'Death of a Salesman' stars impressive cast throughout

Watching Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" in the new Ruth N. Halls Theatre was much like reading the play from the text -- it started out slow. There was some confusion because I was not certain yet how I should feel about the characters. In fact, the first time I read the play for a class, I didn't even make it through the first act because I got bored with the material. When I revisited the play later, I realized where the show's magic lies. \nIt slowly takes you over. The characters' lives get under your skin. Your mind connects with Willy, Biff, Linda, and the rest. By the time the final confrontation comes along, you are so emotionally involved that even if you know the resolution you are hooked. Anyone who does not get misty during the finale has to be made of stone.\nHoward Jensen, director of the Theatre and Drama department, said the production does a fine job of making these characters approachable while retaining their symbolism. Without many exceptions, his cast is smart enough to handle the material. But the key to their success is the genuine humanity they bring to their roles. \nGraduate student Eric Anderson, in his thesis role as Willy Loman, creates an incredibly tired salesman. He has the look of an aged Bill Clinton, which is somewhat appropriate for the well-meaning yet deeply flawed Willy. His voice is gruff, his walk is stilted and his back is hunched. Even when he has flashbacks to his younger days, he never appears any younger. His fantasies are an attempt to escape from his failures, but because he never gets younger in them, it is apparent that he never truly gets away.\nGraduate students Carmen Rae Meyers, Jonathan Molitor, and senior Blake Bowen portray the rest of the Loman family effectively. They take on the roles of Linda, Biff, and Happy, respectively. \nMeyers and Molitor are incredibly adept, bringing passion and honesty to their roles. Meyers chooses not to play Linda as a strong and independent housewife or a meek mild mannered homemaker. Instead her performance falls somewhere in the middle, creating an intelligent well-rounded character who deeply loves her husband and tries desperately to keep him from falling apart.\nOf the Loman boys, Molitor is the stronger of the two, because his Biff seems more complete as a person. \nAt times, Bowen's Happy seems to be mugging and over-acting for the audience. However as the play progresses, it gradually becomes appropriate for the character. In the end, Happy falls apart at the seams and its obvious the over-acting and mugging were simply part of the character. During the finale, Bowen tears the facades down and Happy has to be his true self briefly, which Bowen portrays quite effectively.\nThe show also boasts an incredibly impressive supporting cast. The standouts have extremely small parts but they are very important.\nPatricia Dozer as Willy's mistress is so natural and unforced in her mannerisms that it seems obvious for Willy to have an affair with her while on the road. She has none of the barriers that he has put up around his family members and he can enjoy the unrestrained passion that he would not find at home.\nAlso effective in small roles are junior Andrew Lebon as Willy's boss and senior Dane A. Bolinger as his brother. Both actors bring concrete personalities to their characters. \nBolinger's portrayal of Uncle Ben is condescending and scheming, something that Willy envies. Willy's boss, Howard, treats Willy in this same way and it proves to be his undoing. \nGraduate student Mark Frederic Smith's scenic design must also be acknowledged as part of the production's success. His design resembles a cathedral where Willy worships at the alter of the "American Dream." We see the spired roof of the Loman house which is dwarfed on all sides by apartment buildings that have been built around it. At one point, the Loman's house existed in a world of grass and trees, which could have been a fertile ground to raise the perfect American family. However time has proved that it takes more that good looks, personality and talk to be a success. Progress has overtaken the Lomans and Smith's sets are symbolic of this.\nAll in all, this production of "Death of a Salesman" was a success. However, one thing was nearly fatal to my enjoyment of the show and that was the behavior of the audience. It seems that since the University has built a new theater for the department, people believe that talking in full voice during the show and leaving their cell phones on will not be disruptive to the actors and other audience members. They are very much mistaken and I hope that this disturbance was just a fluke. \nJust in case, next time I attend a performance, I am bringing a squirt gun with me and will fire it in the direction of any superfluous noises I hear. You have been warned.