BROWNSTOWN — Jackson County Community Theatre’s mainstage season will open Sept. 13 with the classic Arthur Miller drama, “Death of a Salesman,” winner of the 1949 Tony Award for best play and the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for drama.
Set in 1940s in Brooklyn, New York, Willy Loman, a despondent travelling salesman wonders how he failed to win success and happiness in his career and life. Through a series of tragic soul-searching revelations about the life he has lived with his wife, his sons and his business associates, told through dreams, memories and arguments, we witness how his quest for the American dream kept him blind to the people who truly loved him.
“Death of a Salesman” premiered on Broadway in 1949 and ran for 742 performances. The play is considered by some critics to be one of the greatest plays of the 20th century. It was revived on Broadway five times (winning three Tony Awards for best revival) and has been adapted for film on 10 occasions, from the 1951 version starring Fredric March to the 1985 version with Dustin Hoffman.
Zach Thompson is the director of the show at Royal Off-the-Square Theatre at 121 W. Walnut St. The lead role of Willy Loman is played by Larry Hartley.
Other actors are Lisa Burrell as Linda, Willy’s supportive and loving wife; Thomas Leist as Biff, Willy’s older son; Nate Turner as Happy, Willy’s younger son; Jason Harman as Charley, a neighbor; Morgan Henry as Bernard, Charley’s son; Bob Clark as Ben, Willy’s older brother; Olivia Nguyen as “the woman,” Willy’s mistress in Boston; Josh Thompson as Willy’s boss, Howard; Marco Valdivia as Stanley, a waiter; Rebecca Hendrix and Kylee Lewis as Miss Forsythe and Letta, young women in a restaurant, and Chelsey Klosterman as Jenny, Charley’s secretary.
Show dates are at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 13-14 and 20-21 and at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 15,
Tickets went on sale Tuesday online through the website jcct.org. Click on “Order Tickets Online” to be taken to the secure ticketing site. Locally, tickets may be purchased at Artistic Impressions Framing in Seymour and Ewing Uniques in Brownstown, or by calling 812-358-JCCT (5228).
The mainstage shows that complete the 2024-25 season are “Much Ado About Nothing,” directed by Jeremy Hendrix, “The Fantasticks,” a musical dinner theater at The Pines Evergreen Room, directed by Larry Hartley, and “Steel Magnolias,” directed by Paul Keller. More information on the shows and auditions may be found on the JCCT website, www.jcct.org.