It’s not surprising that the majority of Americans spend hours in front of the television set, considering how our society seems plagued with a severe case of celebrity fever.
If you fall into this category, you’re in luck. There’s no need to head off to Hollywood . you can be star-struck right here at ETSU as renowned actor Patrick Cronin will deliver his performance as Willie Loman in the upcoming ETSU Division of Theatre production of Arthur Miller’s famed “Death of a Salesman.”
Cronin has appeared in such notable movies and television shows as Mad About You, Seinfeld, The Magnificent Seven, and Home Improvement and held the Wayne G. Basler Chair of Excellence for the Integration of the Arts, Rhetoric and Science at ETSU in spring 1999.
Despite his hectic schedule, he performed in the Johnson City Community Theatre production of “Love Letters” and directed the ETSU production of “A Christmas Carol.” When discussing the upcoming performance, Robert D. Funk, director of the ETSU Division of Theatre, said that Cronin “wanted to get away from Hollywood after his wife died. We had spoken about the play, and he told me that he really wanted to do the role of Willie Loman.”
Cronin’s son, James, a freshman University Honors Scholar at ETSU majoring in philosophy with an English minor, will star alongside his father as Willie’s son, Happy. Among his other accomplishments, James has performed as Lee Harvey Oswald in The Brentwood School’s performance of “Assassins” and ETSU’s production of “A Christmas Carol.”
His younger brother, Charlie, attends Science Hill High School as a senior and plans to enter ETSU in the fall to pursue a degree in business.
In addition to regular performances, there will be a special fund-raising presentation of “Death of a Salesman” to benefit the Beatrice Colen Cronin Memorial Fund. Patrick Cronin founded the Memorial Fund in 2000 to honor his wife of 22 years, Betsy, who lost her five-year battle with lung cancer on Nov. 19, 1999. Betsy died on opening night of “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” a play created by her Pulitzer Prize-winning grandfather, George S. Kaufman.
Betsy Cronin was a 1969 graduate of Temple University, where she earned a degree in theatre before going on to study at The H/B Studios in New York.
Cast members of “Death of a Salesman” include Rhonda Hedderich, who will play the role of Linda; Chad Martin, who will portray Biff; and Josh Hite, who will play Bernard.
Dr. Don Johnson, dean of the ETSU College of Arts and Sciences, will play the role of Uncle Ben. The cast continues with Tylie Vaughn as The Woman; Hal Youngblood as Charley; Thomas Townsend as Howard Wagner; Amy Tallmadge as Jenny; James Andes as Stanley; Maegan McNerney as Miss Forsythe; and Anna Koch as Letta.
Music for the performance is by Johnson City composer Kenton Coe.
Funk will be directing the performance.
“Death of a Salesman” opened for the first time on Feb. 10, 1949 at New York’s Morosco Theatre and received the 1949 Drama Critics’ Circle Award, Tony, Theatre Club and Front-Page awards and the Pulitzer Prize.
“It is one of the greatest plays ever written and very relevant to our times,” Funk said.
Tickets for the special performance, which will take place 7:30 p.m. April 4, are $65 per person. That price includes admission and a $50 donation to the Memorial Fund, which will benefit the restoration of the VA Memorial Theatre. Those attending the special performance will also have the opportunity to attend a reception following the play, meet Patrick Cronin and receive a program signed by Cronin and the cast.
Regular performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. April 5-7 and 2 p.m. on April 8. Admission is $16 for the general public and $8 for students with valid I.D.
For more information, call the Division of Theatre box office at 439-7576.
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