Review Fix Exclusive: Inside ‘Death of a Salesman’

Review Fix chats with director Ernest Barzaga, who discusses his theatre company’s revival of Arthur Miller’s classic “Death of a Salesman.”

For more on the production, click here. 

About The Production:

One of the opening productions of the 41st Season 
of the American Theatre of Actors

The American dream is dying, but no one told America.
 Arthur Miller’s parable of working class American families during times of hardship is as timely today – after the second great depression in 2008 as it was when it first appeared on Broadway in 1949.

With more and more young people attaining higher degrees but unable to find comparable employment after graduation, the message of Death of a Salesman still hits as a powerful cord. Reminiscent of Dustin Hoffman’s 1985 teleplay, this production is re-imagined with young actors portraying the iconic Loman Family including traveling salesman, Willy Loman, takes his family – and the audience – on a surreal journey filled with flashbacks from his crumbling mind.

We witness the painful end of his career … and of a nationwide ideal.

Review Fix: What was the inspiration for this project?

Ernest Barzaga: Young actors, their art, and their drive. “Death of a Salesman” is a piece very rarely tackled by any conventional group or company because of the dense material, the acting ability, and the daunting precedent set by past professional productions that has followed this play throughout its sixty-seven years of life. All this said, we are  comprised of all young acts from the ages of 18-30 playing roles that are intent for those in their late 50’s to early 60’s. Our creative team is comprised of students, none exceeding the age of 21.

Review Fix: My reasoning for this?

Barzaga: Being only eight years removed from the great recession of 2008, the American dream might still seem long gone to many American families and recent college graduates. So what better way to tell this timeless story than with young adults who were either in middle school, high school, or college when they had to see their parents go through many of the same struggles presented in this play.

What continues to inspire me is the willingness of these young actors to delve deep into this material with an open mind. Knowing they haven’t lived long enough to instinctually understand many of the life struggles of the people in this play forces them to think even deeper and push even more to reify some sort believability… and the result so far has been fascinating. The most definitive portrayal of this show I’ve ever witnessed.

Review Fix: What is your creative process like?

Barzaga: I do very little to intervene with the creative process in the beginning. I would sit down with the actors and ask them to perform the seen the way they see it. I do this before I block anything! Then we take it to the table, we break down the text, and we go back at it again on our feet. After going back and forth for a few hours from text to staging do I then implement my vision. I see the scene in my head at least five different ways. We try them all until we find something that works and seems natural.

My goal is to find the truth in every scene. If that means doing the same thing ad nauseam then so be it. The result works though. I allow a lot of freedom. Artists should never be put in a box with strict parameters. They are artists for a reason. And I learn a lot watching them do their thing.

Review Fix: How does it feel to be a part of something like this?

Barzaga: Unbelievable. It feels like a dream. Watching something go from absolutely nothing… like this did only a few months ago. To what it has become is nothing short than spectacular.

Review Fix: What are your ultimate goals for this production and for the future?

Barzaga: For the future, it’s hard to say. For this production however, I want as many people as possible to experience these young masters of the stage do their thing.

Review Fix: What do you think your audiences will enjoy the most?

Barzaga: I pride myself, as a young director, to deliver substance. So many shows now relay on over production to sell their message, I don’t. The performances will be unforgettable. The audiences will therefore leave stunned.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Barzaga: I hope to continue providing young artists this platform to perform world-class material like Miller. As for which play, I can’t say…yet.