effrey DeMunn is Willy Loman in the Old Globe’s presentation of Death of a Salesman, currently playing at the Old Globe Theatre. His may not be a household name, a la a Tom Hanks, or Morgan Free- man, but as soon as you see his face, you recognize him from his many television and film roles, including movies with both Hanks and Freeman. The Tony and Emmy nominee’s film credits include; The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Majestic, Phenomenon and Burn After
Reading among many more. He has countless television appearances on many shows, including a recurring role on Law and Order and his stage credits are too numerous to mention here. Ever since he was first interested in acting, DeMunn has been interested in the char-
acter of Willy Loman. Initially he didn’t believe he would ever be cast in the role, or that anyone could compare to Lee Cobb’s portrayal of the character in the original Broadway production or television movie. “You don’t follow something perfect. For instance, you wouldn’t do a remake of To Kill a Mockingbird,” explained DeMunn. Eventually, becoming a well-respected actor in his own right, DeMunn got over his
trepidation about portraying Willy Loman, and has done several other productions. He is particularly excited about doing this one in February at The Old Globe. “It’s a little bit unusual, in that we’re doing it in the round,” said DeMunn. “Which means you have no backdrop like you would on a proscenium arch.” DeMunn’s favorite character in the play is that of Charley. “He’s just a terrific human
being. I think that in a way that is terribly real,” said DeMunn. “He needs nothing and he’s a sweetheart.” Being an actor has had its challenges according to DeMunn. “There’s an awful lot of
traveling, but it’s the nature of the business,” he explained. “…You have to leave home to work, and that’s been a situation I’ve faced in raising a family and all that.” Still, he says that he never has fantasies of a nice boring life as an accountant or something. Outside of the theatre world, DeMunn is best recognized for his film and television
appearances. A favorite of director Frank Darabont, whom he first worked with when cast in The Shawshank Redemption. “With Shawshank I was only there for a brief amount of time,” said DeMunn. “It was my first time working with Frank and that was wonderful because I took to him. I could see that he was the real thing. He was just everything I wanted in a director.” After Shawshank Redemption, DeMunn worked with Darabont again in The Green
Mile. He was cast in the role of Harry Terwilliger, a prison guard and co-worker of Tom Hanks’ character. Terwilliger was the seasoned veteran of the prison’s death row or “green mile” so named by the guards and prisoners. Currently, DeMunn can be seen on AMC’s adaptation of The Walking Dead comic book series. In the show, he plays Dale Horwath a human survivor in a post-zombie apocalypse world. The show has been a big success and was recently picked up for a second season after only two shows had aired on the cable network. DeMunn is looking forward to the continuation and is excited about reprising his role. As much as DeMunn enjoys his film and television work, he is very excited about this
production of Death of a Salesman, despite the fact that theatre work is much more challenging for an actor. “Theatre is more difficult to do,” he opined. “I mean, there are the grossly obvious reasons; you can’t say ‘I’d like another take and you can’t stop and rest before the next scene. Acting is a 24/7 job; I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, turn the light on, and read through a scene, think about it, then turn the light off and go back to sleep.” You can see DeMunn on stage all month long as Willy Loman. If he looks tired during one of the performances, it may be because he was up in the middle of the night so he could get the part just right for the audience.
To purchase tickets, go to
oldglobe.org. The website has show times and information about special events including insight seminars and post-show forums with the cast.
ARTHUR MILLER
It’s not an exaggeration to say that playwright Arthur Miller was a
modern-day Shakespeare. His prolific career included such notable works as The Crucible, A View From the Bridge, and After the Fall. His stories are required reading in schools around the world; the Pulitzer Prize winner was a rock star of the theater world. He dated starlets and he was briefly married to Marilyn Monroe in the late 1950s. Of all his works though, he is probably best remembered for the classic tragedy Death of a Salesman and its main character Willy Loman. Written in 1949, Death of a Salesman became an instant Broadway
hit, winning accolades left and right. It earned Miller a Tony Award, a Pulitzer Prize, and ran for 745 performances in its original run. Since then it has had three Broadway revivals over the years, most recently in 1999, and with another planned for later this year. The play is the tragic story of Willy Loman, a man in the twilight
of his years who is unhappy with his lot in life. Loman’s job requires him to travel a great deal and he never achieves the financial or busi- ness success that he believes he deserves. Ironically, although he is unhappy with his lack of success and the lack of success by his sons, Loman has a lot to be grateful for. For instance, his wife and children love him, although he is neither a good husband, nor a good father. His defeat is that he can’t see that he is fortunate; all he can focus on is that he never MADE a fortune. The character of Willy Loman has become an American cultural
icon. His name is synonymous with loser. He can’t get ahead, he’s un- happy with his lot in life, and he belittles the people around him in order to make himself feel good. In today’s world, Loman would most likely be diagnosed with clinical depression and would be on Cymbalta or Paxil or some other strong anti-depressant. In fact, the character is such a “Debbie Downer” that it makes the audience want to be medicated at times. This is precisely what makes the character, and the play, amazing.
For good or bad, it is impossible to walk away without some form of connection to the characters, particularly Willy Loman. Death of a Salesman has been adapted for the big screen and on
television, but the theater is still the best place to see it and The Old Globe is second to none, so make it a point to catch this play while it is in town. The play runs through February 27 at The Old Globe Theatre.
FEBRUARY 2011 | RAGE monthly 21
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