Review Roundup: DEATH OF A SALESMAN at Bay Street Theatre - What Did The Critics Think?

DEATH OF A SALESMAN runs through November 25 at the Bay Street Theatre. It is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play written by celebrated American playwright Arthur Miller in 1949.

Set in the late 1940's, DEATH OF A SALESMAN follows Willy Loman, a failing salesman, and his family as they face the harsh reality of their lives that they have been denying. As Willy spirals into mental disarray and fails to achieve his own dreams, he criticizes his son Biff for not being successful. As Biff faces his own disappointments, he confronts the family on his father's unrealistic expectations for him and his inability to face the truth about their lives. Ultimately, Miller explores themes surrounding the uncertainty of the American Dream and the struggles that families face in the wake of a changing economy, both of which are as contemporary today as when the play was written.

The cast stars David Manis as Willy Loman, Carolyn Popp as Linda, Scott T. Hinson as Happy, Rob DiSario as Biff, Tina Jones as Miss Forsythe, Neal Mayer as Charley, Rachel Feldman as Jenny/Letta, Keith Cornelius as Ben/Howard, Will Cappuccio as Bernard/Stanley, and Chloe Dirksen as The Woman.

DEATH OF A SALESMAN is directed by Joe Minutillo, with music by Michael Holland, set and sound design by Mike Billings, lighting and sound design by Dalton Hamilton, and costume design by Melanie Clifton Harvey.

Let's see what the critics had to say!

Judy D'Mello, The East Hampton Star: The Bay Street production seems a little awestruck B. Miller's masterpiece, rather than taking it by the scruff of the neck and giving it a good shake. The result is that it's a really decent staging, but not a distinctive one...Mr. Manis delivers a certain sameness in the emotional temperature of far too many scenes, so that instead of starring in one of the greatest tragedies, he often appears to be in an overblown melodrama about a dysfunctional family of losers... Also remarkable is the multilevel, locale-shifting, time-bending set, aided by clever retro projections and sharp sound design.

Lorraine Dusky, 27 East: Mr. Manis inhabits the role with every sorrow remembered, every disillusionment sagging out of his well-worn suitcase. The minute he steps into Mike Billings's quite remarkable multi-layered set, you sense that Mr. Manis is that shattered man... Rob DiSario as the big brother, Biff, who at 34 is getting nowhere, is exceptional, especially as he comes to grips with the reality of his life and hopes to make his father accept him as he is, not as he is imagined. Mr. DiSario turns a lowlife criminal into a sympathetic character by the end.

T.J. Clemente, Hamptons.com: Carolyn Popp is the heart of this production as Linda Loman. Using Arthur Miller's words Ms. Popp is the mother we all know, love, and admired throughout our lives... To the purist, this production is not complete, but quite frankly I left the theater moved and in admiration for Arthur Miller's genius, and the skills of Joe Minutillo to make this Bay Street Theater Production of a Death of a Salesman a most memorable successful night.

Cindi Sansone-Braff, East Hampton Patch: David Manis, brings a tragically devastating force to his role as Willy -- often dark, sometimes hopeful, yet, always captivating... Rob DiSario makes the role of Biff, Willy Loman's lost and disillusioned son, his own with his energy and expertise at delivering the multi-layered lines Miller so painstakingly wrote. His dramatic monologue at the end of the play brought the audience to tears.

Photo: Lenny Stucker/Bay Street Theatre

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