Bo Foxworth and Tessa Auberjonois (Photo by Craig Schwartz)
Reviewed by G. Bruce Smith
Antaeus Theatre Company
Through March 30
RECOMMENDED
Bryan Keith, Cherish Monique Duke, Matthew Grondin and Michael Yapujian (Photo by Craig Schwartz))
It’s 1947 and we are in the backyard of the Keller home on the outskirts of an American town in Ohio. It’s a nice home with a lovely back yard in an optimistic America that was booming — this during that brief time when the horrors of World War II had ended but the chill of the Cold War had not quite put its grip of nuclear terror into the hearts of U.S. citizens
This is the world we enter in Arthur Miller’s classic drama, All My Sons, which is receiving a stellar production at Antaeus Theatre Company. There, in the back yard, is Joe Keller (Bo Foxworth), a well-to-do but solidly middle-class factory owner, his adult son Chris (Matthew Grondin), and various neighbors who drop by from time to time. The air is full of suburban cheer – or is it? The cheer starts to feel false as we get hints – and later full revelations – of dark, devastating secrets.
Three years earlier, the Keller family learned that their older son Larry, a World War II pilot, was reported missing. Joe and Chris have come to accept Larry’s death, but Kate (Tessa Auberjonois) holds on to the hope her son is still alive. Chris is especially keen to move on because he has fallen in love with Ann Deever (Shannon Lee Clair), who had been Larry’s girlfriend, and plans to marry her.
The Chris-Ann relationship is complicated by the fact that Ann’s father, Steve Deever, Joe Keller’s former partner in the manufacturing business, is in prison because the men’s plant had shipped out 100 defective cylinders that were installed in U.S. military planes, resulting in the deaths of 120 American airmen. Both Deever and Keller had been prosecuted, but Keller was exonerated.
This sets up the remainder of the story that descends into tragedy as we slowly learn of the consequences of the characters’ actions — and their denials of hard truths.
Many of the questions asked in the play resonate today. What are the consequences of valuing money over morality? How do we justify the choices we make? When we build our lives on a foundation of lies, will they inevitably collapse?
Director Oánh Nguyễn says in his program notes that the Antaeus production leans into the “tension between personal loyalty and moral responsibility.” That tension is felt onstage almost from the beginning of the show to curtain. Nguyễn has clearly given thoughtful attention to the layers of Miller’s Tony-winning masterpiece (his first Broadway hit) as he guides his top-notch cast through the riveting action.
Adding to the success of the production are Fred Kinney’s scenic design, in tandem with Andrew Schmedake’s lighting design and Jeff Gardner’s sound design, which incorporate large headlamps pointed at the audience for startling effect at key points. And Wendell C. Carmichael’s costume design is a perfect fit for the time period and the characters.
Antaeus Theatre, Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center, 110 E. Broadway, Glendale. Wed.-Sat, 8 pm, Sat.-Sun., 2 pm, thru March 30. www.antaeus.org. Running time: Two hours and 25 minutes with an intermission.
