The Man Who Had all the Luck

The Lyceum’s latest production is a bit of a conundrum: it is a very good production of a very mediocre script. Famously, the original production closed on Broadway after four performances, and though the current company do a commendable job it is easy to see why the original failed.

Miller’s protagonist, David Beeves, has an almost supernatural knack for being consistently lucky. He finds success where others fail and benefits from chance encounters and situations. While Breeves rises in fortune, he is forced to watch loved ones have their dreams dashed and struggle in life. Feelings of guilt lead to paranoia and the ominous belief that his downfall is inevitable.

Philip Cumbus has the difficult job of playing the title role. He manages to find a believable balance between likability and moody desperation and gives a commanding performance. The rest of the company are equally strong, with notable performances by Matthew Pidgeon as wheelchair-bound Shory and Greg Powrie, who has the rather thankless job of playing Miller’s ‘deus ex machina’ Gustav.

The production is also well produced. It has a nice design concept, and it is solidly directed by Lyceum Associate Artist John Dove. Dove manages to find depth in scenes and characters that could easily have fallen into shallow stereotypical territory, and he creates some wonderfully theatrical moments, especially in the production’s second half.

The script clearly shows the future potential of Miller’s dramatic writing. But had Miller not been the playwright, this script would have been immediately forgotten and not considered for future productions anywhere. It contains good concepts and ideas and has moments of clever dialogue, but for the most part it feels both clunky and convenient, making it nothing more than a worthy attempt by a novice. If anything, it belongs as part of a Miller festival and not as a stand-alone production.

It’s a shame that the hard work of the artistic company cannot make up for the script’s major shortcomings. Still, there are some good performances and theatrical moments that will make many think they haven’t wasted their time.

On an ironic closing note, much has been made out of how ‘timely’ this play is in context with the current economic crisis. While parallels are easy to see, one must remember that the Lyceum announced this production long before the economy began to recede. So, just how did the Lyceum have the insight in choosing this play for this particular moment? Well, I guess it just comes down to one thing: dumb luck.