‘Death’ needs no updating

Willy Loman has the same problems as millions of Americans today. He’s burned out on the job but can’t afford to retire. Even as he struggles to pay off the mortgage on his house, he has to borrow more money just to cover routine household expenses.

Of course, Willy is fiction — created by playwright Arthur Miller six decades ago for his classic drama, “Death of a Salesman” — but that doesn’t mean Willy isn’t real.

The current 6th Street Playhouse production of the play, starring Los Angeles TV and film actor Daniel Benzali as the road-weary traveling salesman, makes no attempt to update the drama. It’s not necessary.

Trudging home with his sample cases, wearing a 1940s-style fedora and double-breasted suit, Willy grumbles about his Studebaker and boasts that his son, a high school football star, could be another Red Grange.

But make no mistake. Stories like Willy’s can, and do, happen now.

When Willy wishes that just once, he could make the last payment on a washing machine or refrigerator before the damn thing wears out, the audience knows just what he means, and responds with laughter born of recognition.

Benzali — known for his recurring roles on “Murder One,” “LA Law,” “NYPD” and other TV series — gives a precise and intense performance.

Since Willy is in the early stages of what might be diagnosed today as dementia, the role demands endless emotional twists and turns. Willy contradicts what he said just a few moments ago, without noticing. He talks to himself, and experiences scenes from his own past as if they were happening right now.

Benzali’s imposing stage presence never falters. His voice ranges easily from gentle daydream rambles to crackling rants and tantrums. His face and stance are innocent and childlike one moment, but cruel and crazy the next.

The 6th Street Playhouse is not the first theater company to raise its public profile by importing a leading man with screen credits, but the most impressive thing about this production is that it’s not a one-man show.

Director Sheri Lee Miller’s supporting ensemble brings just as much to this show as its star.

As Willy’s well-meaning wife, Linda, Tori Truss hints at the weakness underlying her lifetime of devotion to a man who probably needs more than just unquestioning support.

Tim Kniffin, as Willy’s aimless first-born son, Biff, matches the elder Loman’s mercurial temperament and creates a very credible portrait of a young man who is too slow to realize that he and his dad are a lot alike.

Michael Navarra, as Willy’s shallow younger son, Happy, emphasizes the Loman family charm and reckless optimism, adding an air of inevitability to the Loman clan’s relentless series of disappointments.

The rest of the cast also delivers impeccably appropriate performances: Eric Burke as tough and successful Uncle Ben, John Craven as Willy’s pragmatic neighbor Charley, Mark Bradbury as Charley’s goody-goody son Bernard, Jeff Coté as Willy’s indifferent second-generation boss, and Gina Rose Tiso as Willy’s out-of-town mistress.

Set designer David Lear and lighting designer John Connole, both proven talents in North Bay theater, have surpassed themselves with this show. The open yet detailed set, and subtle shifts in lighting, allow the action to move easily from mood to mood, from one scene to the next, and even back and forth in time.

Julia Kwitchoff’s costume designs accurately place the characters in their 1940s time period, but look fresh and dapper when necessary.

One criticism: The pacing of the opening-night performance, which ran nearly three hours, flagged a bit near the end. While the first act went by so quickly that intermission came as a surprise, the second act felt a bit sluggish at times. That could be the company’s deliberate choice, given the somber content of the second act, or it could be a first-night kink that already has been worked out.

This is an important production for 6th Street, now in its fourth season at its renovated Railroad Square venue.

“Death of Salesman” — from the careful selection of the cast, to the diligent monthlong rehearsal process, to the meticulously detailed production work — is clearly meant to demonstrate that the company has set itself a new, and more ambitious standard.

The point is proven with this production, and local audiences would be wise to take notice.