Death Of A Salesman at Theatre Box

The play tells the story of the last days of a travelling salesman named Willy Loman. Because he cannot accept that hard work and talent play a large role in success and because he has thus created a fantasy of his life as a big shot salesman who is “well liked” and very successful, he cannot handle the setbacks that come as he gets old and his clients retire or die off. His son is a talented high school football player who has been offered a scholarship to UVa. The son, Biff comes to get his father in Boston so he can get Biff’s Math teacher to pass him so he can graduate and go on to fame and glory. Instead, he finds Willy “dallying “with the secretary of one of his clients. He is crushed and gives up on Willy and on his life. When this son who has disappointed Willy finally decides to break ties with the family, right after Willy is fired, Willy enacts his last fantastic scheme; he kills himself so his son can collect his life insurance and be a success.