All My Sons
Mary Moody Northen Theatre, through Oct. 6 Time was, the expanse above your head was all blue sky, and you could see nothing but success, happiness, and optimism clear to the horizon. But then came a point when you looked up and everything was black, and you don’t remember the moment it changed or how. Did you miss the fading of the light or had you just convinced yourself the light was still there while the darkness fell?That question lies at the heart of All My Sons, Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama. Its protagonists, Joe and Kate Keller, were living the American dream — prosperous business, large home in a friendly neighborhood, two good sons — until World War II cast a shadow across it all. One son went missing in action, and Joe’s factory provided the military with faulty aircraft engines that caused 29 planes to crash, killing their young crews. But these two refuse to acknowledge the dark corners of their lives. Kate insists that her son is still alive, even though three years have passed since his disappearance, while Joe lays the blame for the engine trouble on his partner, who was sent to prison. Now, their self-denial threatens the future of their surviving son, Chris, who has been groomed to take over the family business and wants to marry his brother’s girlfriend, who is also the daughter of his father’s imprisoned partner.
There is potential in this material for overwrought melodrama, but as realized on the Mary Moody Northen Theatre stage, Miller’s morality play has a simmering urgency. Director Melba Martinez takes the drama slow and steady, allowing her capable actors the time to ground themselves in their characters and the emotions that drive them. Guest Artist Dirk Van Allen takes on Joe in an easygoing manner, the character’s affability like a second skin to him, yet he also conveys Joe’s pride, as a father and a self-made businessman, with forcefulness. Guest Artist Babs George infuses Kate with the vigor of conviction; so strong is this ailing woman’s faith that she seems able to survive on sheer will alone. St. Edward’s student Jason Newman keeps a tight lid on Chris, projecting a reserve that seems in keeping with the character’s tightly held principles. Still, he opens up nicely in a tender scene with fellow student Valerie Redd — smart and winning as Chris’ romantic interest Ann — when the two admit their feelings for each other.
On opening night, the show had a somewhat irregular rhythm, as if the actors were still tentative about their interactions, but the gathering force of the drama was present. Above the Keller household, we could feel the weight of the darkening sky, and in the play’s final moments, could feel it come crashing down. Through Oct. 6. Wednesday-Saturday, 7:30pm; Sunday, 2pm. Mary Moody Northen Theatre, St. Edward’s University, 3001 S. Congress. $10. 448-8484.
This article appears in September 27 • 2002.