Death of a Salesman

by Arthur Miller Narrated by Steven Culp, Maureen Flannigan, Jane Kaczmarek, Jason Henning, John Sloan, Kate Steele, Kathryn Meisle, Kenneth Alan Williams, Sam McMurray, Stacy Keach, Tim Monsion

Overview

Stacy Keach and Jane Kaczmarek star in Arthur Miller's 1949 masterpiece, a searing portrait of the physical, emotional, and psychological costs of the American dream. Willy Loman (Keach) is the play's iconic traveling salesman, whose family is torn apart by his desperate obsession with success and social acceptance. As his two sons cast about aimlessly for their station in life, Willy begins to come unraveled when the reality of his life threatens his long-cherished illusions.

Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles in March 2011.

Directed by Eric Simonson

Producing Director: Susan Albert Loewenberg

An L.A. Theatre Works full cast performance featuring:

Steven Culp as Biff Loman

Maureen Flannigan as Letta/Jenny

Jason Henning as Bernard/Stanley

Jane Kaczmarek as Linda Loman

Stacy Keach as Willy Loman

Kathryn Meisle as The Woman

Tim Monsion as Uncle Ben

Sam McMurray as Charley

John Sloan as Happy Loman

Kate Steele as Miss Forsythe

Kenneth Alan Williams as Howard

Recording, Editing and Mixing Engineer: Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood

Sound Effects Artist: Tony Palermo

Editorial Reviews

Audiofile

The touchstone of all audio stage drama.

New York Times Book Review

A contemporary classic....Listen to this album.

Publishers Weekly - Audio

This L.A. Theatre Works full-cast production of Miller’s classic play about the crashing of the American Dream is an especially poignant listen during the current financial crisis. As the Loman family’s aspirations come crashing down, patriarch Willy battles his ego and his slow decline into old age, while his two boys continue to fail as men. But with money dwindling, they must make one last attempt to find financial stability. Stacy Keach offers up an admirable rendition of Willy, for whom listeners will easily feel empathy as he swings from mood to mood. Keach’s emotional range and energy dominates what is already an impressive production in terms of acting, sound effects, and sound clarity. Jane Kaczmarek provides a winning performance as Linda Loman, battling against the dominating and condescending males within the family. This audio drama proves so enjoyable that a second listening will definitely be necessary. (Aug.)

From the Publisher

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Winner of the National Book Award Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters

"By common consent, this is one of the finest dramas in the whole range of the American theater." —Brooks Atkinson, The New York Times

"So simple, central, and terrible that the run of playwrights would neither care nor dare to attempt it." —Time

School Library Journal - Audio

Gr 9 Up—In this full-cast performance featuring Stacy Keach and Jane Kaczmarck, Arthur Miller's 1949 classic has been recorded in front of a live audience. Miller's story of Willy Loman, the iconic traveling salesman, and his ultimate unraveling while in pursuit of the American dream invokes both empathy and pity. While Willy's linear thinking serves to illustrate his incessant need for success, his loyalty and love for his family peppers the story with humanity, making it just as relevant today as it was more than 60 years ago. The performance is powerful, with the narrators playing their characters with intensity and a humorous irony. Limited, yet calculated use of sound effects adds to the effectiveness of the production. While there are other audio versions of the play, the sound quality here is far better than previously recorded versions. Add this title to high school library collections where Death of a Salesman is part of the curriculum.—Rebecca Flannery, Lyman Memorial High School, Lebanon, CT

FEBRUARY 2012 - AudioFile

Stacy Keach portrays the quintessential traveling salesman, Willy Loman, who has endured the pressures of years on the road to support his family and is now coming to the realization that some of his most precious dreams will never be achieved. As his family relationships unravel, the cast, performing before a live audience, delivers the highs and lows of dysfunction, heartbreak, selfish motives, depression, and compassion—all of it coming to a riveting peak in what many consider to be the greatest play in American drama. Jane Kaczmarek is outstanding as Willy’s wife, his rock who has turned a blind eye to just how he managed to get through the doors of so many important buyers in his younger years. The audio quality is perfection and simulates a front-row seat right in the listener’s headphones. B.J.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175386807
Publisher:	L.A. Theatre Works
Publication date:	02/22/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,095,348

Read an Excerpt

INTRODUCTION

Note to Teacher

 

ABOUT ARTHUR MILLER

Arthur Miller was born in New York City in 1915 and studied at the University of Michigan. His plays include All My Sons (1947), Death of a Salesman (1949), The Crucible (1953), A View from the Bridge and A Memory of Two Mondays (1955), After the Fall (1963), Incident at Vichy (1964), The Price (1968), The Creation of the World and Other Business (1972) and The American Clock. He has also written two novels, Focus (1945), and The Misfits, which was filmed in 1960, and the text for In Russia (1969), Chinese Encounters (1979), and In the Country (1977), three books of photographs by his wife, Inge Morath. More recent works include a memoir, Timebends (1987), and the plays The Ride Down Mt. Morgan (1991), The Last Yankee (1993), Broken Glass (1993), which won the Olivier Award for Best Play of the London Season, and Mr. Peter's Connections (1998). His latest book is On Politics and the Art of Acting. Miller was granted with the 2001 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He has twice won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, and in 1949 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Preparing to Read

1. How is the American Dream characteristic of American ideals and philosophy? What are the differences between the materialistic and the idealistic values associated with the American Dream?

Understanding the Story

Act One

Writing Responses

Exploring Further

* included in the Viking Critical Library edition
** excerpted in the Viking Critical Library edition

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