6-04-2025 5:16am

Death of a Salesmen | ACTC | June 20 - 29 (VIDEO TRAILER!)]

Eric Bergstrom Editor

Death of a Salesmen is Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning drama and most celebrated work.

Willy Loman is an unsuccessful salesman whose unrealistic and unrelenting pursuit of “the American Dream” leads to tragedy for himself and his family.

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His family’s vision of that dream and their perceptions of who Willy really is, beyond his façade, don’t necessarily match up with his reality.

Directed by Chance Theater’s Oánh Nguyễn, this production brings Miller’s timeless characters to life in a fresh and compelling way.

“Willy believed that being well-liked was the key to success. He was convinced that charm and appearances would ultimately lead to greatness, and he built his entire life around this illusion. But the world had changed, and the version of success Willy was chasing no longer existed—if it ever did. Today’s young people face a similar trap. They are growing up in a world where
success often seems tied to visibility and online validation. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube promise that with enough effort and the right content, anyone can “make it.” A single viral post can turn an ordinary person into an overnight celebrity. But what happens when that validation doesn’t come? Like Willy, many young people are being sold a version of success that suggests if you just hustle hard enough, stay visible, and play the game long enough, success will eventually follow. But what happens when the algorithm doesn’t favor you, and when the ‘likes’ and followers don’t translate into real opportunities or lasting security? The pressure to constantly perform, curate, and maintain an idealized version of themselves online can feel overwhelming—and just like Willy, they may find themselves chasing a dream that remains just out of reach. Willy’s tragedy wasn’t just that he failed to achieve his dream—it was that he tied his entire sense of self-worth to that dream. Today, young people risk falling into the same trap, measuring their value by external approval and fleeting moments of attention. But as Willy’s story shows us, the cost of this pursuit can be devastating.”

-- Director Oánh Nguyễn

ARTICLE FROM OCTG - Orange County Theater Group

“Death of a Salesman” at American Coast Theater Company

Illusions, Expectations, and the American Dream are explored in the 1949 Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

By MaryAnn DiPietro

This summer, American Coast Theater Company (ACTC) invites audiences into the crumbling psyche of Willy Loman in a bold, emotionally resonant production of Arthur Miller’s "Death of a Salesman". Directed by Oanh Nguyen and featuring ACTC’s Producing Artistic Director Susan K. Berkompas in the role of Linda Loman, the production promises an intimate and powerful experience at Costa Mesa’s Lyceum Theatre.

Since its 1949 Broadway premiere, "Death of a Salesman" has stood as a towering American tragedy and continues to hold a mirror to our society’s obsession with success, status, and self-worth. ACTC’s production breathes new life into Miller’s masterwork with a modern and deeply human approach.

“Salesman seemed to be speaking to me because it still resonates in today’s culture,” said Berkompas, who co-founded ACTC in 2008 and has chaired the Theatre Department at Vanguard University for nearly three decades. “When we ask ourselves what the meaning of success is and what the American Dream is, much of our society still values attractiveness and high-earning people. Status never seems to go out of style. And how does that impact each of us, whether we value it or not?”

ACTC’s mission has always centered on bringing American classics to life, and Berkompas has long had a reverence for Miller’s storytelling. “Besides Shakespeare, my favorite playwrights are Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller,” she noted. “I’m thrilled to be a part of Miller’s masterpiece and especially honored to work opposite Jeff Paul as Willy Loman.”

Joining them onstage are two of Berkompas’ former students, Micah Munck and Luke Desmond, as Biff and Happy, the troubled sons of the Loman family. “It’s a unique experience for me to work with these talented alumni who are now professional actors,” she said. “To share this story together onstage is incredibly meaningful. It does my heart so proud!”

The play, which unfolds in post-war Brooklyn, is told through a tapestry of memories, hallucinations, and emotional confrontations-- all seen through Willy Loman’s deteriorating perspective. That concept is central to Nguyen’s directorial vision.

“In this production, we will immerse ourselves in Willy’s mental landscape, where the past and present collide, memory dissolves into reality, and the people who haunt him remain ever-present,” Nguyen explained. “The boundaries between what was, what is, and what never will be all blur.”

Nguyen, the founding artistic director of Chance Theater brings a deep sensitivity to Miller’s text, refusing to impose a heavy hand. “This story cannot be forced,” Berkompas said. “It must reveal truths throughout with the use of a razor rather than a hacksaw. Oanh is the perfect choice.”

Drawing inspiration from Miller’s own commentary about storytelling, Nguyen emphasized the importance of letting scenes unfold where they logically happen-- not constrained by static settings. Scenic designer Fred Kinney’s minimalist set supports this vision. “We want to draw the audience deep into Willy’s emotional world, where his desperation intensifies under the crushing burden of his own expectations,” said Nguyen.

Lighting and sound are used not just for ambiance, but as psychological markers. “Lights and sound will lead the audience through Willy’s fractured mind,” Nguyen noted. “Sudden changes will mark his descent, while more subtle transitions will capture the constant ache of regret.”

Costumes and props will also help tell this layered story, reinforcing the blend of time and memory. “Costumes will define characters and shifts in time while maintaining a timeless look,” Nguyen said, “reminding us that Willy’s struggles-- and our own-- are not bound by a specific era.”

That resonance with the present day is something Nguyen feels deeply. “Like Willy, many young people today are being sold a version of success that says if you just hustle hard enough, stay visible, and play the game long enough, success will follow,” he reflected. “But what happens when the algorithm doesn’t favor you? When likes and followers don’t translate into real opportunity? The pressure to constantly perform can feel overwhelming, and just like Willy, they may find themselves chasing a dream that remains just out of reach.”

Nguyen speaks from experience. “When I co-founded Chance Theater, we had $50,000 in credit card debt. There was no guarantee of success. But we found meaning in the process, in building something real. Because if you spend your life faking it, hoping to ‘make it,’ you might end up like Willy-- chasing a dream that was never built to last.”

ACTC’s "Death of a Salesman" opens with a haunting image: Willy enters, burdened by his suitcases, while the silhouettes of his memories-- family, friends, and regrets-- linger in the shadows. They are not just phantoms of the past but manifestations of the life he never truly grasped.

“We’re not just telling a story,” Berkompas said. “We’re revealing the soul of a man and maybe, in doing so, holding up a mirror to ourselves.”