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Overview

Synopsis

Death of a Salesman chronicles the last days in the life of Willy Loman, a man who has spent more than three decades in sales and now, in his early sixties, finds his numbers—and his mind—slipping. Biff, his 34-year-old son, is out of work and running out of options. Happy, two years younger, compulsively exaggerates his own accomplishments. Willy’s devoted wife, Linda, supports him unconditionally, but her constant encouragement cannot keep him moored to reality. Willy is literally haunted by the past, and visions of happier days and lost opportunities continually intrude as he struggles to make sense of the present moment. At heart, this is the story of the members of this American family’s love for each other, and Willy’s corrosive love for the American Dream.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1949
Genres
Drama
Settings
Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
1930s, 1940s, new york
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
None
Dancing
None
Ideal For
College/University, Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, High School, Professional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Male, Includes Mature Adult, Young Adult, Adult Characters, Medium Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Willy Loman

Lead

Male

Spoken

Linda Loman

Lead

Female

Spoken

Biff Loman

Lead

Male

Spoken

Harold “Happy” Loman

Lead

Male

Spoken

Uncle Ben

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Bernard

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Charley

Supporting

Male

Spoken

Letta

Featured

Female

Spoken

Miss Forsythe (“Girl”)

Featured

Female

Spoken

The Waiter

Featured

Male

Silent

Stanley

Featured

Male

Spoken

Jenny

Featured

Female

Spoken

Howard Wagner

Featured

Male

Spoken

“The Woman”

Featured

Female

Spoken

Songs

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A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

    The belief that equality and opportunity is available to any American.

    An economic and political system in which private owners control trade and industry for profit.

    A type of drama that uses new methods of writing, staging, and performance, rather than traditional or conventional dramatic methods.

    A style of theatre that utilized theatrical elements and scenery with exaggeration and distortion in order to convey strong feelings and ideas to audiences.

    A scene that happens earlier than the main story, often to enhance that main storyline or reveal important information.

    The financial and industrial slump of 1929 and subsequent years.

    A ceremony or gathering in which people honor the dead; an act of remembrance for the dead.

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