Death of a Salesman review - Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf hypnotize in revival
The Guardian • • entertainment
Key Points:
- The new Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, directed by Joe Mantello and starring Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf, presents a period-agnostic, minimalist staging that evokes a sense of decay and purgatory, enhancing the play’s themes of disillusionment.
- This production revisits the classic American tragedy with a focus on the Loman family’s struggles amid economic hardship and personal failures, highlighting issues of white entitlement, masculinity in crisis, and the fractured American Dream.
- Nathan Lane delivers a powerful performance as Willy Loman, capturing both his brassiness and vulnerability, while Laurie Metcalf’s portrayal of Linda adds a sharp, practical, and emotionally charged counterbalance.
- The revival contrasts with the previous 2012 production that cast the Lomans as a Black family, instead presenting a white Loman family with a Black neighbor, Charley, adding nuanced racial dynamics to the narrative.
- Overall, the production is praised for its emotional depth and contemporary resonance, successfully renewing interest in Miller’s work and its enduring relevance to modern audiences.
