‘Salesman’ Doesn’t Deliver the Goods

The stooped 60-year-old shambles across the stage, sets down his heavy sample cases and exhales a weary sigh. Yes, friends, Willy Loman is back.

The production of “Death of a Salesman” at Ventura Court Theatre marks the third Arthur Miller revival this fall in L.A. County (the others are “A View From the Bridge” at the Marilyn Monroe and “The Price” at International City Theatre). Perhaps the scheduling is merely coincidental, but during this era of rightward political drift Miller’s status as a critic of capitalism is as relevant as ever.

Loman, the obscure company man whose delusions of grandeur seal his doom, remains one of our key cultural symbols, the chump caught between reality and the prevailing Dale Carnegie-inspired notions of success. Conveying the full tragedy of this solitary speck in the suburban sprawl has to be one of the most daunting tasks in modern drama.

The new “Salesman” boasts a notable cast, including husband and wife character actors Richard and Patricia Herd playing Loman and his long-suffering wife, and former “Love Boat” doctor Bernie Kopell playing the forlorn drummer’s friend and foil, Charley.

But director Jules Aaron’s production never quite hits its stride. Halting transitions between Willy’s flashbacks and the rest of the play interrupt the dramatic flow, and the actors never seem totally at ease with Miller’s distinctive Brooklyn street talk. The seams of Miller’s dramaturgy are especially evident in a so-so effort of this sort.

Jason Brooks makes for a brooding Biff, Willy’s prodigal son, while Peter Barton is a merely adequate Happy, Biff’s younger brother. Herd, who provides an avuncular, Karl Malden-like spin as Willy, generates interest but, alas, no tears.

* “Death of a Salesman,” Ventura Court Theatre, 12417 Ventura Court, Studio City. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m., Sundays, 3 p.m. Ends Dec. 17. $20. (213) 466-1767. Running time: 3 hours.