Wolfpack Theatre's 'Death of a Salesman' highlights story of human condition

Nov. 6—When American playwright Arthur Miller wrote "Death of a Salesman" in 1949 it became an instant Broadway hit. Audiences connected deeply with the complex characters and their interrelationships bound to such universal themes as the American Dream, success versus failure, delusion versus reality and mental illness.

Miller's play still reverberates. The human condition and all its frailties hasn't changed much in the last 70 years of modern American history.

"Death of a Salesman" is widely studied in high school literature and drama classes. This month Glacier High School's Wolfpack Theatre brings, in Miller's own words — this "tragedy of the common man" — to the stage.

The play is under the direction of Greg Adkins who is well familiar with "Death of a Salesman, having played the lead role of traveling salesman Willy Loman when he was a senior at Flathead High School in 1986, and who since 1992 has taught the play almost every year in his English/Language arts classes.

Adkins graduated with a bachelor's degree in education from Eastern Montana College, now MSU-Billings. In 1994 he became head coach of speech and debate for FHS, along with being involved with the theater department there. When Glacier High School opened in 2007 he became head coach of its speech and debate department and a director for Wolfpack Theatre. He also coaches softball.

In a synchronistic turn of events, his son Mac Adkins, a senior at Glacier High School, is playing the role of Willy Loman in Wolfpack Theatre's production of "Death of a Salesman."

Although it's unusual for students to see their parents every day at school, it's been the rule rather than the exception for Mac whose high school career will be bookended in his father's classrooms.

"My very first period of my freshman year, he was my teacher," Mac said. "And my last period of my senior year will probably be with him. Start to finish, he's always been my teacher, my coach (in speech and debate, along with eight years of baseball), and my dad."

Mac's mother and Greg's wife, Lori Adkins, is a teacher at Edgerton Elementary.

"All through elementary school it was like that too, so it was really only in middle school that I was free," Mac joked.

It was the same with their son, Brock, who graduated in 2017.

"I just feel really fortunate because I get to spend time with them in high school, see who their friends are, their activities, and be part of their lives," Greg said. "A lot of parents don't get to do that. I am really blessed they like a lot of the same activities I do."

Ivanna Fritz, head of Glacier's English and theater departments and assistant speech and debate coach, has seen first hand how her colleague, whom she's worked with for 25 years, first at Flathead and now at Glacier, interacts with students.

"He's very caring, He's definitely there for the students," she said. "Anytime he's directing a show or teaching a class the students know he wants them to succeed."

Fritz had the opportunity to direct her own children in shows saying it was "so uniquely special."

"But I can't imagine having played a role and then seeing your son playing the same role," she said. "And to be directed by your dad is even more unique. They're both doing it with grace and enjoying that opportunity."

HAVING DIRECTED the play one other time, at Flathead in the '90s, Fritz suggested Greg direct it again.

"'Death of a Salesman' has always been a play I've loved," Greg said, "It's a beautiful and important play."

Mac didn't tell his dad he was planning on trying out for the part of Willy Loman.

"He came in and blew me away," Greg said. "One of the directors was sitting next to me and she (Marcy Maroney) said, 'There's your Willy Loman.'"

"'Death of a Salesman' is the quintessential American play because it's about that whole American Dream, that if you just work hard enough you will succeed," Fritz said. "The reality is that it's not always true."

"It's a tragic story but it's super humane," Mac said. "Willy had goals and he didn't achieve them. It crushes him. Rarely do you find a character who is so devastating, but also extremely realistic."

"One of the things I've been noticing about the play is the focus on mental health," Greg said. "Willy is obviously not well. He makes the wrong choice. He chooses to kill himself. He thinks he's doing the right thing for his family, but he's not. He's not a hero."

"He's a pathological liar too," Mac added. "And in the end he starts to lie to himself. That's his ultimate downfall."

In a scene where Willy Loman fantasizes his dead brother visits him and reminds him of the $20,000 life insurance policy he'd taken out years ago,

Willy ultimately considers suicide, thinking it's the only way he can provide for his family.

"Willy doesn't have to die," Greg said. "I think that's what Arthur Miller was trying to say: 'This doesn't have to end like this.'"

WILLY HAS an enormous amount of lines, the most, Mac says, he's ever had to learn for a play. That alone has been a significant challenge for him, especially considering his involvement on Glacier's Speech and Debate team, cross country team and as acting student body president.

While taking on such a demanding play has posed a big challenge for both father and son, and the entire company, Greg sees theater as a great opportunity to learn.

"David Hashley (former longtime director of FHS Theatre) was my mentor. He always said theater is a vehicle to learn about life. Just figuring out how to work with people different from you, to be dedicated, disciplined and motivated — I just think it's a great life skill."

"We definitely have that philosophy in our program and Greg really applies that," Fritz said.

Working together is something that comes naturally to Greg and Mac.

"From my perspective it's awesome," Greg said. "This will be the last time I get a chance to do this. Four years flies by."

Greg credits his son's natural artistic ability and intelligence with how he approaches his character.

"He plays Willy Loman so differently than I did when I was a high school student," he said. "He's way more creative and insightful."

"For those who know someone who is struggling, and quite honestly, that's almost every person, watching how people act around Willy is really important," Mac said.

Fritz also emphasized the play's exploration of mental illness and suicide.

"With all the suicides in our valley, we should be exploring that more, having discussions," she said. "That's where Willy is. He thinks his family would be better without him."

"Arthur Miller wrote this in 1949 and nothing's changed," Greg said. "The whole idea of how we value people and the American Dream is timeless. It could be happening now."

"And how we measure what failure is," Mac added. "Success comes in many different forms and it should not be measured by net worth, but rather by how what you're doing every day makes you feel."

Fritz agrees.

"That's a message all of us can think about. Are we doing what we love? It's also very interesting to explore that with high school students," she said. "What do you want to do with your life?

"That makes this play very relevant. It's an exciting time for our theater, Fritz said. "This is a challenging piece of literature and to bring it to life is pretty awesome."

BREAKOUT BOX

Glacier High School's Wolfpack Theatre Company will present "Death of a Salesman" Nov. 8, 9 and 10. Curtain time nightly is 6:33 p.m.

Advanced tickets are available on GoFan, Glacier's new online ticketing service, and at Photo Video Plus. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children, students and senior citizens. To access the ticketing service, go to gofan.com and search for Glacier High School. Each night of the production is listed for ticket purchase.