“Death of a Salesman” at Hartford Stage by Zander Opper

“Death of a Salesman” at Hartford Stage

Hartford Stage is currently presenting a shattering revival of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.”  Under the fine, precise direction by Melia Bensussen, this production brings almost new depth to this seminal play.  Since much of the action in the show exists in the mind of Willy Loman (indelibly and movingly played by Peter Jacobson), each scene seems to fade into the next, as if one were watching a movie.  This is not to say that this “Death of a Salesman” isn’t theatrical, because it most certainly is.  It’s just that this production manages to be in continual motion from start to finish.

In addition to having an excellent performer playing the central role of Willy, Adrianne Krstansky is a marvel as Willy’s wife put-upon wife, Linda.  This actress brings such strength and power to this role without losing sight of just how worn down and vulnerable her character is.  What’s more, both Max Katz, as Happy, and Samuel H. Levine, as Biff, are just right as Willy and Linda’s sons, which allow all the crushing feelings drawn up by this play to exist onstage.  “Death of a Salesman” at Hartford Stage should satisfy fans who have seen stagings of this play before, as well as those who are new to this classic work.

On Sara Brown’s steely, skeletal set of the Loman house, the look of the show is established almost immediately, with the past and present constantly intermingling. It should be noted, though, that the director has carefully imbued every moment with clarity, so one is always able to decipher what is happening in any given scene.  The stylish costumes by Harry Nadal are just perfect, with the time period of the late 1940s in Brooklyn vividly evoked.

Hartford Stage is fortunate to have strong actors in all of the major roles.  The center of the play, of course, is Willy Loman, portrayed by Peter Jacobson as a sad shell of a man who is struggling to keep living and to maintain his dignity, both as a salesman, as well as a husband and father.  Jacobson exists as a haunted figure onstage, and some of the best moments in the production are when he is plays scenes with his brother, Ben (embodied skillfully by the otherworldly Michael Cullen), who is long passed and is only a memory in Willy’s mind.  In these scenes between Willy and Ben, there is always the feeling that a chance of success has been lost and can never be reclaimed.

Adrianne Krstansky also makes quite an impression as Linda.  Although she most definitely is the patient, accommodating wife in the play, this actress brings new colors of strength to the scenes with her sons, allowing her to be as angry and enraged as she seems to feel underneath. Krstansky is also heartbreaking, and her final scenes with Willy are overwhelming and deeply sad. 

As Happy, the son who is still living in Brooklyn, the ideal Max Katz brings style and an almost smarmy kind of charm to his part that makes him completely believable as, among other things, a lady killer.  But, like his mother, Happy is just as imprisoned in Willy Loman’s world, which seems to be getting more troubled everyday.  Biff, wonderfully played by Samuel H. Levine, is the son who has returned to the home, for better or for worse, and the one who is most embattled with his father.  There is much talk by Willy that one must make a confident impression and be “well-liked,” and, while Levine tries to live up to that standard, he inevitably falls short.  There are definite skeletons in the closet between Biff and Willy, which are gradually revealed as the play goes along.

Paul Michael Valley is expert as Willy’s friend Charley and Stephen Cefalu, Jr. is just as good as Charley’s son Bernard.  Nora Eschenheimer is most appropriate in the dual roles of Letta and “The Woman,” who wanders in out of Willy’s mind.  These dreamlike sequences are enormously aided by the terrific lighting design by Matthew Richards, with the light almost sculpting each scene.  And the sound design by Darron L. West is all you could ask for.

Like any good production of “Death of a Salesman,” there are so many scenes which evoke tears and feelings of deep anguish.  Everything always comes up short for Willy Loman and Jacobson is so at one with his role that he almost seems to exist as his own ghost.  Thanks to this devastating production of “Death of Salesman” at Hartford Stage, one can come wander around in the lives of Arthur Miller’s characters and it is strongly recommended to have tissues on hand for the many scenes that can leave an audience member weeping.

“Death of a Salesman” runs through March 29, 2026 at Hartford Stage, 50 Church St., Hartford CT.  For tickets and more information, please call 860-527-5151 or visit www.hartfordstage.org.  

Photo: (L-R): Samuel H. Levine, Peter Jacobson, and Max Katz

Photo by T. Charles Erickson