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
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
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

    A theme in theatre representing hope, success, and its disillusionment, particularly in realist and symbolist plays.

    An economic system often critiqued in epic and protest theatre, examining exploitation, class, and power structures.

    Innovative performance styles that challenge traditional theatre conventions.

    A theatrical style that distorts reality to convey inner emotional experience, popular in early 20th-century drama.

    A dramatic device that transports the narrative to an earlier time to provide background or context.

    A historic economic crisis dramatized in plays to explore poverty, resilience, and social upheaval.

    An extended speech delivered by a single character, either to another character or the audience. Monologues are used for character development and to reveal inner thoughts.

    A recurring element, such as a symbol, image, or phrase, that reinforces a play’s themes. Motifs help unify the structure of a work and deepen its symbolic meaning.

    A musical or dramatic work honoring the dead, often evoking mourning or closure in operatic and theatrical contexts.

    An object, character, or element used in a play to represent a deeper meaning or theme beyond its literal definition.

Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

Quote Analysis

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