Death of a Salesman on Broadway

On Wednesday, December 14, 2022, the AP English Literature students headed to the Hudson Theatre in Manhattan to watch the play they’ve been reading in their classes, Death of a Salesman. The Broadway show tells the story of a man in his 60s who struggles with delusions and hidden feelings of inadequacy that severely affect his interpersonal relationships over time. The main cast consisted of renowned actors such as Wendell Pierce as the main character Willy Loman, Sharon D. Clarke as Willy’s wife Linda, and André De Shields as Willy’s millionaire brother Ben. Khris Davis and McKinley Belcher III, newer to the Broadway scene, remarkably played Willy’s adult sons Biff Loman and Happy Loman, respectively.

After the show, I sent out a questionnaire regarding the students’ experience seeing the show. On average, the students gave the show and their experience an 8.4 out of 10, which proves Death of a Salesman is a timeless classic that even appeals to the younger generations. One student, Richard Katz, said that the show was not similar to the book “in several ways, but certainly not in a bad way. It provided its own unique take.” Another, Abigail Bautista, stated “key plot points and the overall meaning were the same, but the tone varied and some scenes had a different weight when portrayed by a black cast.” There were also scenes in the book that made more sense or felt more significant when portrayed on stage versus reading out the lines and stage directions in a book. Safwah Thajudheen said, “I really enjoyed the music and how well it went with Willy’s delusions […] The lighting made [the show] extremely immersive and the sets were so minimal, but […] it added so much to the plot.” Death of a Salesman will be on Broadway until January 15, 2023, so make sure to buy tickets to see this phenomenal show before it’s too late!