in this production from all who were involved. I hope that you will bear witness to this show as well.

Jan Chambers's set for the PlayMakers Rep production of Death of a Salesman is splendid (photo by HuthPhoto)

Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5-9 and 12-16), directed by Michael Wilson and starring (in alphabetical order) Reez Bailey as Howard Wagner, Jim Bray as Stanley, Paul Carlin as Uncle Ben, Jeffrey Blair Cornell as Willy Loman, Matthew Donahue as Happy Loman, Elizabeth Dye as Miss Forsythe, Samuel Ray Gates as Charly, Julia Gibson as Linda Loman, Susannah Hough as The Woman, Jadah Johnson as Jenny, Nate John Mark as Bernard, Allen Tedder as Biff Loman, and Mengwe Wapimewah as Letta (PlayMakers Repertory Company in the Paul Green Theatre in UNC-Chapel Hill's Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art). TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfGV4UfhY2g. FEATURETTE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuJ3VdDFCac&t=4s. PRESENTER: https://playmakersrep.org/, https://www.facebook.com/playmakersrep, https://www.instagram.com/playmakersrep/, https://twitter.com/playmakersrep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayMakers_Repertory_Company, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO7crv41zzCYf9HxRDUEVdw. 2024-25 SEASON: https://playmakersrep.org/season/2024-2025/. PRC BLOG: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/our-blog/. VENUE: https://playmakersrep.org/about-us/paul-green-theatre/ and https://museum.unc.edu/exhibits/show/names/paul-green-theatre. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://playmakersrep.org/visitor-info/directions-and-parking/. DEATH OF A SALESMAN (1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama-winning Broadway play): https://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=1780, https://www.arthurmiller.org/works/, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/death-of-a-salesman-2999, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_a_Salesman. THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://books.google.com/. STUDY GUIDE (Utah Shakespeare Festival): https://www.bard.org/study-guides/death-of-a-salesman-study-guide/. ARTHUR MILLER (New York City-born playwright and screenwriter, nee Arthur Asher Miller, 1915-2005): https://www.arthurmiller.org/, https://arthurmillersociety.net/, https://arthurmillerfoundation.org/, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/arthur-miller-4316, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0007186/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Miller. NOTE 1: The 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9th, show will be an open-captioned performance, with a "universal-access" live-caption unit, communicating dialog, stage directions, and sound effects. NOTE 2: There will be a post-show discussion after the 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9th, performance. NOTE 3: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh will audio-describe and American-sign-language interpret the show's 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12th, performance. TICKETS: $20 and up, plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-962-7529 or prcboxoffice@unc.edu. PLEASE DONATE TO: PlayMakers Repertory Company. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

WHAT: Triangle Review is a FREE weekly e-mail performing-arts and film newsletter, edited and published by Robert W. McDowell since April 2001.

TO SUBSCRIBE: To start your FREE subscription today, sign up in the subscription box at the beginning of this e-mail; or e-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type SUBSCRIBE-TR in the Subject: line. TO UNSUBSCRIBE: E-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type UNSUBSCRIBE-TR in the Subject: line.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? E-mail all questions, comments, and Letters to the Editor to RobertM748@aol.com. For Letters to the Editor, please include a daytime telephone number in your e-mail.

COPYRIGHT: Editorial content in all formats © 2025 Triangle Review and the author of each article. Reproduction in any form without authorization of Triangle Review and the respective authors is prohibited. Triangle Review maintains an archive of past issues. To request copies of past articles and/or issues, e-mail RobertM748@aol.com.