Andrew Garfield and Linda Emond in "Death of a Salesman"In his daydreaming, undying quest for success, Willy Loman in Arthur Miller’s "Death of a Salesman" has symbolized the perils of the American dream for more than 60 years. And as he and his sons have sought fortune, love, purpose and understanding, their relationships have become a window, or a mirror, for many.
But what about Willy’s wife, the woman who does all she can to preserve the embers of his confidence, who defends him even as he breaks down and lashes out at her?
Linda Emond — who plays Linda Loman opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman in a new Broadway production — sees her character’s defining feature as strength.
"She holds the ship together," says Emond. "I think she has for years, as women often do."
Emond admires Linda Loman’s capacity to devote herself entirely to her husband, no matter what anguish it causes her or how hopeless the situation.
"She loves this person extraordinarily," Emond says. "To really seek the ways that you love someone deeper, stronger, beyond measure is a great challenge."
A 52-year-old New Brunswick native, Emond has been described by one critic as a "secret weapon" of the New York stage who has taken turns from the Broadway musical "1776" to new plays such as Tony Kushner’s "Homebody/Kabul."
She is also a familiar face in films such as "Stop-Loss" and "Julie and Julia" and TV shows from "The Good Wife" to "Gossip Girl."
Emond frequently breaks into a dimpled smile as she discusses her career. Her awe for colleagues from "Salesman" director Mike Nichols to her set and costume designers and her purist’s love for drama are immediately apparent.
"I am not usually drawn as much to character as I am to story," she says.
Now 63 years old, the play is the same age as its protagonist. Yet unlike Willy, it is far from obsolete. Ticket sales have soared, with the story of a man who falsely believes his charisma and 35-year devotion to a company would carry him to affluence and renown feeling all too timely.
When Loman is fired from his job — by the son of the man who hired him — it is sure to resonate.
So is the lack of direction shown by Loman’s sons — Biff, played by Andrew Garfield, and Happy, played by Finn Wittrock.
"Any time you tell a tale that’s this human ... it ends up being very modern," Emond says.
At the same time, in its scale, she sees the play reaching back centuries.
"You can’t seem to go deep and scary enough," she says "There’s something Greek about it."
Immensely vulnerable
Perhaps more than any other character in the play, Linda Loman endures the weight of Willy’s wish to kill himself, desperately trying to protect him but also seeming to acknowledge the inevitable. The whole family is immensely vulnerable and the stakes are high from the start, even if the audience doesn’t realize the gravity in the first moments.
"Miller is asking us to start the play at a place that’s already an emergency," Emond says.
After falling asleep at 2:30 a.m. the night before this interview, Emond found herself wide-awake four hours later, mulling over a scene. She starts to feel the dread and the anxiety of entering the Lomans’ world midday.
"Sleep is a problem right now because your head approaches hitting the pillow and the brain kicks in, working through something you haven’t figured out yet," she says.
Hoffman is a two-time Tony Award nominee; Emond also received a nomination for Yasmina Reza’s "Life X 3," and Nichols has numerous honors.
This show seems likely to earn them more notices.
"It is absolutely heartbreaking to me that Arthur Miller is not here," Emond says.
She chokes up as she recalls meeting him once during a reading with Hilary Swank.
"I would give anything," she says. "It isn’t just about wanting to ask him questions or something like that, because answering those questions for yourself is a great thing, and playwrights working from a subconscious place don’t always know the answers."
Emond has been poring over Miller’s notes and those of the original director Elia Kazan. She describes herself as "weak in the knees" just seeing his daughter after a performance.
"I feel like we’ve worked really hard to do him justice and I’m humbled every day in the theater," she says.
"I just want to do him proud."
Death of a Salesman
Where: Barrymore Theatre, 243 W. 47th St., New York
When: In previews through March 14, opens March 15. March 12-14, 16, 17 at 8 p.m., March 15 at 6:30 p.m., From March 18, Tuesdays at 7 p.m., Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
How much: $46.50 to $141.50, premium seats $176.50 to $226.50. Call (212) 239-6200 or visit telecharge.com