The attic in Manhattan

"Despite my wishes I could not tamper with something the play and life seemed to be telling me: That we were doomed to perpetuate our illusions because truth was too costly to face" - Arthur Miller on The Price

Shattered Globe Theatre did a solid job at producing Arthur Miller's 1969 play The Price. Set in the attic of a Manhattan dwelling, this intelligent and detailed stagecraft was top-notch in how well all these details were carried out.

Along with the convincing scenery and props (take for instance the fake dust Victor blows off his boyhood radio project), the acting itself was solid and professional, and one gets a sense that these actors really care about their craft.

Unfortunately, the flip side of the coin is that during the climax scenes, the acting was a bit overdone. Still, this play is worthy of repeat performances. This is a thought-provoking play that has been placed in the right hands.

A psychologically and socially dramatic play, it is just simple human dynamics. The play is focused on four main characters. Victor Franz (Doug McDade) opens up this play by tinkering around in the attic by himself as he awaits the furniture appraiser Gregory Solomon (Maury Cooper), who will purchase this lot of long-gone deceased parent material memories and possessions.

This house holds many memories for Victor, and unfortunately not all memories are good ones. Since the house will be torn down, Victor tried to contact his estranged brother Walter (Don Blair) in regards to the attic contents. With no success in contacting his brother and his wife blatantly reminding him of the financial realities of living on a cop's salary, Victor is forced to take matters into his own hands, which is why the appraiser is called in. Bringing comic relief and much haggling, a deal is settled between Victor and Solomon. This is where the drama sets in.

Victor's wife Esther Franz (Linda Reiter) comes in and announces that the appraiser undersold Victor. Worse yet, Victor's successful surgeon brother Walter appears on the scene after 16 years and tensions escalate as old hurts, resentments and surprises are addressed and released into the open.

There is a dual meaning in the title, as everything we do in life has a price. There is the material "worth" of goods, and there is the price involved in the decisions we make.

Victor sacrificed a career in science to become a policeman in order to support his father. Walter saw through their father's dependence as the real selfish motives behind and concentrated on his career in science. Both lives carry pros and cons, such as life does. This is the price we pay as being human beings.