Cast & photos: DEATH OF A SALESMAN at the Lab Theater

Mitch and Joann Haley as Willy and Linda Loman
Courtesy The Laboratory Theater of Florida

Here's the cast for the Lab Theater's production of Arthur Miller classic "Death of a Salesman."

Mitch and Joann Haley as Willy and Linda Loman
Courtesy The Laboratory Theater of Florida

Louise Wigglesworth directs, with Nykkie Rizley as assistant director.

Mitch Haley as Willy Loman
Joann Haley as Linda Loman
Rob Green as Biff
Stu Colon as Happy
Rick Sebastian as Charley
Bill Molesky as Ben
WITH: Mary Powell, Jeffrey Schmitt, David Jennings, Caitlynn Crawford, Ken Bryant and Taylor Adair Nave.

"Death of a Salesman" plays at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday from Jan. 10 - Feb. 1. There will be one 2 p.m. matinée on Sunday, Jan. 26, with an audience talk-back following.  Tickets are $12 for students, $18.50 for seniors and military on Thursdays, and $22 for adults. Buy online here: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/391652





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DEATH OF A SALESMAN




FORT MYERS, 12/16/2013:     Arthur Miller's American masterpiece, Death of a Salesman, will open at The Laboratory Theater of Florida on Friday, January 10th. Acknowledged as a milestone in American theater, the play features Willy Loman, an aging, failed salesman with more dreams than any life could realize.  He returns home from work exhausted one day to find that his equally unsuccessful sons have come home to visit. The air is thick with tension as secrets come to light and lies are exposed. The New York Times says, "by common consent, this is one of the finest dramas in the whole range of the American theater."

Death of a Salesman won the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award the year it premiered, 1949. It has since won Tony Awards each year it has seen a New York City revival. Its latest win, in 2012, was for the Philip Seymour Hoffman production, directed by Mike Nichols.

The Laboratory Theater production stars Mitch Haley as the iconic salesman, Willy Loman. Mr Haley has acted in I'm Not Rappaport for the Florida Repertory Theatre, Lysistrata for Theatre Conspiracy, Picnic for Cultural Park Theatre, and Women Beware Women for The Laboratory Theater of Florida, to name a few. Joann Haley supports as Linda Loman and boasts an equally impressive resume. Also supporting are Rob Green as Biff, the disappointed son, and Stu Colon as other son, Happy. The cast is rounded out by Rick Sebastian as next-door neighbor Charley, Bill Molesky as Ben, the fantasy older brother who only exists in Willy's mind, as well as actors Mary Powell, Jeffrey Schmitt, David Jennings, Caitlynn Crawford, Ken Bryant, and Taylor Adair Nave.

"It's a very honored play, very decorated, and for obvious reasons," says director Louise Wigglesworth.  "The cast is strong and experienced and the more we work, the more we discover." Says assistant director Nykkie Rizley, "Death of a Salesman is relevant today because we are still striving for the American dream and constantly reassessing what that dream is. Willy Loman and his sons are deeply flawed characters and Linda Loman enables all of them. These are parents who are teaching their sons that they don't have to work for anything, that they are already great. It's totally unrealistic and a serious disservice to the kids. It’s their tragedy.”

Death of a Salesman premieres on Jan. 10, 2014 at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:15 p.m. for the opening night reception. Other performances are on January 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31, Feb 1. Tickets are $12 for students, $18.50 for seniors and military on Thursdays, and $22 for adults. They are available for purchase at the door or online at laboratorytheaterflorida.com. There will be an audience talk-back after the Sunday, January 26 performance. All guests are welcomed to participate.

The Laboratory Theater of Florida, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is dedicated to the promotion of the performing arts, through live performance, education, community outreach, experimentation and the development of ensemble work. The company features ensemble productions, produces classic works, takes artistic risks and features and challenges local performers of various skill levels. Stay up to date with its news and events on Facebook and Twitter @LabTheaterFL.  For more information, call 239-218-0481. The theater is located at 1634 Woodford Ave. Fort Myers, 33901.