Milwaukee Rep’s ‘Wife of a Salesman’ Falls Short of Its Potential

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Photo by Jenn Udoni

Milwaukee Rep - Wife of a Salesman

Heidi Armbruster and Bryce Gangel in the Milwaukee Rep's 'Wife of a Salesman'

It’s an interesting concept: What if the two women in Arthur Miller’s classic 1949 drama Death of a Salesman actually met? What would they do, and what would they say to each other? Playwright Eleanor Burgess tackles this challenge with a great deal of craft, wit and imagination in a world premiere staged at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre.

It's indisputable that the two women in Miller’s play—Linda Loman and an unnamed mistress—get short shrift. For better or worse, Miller focuses the action firmly on the main character, Willy Loman. As his long-suffering wife, Linda is portrayed as a typical housewife of that period, the glue who holds the family together. She sacrifices her personal goals in order to scrimp and save, encourage the men around her (including two sons), and keep the lights on. It is a thankless job, and one that Burgess recreates seamlessly.

The mistress is somewhat more complicated, in that not much is known about her, other than the fact she enjoys sleeping with Willy and—more importantly—likes the gifts he brings to their trysts. We know that she lives in another town, and that he sees her when he’s “on the road,” which is frequent.

A Delicate Web of Intrigue

Burgess weaves a delicate web of intrigue from these lightly sketched characters, adding some surprises along the way. As one might expect, when the Wife (played superbly by Heidi Armbruster) and the Mistress (equally excellent, as played by Bryce Gangel) first meet in the mistresses’ apartment, things are extremely awkward.

The Wife assumes that she can merely ask the Mistress to stop fooling around with Willy, and the Mistress will tearfully agree. When that doesn’t happen, a cat fight ensues that mirrors what one might expect from a TV sitcom. The Wife yells, and the Mistress seems to coldly brush her off. Eventually, the Wife admits that she was hoping to blackmail the Mistress, whom she thinks may be married or living with her mother. No luck there.

Costumes Reveal Much About Character’s Lives

The women are physically mismatched to the extreme. The Wife wears a serviceable, plain wool coat and skirt that she probably has owned most of her adult life (costumes by Izumi Inaba). She appears as sturdy as an oak. Meanwhile, the Mistress flits around in satin pajamas, topped by a long, slinky satin robe in bright fuchsia pink. She is slender and obviously spends a good deal of time on her looks (as the play opens, she is painting her fingernails).

But the contrast works extremely well in defining these characters. Once their tempers are tamed, they start to talk woman-to-woman, under the excellent direction of Marti Lyons. Although this leads into some interesting territory, it is suddenly interrupted by a jarring revelation.

Wife of a Salesman was co-commissioned by the Rep with Writers Theatre of Glencoe, IL. The play was performed in Glencoe earlier this year, and it received mixed reviews. The Chicago critics’ concerns seem to be legitimate, after watching the production that opened last weekend at the Milwaukee Rep’s intimate Stiemke Studio.

Just as the audience is learning more about these characters, the show is interrupted by a ringing cell phone. We then discover that this is a play-within-a-play, and we are watching a final dress rehearsal before previews. There’s a reason for this switch, as it allows Burgess (and the actors) to explore how women’s lives today mirror some of the same challenges faced by women a generation ago.

Characters Disappear, but Only for Awhile

However, for anyone who knows anything about theater’s inner workings, this detour takes the play off the rails. The women—who are now discussing their current lives at length—are interrupted by Jim (Bobak Cyrus Bakhtiari), the director. The women plead with Jim to call the absent playwright about making last-minute changes to the show. In no realm of imagination would the playwright (who obviously lives in town) not attend the final dress. Also, this is far too late in the game for actors to suggest an alternate ending, which would require new dialogue, staging, lighting, etc. Adding nothing but a cheap laugh to this ludicrous situation, one of the props seems to have been loaned to the show by The Play That Goes Wrong.  

Burgess does an excellent job of providing new information about why these characters are bickering over such a sad case as Willy. Let’s face it: he isn’t young, attractive, witty or successful. He isn’t fair, either. As one feels while watching Death of a Salesman, the money Willy uses to buy trinkets for his mistress would be so appreciated by his loyal wife. You feel bad that Linda doesn’t get some new silk stockings, too. However, in Wife of a Salesman, the Mistress cleverly inserts new details about her situation with Willy. It isn’t as one-sided as some might imagine.

The play bobbles back and forth between discussions between the characters and those of the two female actors, with a few comments tossed in by the practical Jim. The play is set in the Mistress’ ultra-feminine living room and kitchen (set design by Andrew Boyce). Realistic lighting and sound cues are provided by Keith Parham (lighting) and Melanie Chen Cole (sound). It might be a give-away to note that there’s also a fight director (Jamie Cheatham), but the effects are definitely realistic.

It's difficult to imagine someone understanding this new play if they haven’t had any exposure to Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. However, as if to reward the audience for its attention, the playwright tosses in an explosive surprise ending. If that doesn’t spark some post-show conversation, nothing will.

Wife of a Salesman continues through Nov. 6 at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, 108 E. Wells St. Masks are not required, but suggested. For tickets, click on MilwaukeeRep.com or call 414-224-9490.