SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THEATRE CRITIC CHIMES IN WITH TOP TEN FOR 2015

When it comes time to pen the ubiquitous Top Ten Lists at year's end, it's tough limiting theatre venues to just ten best productions of the year, especially when this critic is covering Los Angeles, San Diego, La Jolla, and Pasadena theatres.

But this intrepid writer will attempt to do just that. The following shows, in no particular order, are my selections for Best Productions of 2015.

The Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles had two such outstanding productions : 

"Bent", the poignant and compelling story of German Jews being sent to concentration camps in 1936 Germany, teaches one about the transformative power of love.

"The Price", Arthur Miller's classic play about the choices one New York family makes in the highly charged emotional barter and life assessments, is Miller at his outstanding best.

"Come from Away" at the La Jolla Playhouse was the uplifting musical written by a Canadian husband and wife team about the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania and the impact 4000 unexpected passengers had on the tiny community of Gander, Newfoundland.

"Baskerville: A Sherlock Homes Mystery", at San Diego's Old Globe. An energetic highly creative, and entertaining mystery/farce production where five performers play over 45 roles at breakneck speed.

"Chapatti", at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, was a delightful and charming tale of love finding two senior citizens in the Emerald Isle.

"Happy Hour" at the Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre was a world premiere comedy/drama about an aging father and his son coming to grips with the reality that Dad can't live on his own anymore.

"Bad Jews" at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. The biting comedy of a dysfunctional family squabbling with their cousin over family heirlooms, and who should get what, featured delicious confrontational dialogue and theatrical craftsmanship at its finest. 

"Real Women Have Curves" at the Pasadena Playhouse was a comedic and poignant exploration of the vexing issue of illegal Latina women working in Los Angeles' garment industry. Not only do they worry about deportation, they would like be appreciated for their individuality at work and at home by their families and spouses.

San Diego Rep Theatre, now in their 40th season, also had two stellar productions in the Top Ten for 2015.

"Oedipus El Rey" was a powerful adaptation of Sophocles' tragic tale of murder, ambition, and incest. Only this time the characters are Hispanics living in a Los Angeles 'barrio' instead of in the city-state of Athens some 2400 years ago.

"Uncanny Valley" was a provocative drama about the relationships between creators of robots and their avatar creations. Will science ever be able to give robots the power to think independently? The premise of such exploration may be further along than we think.

Southern California theatrical venues have sent many productions to Broadway and to regional theatres everywhere including London's West End.

If you see any of the above 2015 plays upcoming in your area, by all means, attend. You won't be disappointed.

AMERICAN MUSICAL PHENOMENON "HAMILTON" WOWS BROADWAY

A fresh and a creative wind has blown into the Great White Way in game-changing fashion, potentially altering the way some American musicals will be staged and produced in the future.

“Hamilton”, the captivating musical/opera with a book, music and lyrics by MacArthur Genius Award recipient Lin-Manuel Miranda, is a breathtaking historical ride back to our nation’s Revolutionary War roots. Miranda also stars in the title role of Alexander Hamilton.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of Hamilton

This time, the story is fueled by the drive, energy, and beat of Hip-Hop and Rap music, performed by a superb multi-racial cast directed by the uncommonly talented and gifted director Thomas Kail. Miranda and Kail are the same creative team that garnered four 2008 Tony Award trophies for their ground-breaking musical juggernaut “In the Heights” which ran for over 1000 performances at the Richard Rodgers Theatre – the same theatre where “Hamilton” is performing.  Can lightning strike twice at the same theatre venue for the same team?  You bet it can and it is.

“Hamilton” had been percolating in Miranda’s creative brain for more than six years before finally debuting off-Broadway and selling out performances at The Public Theatre earlier this year. Theatrical ventures – musicals in particular – have a gestation period far longer than elephants (two years for them), which most normal people would consider a long time before giving birth to anything. Not, however, in the world of theatre and Broadway.

It’s the hottest ticket in New York City, boasting $ 27 million advance ticket sales in just the first few weeks since opening. Rumors have it that orchestra tickets are selling on the street in excess of $1300 a piece for a weekend performance. The average theatre-goer can’t even imagine tickets commanding prices like that.  It’s a sea-change show that will run for several years on Broadway, to say nothing of a national tour and then onto the major Regional Theatre circuit.

What makes this musical so successful?  For starters, I believe it’s a production where the critical mass of creativity meets an abundance of talent. The result of that marriage becomes a confluence; a coming together at just the right time in America where a savvy theatrical team produces a musical that appeals to the new emerging American theatre-going demographic. “Hamilton” is not your father’s remembrance of 20th century American musicals.

Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr and the cast of Hamilton.
All photos by Joan Marcus

The thirty-two cast members that breathe life into this highly entertaining history lesson with a beat on the rise and fall of Alexander Hamilton, move as one, never out of step, never out of the moment. It’s a visual feast both for the eyes and the ears of the audience. It also introduces Hip-Hop with a blending of Rap as the platform of preference in entertaining its audience. We’re not talking ‘gangsta’ rap’ here. We’re witnessing the birth of a new communication/entertainment platform for future musical productions. Hip-hop style, with its rhyming and propulsive lyrics and dance movements, more and more reflects the society in which millions live.

Before the over-fifty set dismiss the phenomenon of “Hamilton” as not an entertaining style for a musical, one should see the new face of the American musical, and then make a decision as to its relevance in our changing society.

Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton, 
Renee Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler
and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler in Hamilton

The story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the brightest and best of our founding fathers, resonates with young people. One, he was an immigrant and an orphan; two, he was a man of color – it’s rumored that he was an Octaroon; three, he was an ambitious self-made man who attended a prestigious university, becoming a successful lawyer, and an aide to George Washington during the Revolutionary War. He was also a handsome ladies man who married well into New York political and social circles. With a resume like that it’s no wonder that he’s a historical character who appeals to young people, who are apparently making up half of the show's audiences.

Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson and the cast of Hamilton

The tale of two powerful and ambitious men of American history is the story that playwright Miranda wants us to explore; two men whose paths are destined to cross with deadly results. Alexander Hamilton is wonderfully played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. As Aaron Burr, Leslie Odom, Jr. delivers a finely judged and nuanced performance as Hamilton’s political rival that sets in motion their tragic political arc ending with the death of Hamilton in a duel by the hand of Burr. Their story is as compelling and dramatic as it gets.

As my colleague Charles Giuliano mentions in his review of “Hamilton”, the two roles written by Miranda are of equal heft and importance, much like Shakespeare’s Othello and Iago pairing, adding that he wouldn’t be surprised to see both actors nominated for Tony Awards come this April 26th when award nominations are announced. I couldn’t agree more.

Gifted as those two lead actors are, however, this splendid production boasts many talented performers in this opera-like musical who sing and dance the story of “Hamilton” as there is no narrative text employed as a way of moving the story forward.

Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette, Okieriete Onaodowan as
Hercules Mulligan, Anthony Ramos as John Laurens
and Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton

All the major supporting actors are outstanding and they include: Daveed Diggs who plays both the flashy Marquis de Lafayette and our third President Thomas Jefferson; Sydney James Harcourt as George Washington is a commanding presence; Okieriete Onaodowan plays Hercules Mulligan and James Madison; a stunning Renee Elise Goldsberry with a wonderful singing voice plays Angelica Schuyler, Hamilton’s sister-in-law, whom some have said was his first choice for a wife. But Anjelica was already married making the younger Schuyler sister Eliza, played by lovely Phillipa Soo, eligible to become Eliza Hamilton. Jasmine Cephas Jones portrays both Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds; and Andrew Rannells ("The Book of Mormon") renders a fresh, comical, turn as King George III.

This splendid production is blessed with a committed and dedicated ensemble cast that crisply executes the remarkable choreography created by the fabulous Andy Blankenbuehler, and the equally gifted Music Director/Orchestrations/Co-Arranger Alex Lacamoire, and Lighting designer Howell Binkley, all of whom are returning creative team artists from “In the Heights”. Why break up a winning team when everyone is on a roll? Why, indeed.

David Korins’ spacious two-level scenic design gives the entire company plenty of space to perform their magic in the colorful and elegant Revolutionary period costumes designed by Paul Tazewell.

If you find yourself in New York City next year with some discretionary income in your pocket, I strongly suggest you catch a performance of “Hamilton” at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway.  The good news is, you won’t be disappointed. The bad news is, the box office is only taking reservations for performances after October 2016.  That’s what happens when a phenomenon arrives on Broadway.

                                                                          

Kirk Douglas Theatre Premieres New Comedy with an Agenda

Plays can have hidden agendas,veiled or guarded plot points, and various twists on the endings. Usually, it’s a device to keep the narrative text from tipping off the audience before the playwright has made his or her case as to how the play will end.

Tradition has followed the linear format – beginning, middle, and end – for a couple of hundred years. Audiences long ago embraced this format. It’s familiar, comfortable and satisfying.

Richard Riehle, Gary Wilmes, Frank Boyd
and Brian Slaten. Photo by Craig Schwartz

However, when a play comes along by a playwright with a purposeful agenda to test and challenge audience perceptions, almost daring them figure out what is taking place on-stage well then, you must be watching a play by Korean-born but American raised and educated New York City-based Young Jean Lee, a veteran playwright with an east coast following. This is her first linear written play, and it’s one with lots to think about when it comes to a family of four straight white men living in the Midwest.

As Ms. Lee explained to a group of theatre-goers prior to the performance, she wanted to shake up and force the audience out of its comfort zone with this play. During the previews of “Straight White Men”, a comedy with deceptive dramatic undertones, audience feedback revealed that audiences had a difficult time understanding what the play was about even though they had just witnessed it.

Most playwrights and directors would be worried as to the longevity of a production after hearing such comments. For Ms. Lee who is both the playwright and the director it was music to her ears. Part of her plan for the play is to deconstruct whiteness in America and have the privileged ‘white class’ perform a mental self-awareness test. Changes are coming in 21st century American society as rainbow coalitions and multi-racial and multi-culturalism become the norm rather than the exception.

Ms. Lee’s story is set in the Midwest at Christmas and revolves around retired, loving, and non-judgmental father Ed (Richard Riehle) and his three 30-something adult sons. Matt (Brian Slaten) is an introspective, PhD dropout who has been forced to move back and live with his father. Jake (Gary Wilmes) is the middle son and a successful banker, now divorced. Drew (Frank Boyd) is the youngest son and an earnest writer/academic professor who has gone through therapy and is now a champion of its precepts. There is nothing more zealous than a convert to anything, and Drew is determined to help Matt overcome whatever it is that’s troubling him regardless of whether he wants the help or not. He doesn’t.

Gary Wilmes, Frank Boyd and
Brian Slaten. Photo by Craig Schwartz

The boys always gather at Christmas time to be with their widowed father where all get to ham it up, tease one another and play the games of their youth as a way of diverting the boredom of the three day holiday. Matt is having the hardest time coming to grips in understanding his depression and who he is and how he fits in with society. How the four family members respond to these events is the guts of the story.

Plays may be ‘the thing’, however, it’s the players that bring order and clarity to the psychodrama unfolding on stage. As an ensemble piece, we are treated to four finely judged and nuanced performances by four talented actors, making it an exhilarating display of individual brilliance within a team format.

In the third act, the story takes a more somber and highly emotional turn when Matt and Ed have a powerful and poignant scene between father and son that is so simple and yet so heart-wrenching, one feels this must be the cathartic moment the audience has been waiting for. But wait… (no spoiler alert here) there’s more great stuff to come.

Richard Riele and Matt Slaten. Photo by Craig Schwartz

Even after seeing the play performed, it’s still too early to tell whether Ms. Lee will succeed in getting her coded message about the ‘real story’ of “Straight White Men” being accepted by mainstream audiences. Only time will tell.

In the technical department, director Lee heads the creative team of scenic designer David Evans Morris, lighting designer Christopher Kuhl, costume designer Enver Chakartash, and sound design by Chris Giarmo and Jaime McElhinney.

The intriguing play is performed without an intermission.

“Straight White Men” performs at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, and runs through December 20, 2015.

NEW MUSICAL "BREAKING THROUGH" DEBUTS AT PASADENA PLAYHOUSE

There are so few really good original musicals being written and produced these days. Money always plays a role in the decision to produce or not. So when a major regional theatre like the Pasadena Playhouse schedules a new show, one looks forward to seeing a promising story-line with a high powered cast.

It is only logical for expectations and hope to run high for a hit. It’s a bit disappointing then when the anticipated ‘smash hit’ falls instead into the category of a missed opportunity.

The world premiere of “Breaking Through”, a musical with a book by Kirsten Guenther and music and lyrics by Cliff Downs and Katie Kahanovitz, is now on stage at The Pasadena Playhouse under the direction of Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon Epps. Epps is one of the savviest directors working these days. He has a winning-track record, with musicals being one of his strong suits on Broadway and elsewhere.

His “Blues in the Night” and “Play On” productions received Tony Award nominations. But even the best can only do so much when the original material, in this case a weak book bordering on a formulaic, soap-opera feel to the characters, along with banal lyrics and text by Librettist Guenther, make “Breaking Through” an uphill battle.

Allison Luff and the Ensemble in BREAKING THROUGH
Photo by Jim Cox Photography

The Faustian bargain-like story about today’s music industry business, with its talented singers, songwriters, performers, and creative producers who sell their souls in order to grab the brass ring for a while along with those nasty sex-driven moguls, is not new. Such a concept might appear at first to be a great idea for a musical.

Others, however, have tried to capture the music industry in two acts this season in LA. The Geffen Playhouse fell into the same trap with its production of “Those Paper Bullets”. Both “Breaking Through” and “Those Paper Bullets” fail to fully engage the audience and the credulity gaps in both productions was a little too wide to overcome.

However, having said the above, the production of "Breaking Through” is rich in performing talent. The character of Charlie Jane, a talented, young singer/songwriter who arrives in New York City to share her songs and feelings with America, is wonderfully played by Alison Luff. Luff is a performer blessed with star quality and stage presence, along with a soaring vocal range and performing firepower second to none.

Alison Luff and Matt Magnusson
Photo by Jim Cox Photography

In strong support are Matt Magnusson as Scorpio, Charlie Jane’s co-star in the music videos the two are making to publicize the record company’s star line-up; Kacee Clanton as Karina, an about-to-be-washed up older performer (shades and echoes of the Norman Maine character of “A Star is Born”) in record mogul Jed’s (Robert W. Arbogast) powerful label. Will Collyer as Smith, a young caterer in the building, who is drawn to the sweetness and naivete of the young Charlie Jane, provides her love interest. Nita Whitaker as Amanda, a music industry veteran and old family friend of Charlie Jane's long-missing mother, tries to help Charlie navigate the shark-filled waters known as the music business.

Alison Luff, Kacee Clanton, Matt Magnusson in
BREAKING THROUGH  Photo by Jim Cox Photography

All of the singing performers boast strong voices, as is the score, but the lyrics lack the bite and sophistication needed to elevate the narrative by moving it in a less predictable direction.

The creative team, led by director Epps, features solid technical credits. The playhouse theatre building may be 91 years old but the technical components are state of the art. Scenic Designer John Iacovelli, Costumer Designer Alex Jaeger, Lighting Designer Jared A. Sayeg, and Sound Designer Peter Fitzgerald give the production a polished look. The orchestra, under the baton of David O., delivers the necessary energy and drive for a musical featuring soloists and dance numbers choreographed by Tyce Diorio. But that problematic libretto keeps rearing its intrusive head.

“Breaking Through” performs at the Pasadena Playhouse through November 30.

CV REP'S DEBUTS ITS FIRST WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION "HAPPY HOUR"

Friday, October 30, 2015 was a very important day for CV REP. It marked the day the Rancho Mirage-based Equity theatrical producing company launched its first World Premiere production under founding artistic director Ron Celona.

It was also an important day for Massachusetts-based playwright George Eastman as well. It was his first play to be produced in a professional Equity theatre. It was an evening where theatre professionals director Celona, playwright Eastman, and cast members Gavin Macleod and John Hawkinson, knocked the socks off the opening night audience. As we say in the theatre, when a two-hander (just two cast members) is ‘cooking on stage’ everyone in the audience is transformed as well.

Gavin Macleod and John Hawkinson: Photo Credit: Sal Mistretta

“Happy Hour” centers around aging widower Harry Townsend (Gavin Macleod) and his forty-year old son Alan (John Hawkinson) who come to grips with the vexing, but immutable, fact that aging is a human process that comes to most of us. The one longer lives, the tougher it becomes to accept it. A frequently asked question by people of a certain age is ‘how did I get so old so quick?’

The answer is it happens in the blink of an eye, which is why it is so important to slow down, smell the roses, and pay immediate attention to the people you love. Forget pride; pride is an assassin sent by the dark side to kill what we all hold dear: our families and our memories.

Harry Townsend is a case study in the manly/machismo philosophy. Don’t show anybody your soft side, even your children, or you’ll lose control. What is it they say about that philosophy? Oh, yes. It’s called pride. And stubborn pride definitely goes before a fall.

Gavin Macleod and John Hawkinson: Photo Credit: Sal Mistrett

On the flip side of that coin, however, are the children and/or family members who must walk a very fine line so as not to alienate, and in this story, the recently widowed 84 year-old Harry is becoming increasingly grumpy, forgetful and despite falling several times without telling anyone, is determined not to be shipped off by his son Alan and his daughter Sarah (referred to but not seen) to the sterile confines of a senior care facility. His adamant NO is heard loud and clear over and over.

There is a lot of give and take between and Harry and Alan in this two act comedy drama. There are of echoes of “On Golden Pond”; the subject matter of how do we do the right thing for our aging parents like keeping them safe with proper care without smothering the flame that keeps them still with us.

There isn’t a blemish or flaw in Macleod’s portrayal of Harry. It’s a mesmerizing and riveting performance that is chock full of inspired moments of discovery. Harry is a man we all have all seen and known; perhaps, even seen within our own family. The audience resonates with his plight and that of Hawkinson’s Alan.

Gavin Macleod and John Hawkinson: Photo Credit: Sal Mistrett

Alan is stuck with the unenviable task of convincing his father to leave a home that is filled with a lifetime of memories that he and his mother Jenny built from the ground up. I wouldn’t swear to it, but I think I heard a sniffle or two in the audience. I also heard the booming laughter and guffaws at the dialogue which sparkles with Neil Simon-like zingers throughout. There are a couple of moments of adult language being bantered about, so you might want to leave the kiddies at home.

What makes the play so compelling is the honesty and craftsmanship of playwright Eastman. I saw a workshop performance of the play last year. This world premiere production has been reworked by Eastman and director Celona. The story now digs deeper via more backstory of Harry and Alan’s relationship as well as with the unseen Sarah. The play now is more nuanced thanks to the personal vision director Celona brings to this production. I believe it’s safe to say that Macleod’s magnificent tour de force performance would be slightly unbalanced without the steady counterpoint of Hawkinson’s Alan. Hawkinson is always in the moment and right there when Macleod’s Harry needs him to bounce off of. There is excellent on-stage chemistry between these two fine actors.

Celona’s seamless staging of this production, if not his best ever, is certainly one of his top three. He won the Desert Theatre League (DTL) Desert Star Award for Best Director with his sensitive direction of “The Chosen” last month. His staging of “Happy Hour” will be a strong contender again for the 2015/2016 season.

The technical credits are always first rate at CV REP, and this stellar production is no exception. Award winning Set Designer Jimmy Cuomo has given the actors the look and feel of a Vermont woodsy cabin in which to perform their magic. Lighting designer and overall technical director Eddie Cancel and his crew paint the stage in lighting that lets us see the costume designs of Aalsa Lee, all of which enriches this splendid production.

“Happy Hour” is a play that should not be missed. It runs at CV REP theatre through November 22, 2015.

THE LILT OF IRISH LAUGHTER CAN BE HEARD AT NORTH COAST REP

Love is the one human emotion that the entire world is constantly seeking and responds to no matter one’s age. How we respond to it is the stuff of theatre, movies, and novels.

One need look no further than the stage of North Coast Repertory Theatre to enjoy and appreciate how the emotion called love drives the behavior of two people of a ‘certain age’ who are seeking its benefits, no matter the cost or the age of its participants.

Annabella Price and Mark Bramhall

Photo Credit: Aaron Rumley

From the pen of Irish playwright Christian O’Reilly, comes “Chapatti”, a tender, poignant, and charming tale that bubbles with the lilt of Irish laughter, wit and charm for which those silver-tongued Gaelic writer/philosophers are known.

If you thought that ‘alchemy’ was a lost art, think again. Award-winning Broadway and Hollywood director/actor Judith Ivey brings her considerable talent and skills to the stage of North Coast Rep to create gold in the form of a two person cast that stars actors Mark Bramhall and Annabella Price. Kudos to artistic director David Ellenstein for once again bringing the gold standard in talent to the audiences of North Coast Repertory.

Judith Ivey, Annabella Price and Mark Bramhall

Photo Credit: Aaron Rumley

Director Ivey imbues her bittersweet play with intimacy to great effect by placing separate living quarters side by side, allowing the actors to break the fourth wall and address the audience. The convention creates a homey safe zone effect where everyone is in the same room having a cup of tea with the actors. When I ask her at the opening night after-party, what drew her to this little, but ever so insightful story, she smiles and replies “I fell in love with this particular story because playwrights don’t write many love stories revolving around senior citizens.” Christian O’ Reilly writes honest dialogue with a believable premise, and according to director Ivey, “… people would be surprised to know that stories like “Chapatti” happen in real life more than you would expect.”

The story of Dan and Betty is a tale of two senior working-class suburban Dubliners who discover one another by coincidence at a veterinarian’s office. He’s a dog lover. She’s a cat person. Dan’s a widower who’s having difficulty in getting through his grieving period. He keeps thinking of his Margaret all alone up there, waiting for him to join her. He is a bit of the working-class dreamer when it comes to facing reality.

Betty, on the other hand, is a divorcee who knows she still has plenty of love and compassion in her and is just waiting for the right man to come along to share her feelings. Her dialogue is achingly poignant at times and delivered with such a ring of authenticity that her astonishing performance can’t help but resonate with the females in the audience (and a few of us men as well).

Dan is winningly and guilelessly played by Mark Bramhall in a nicely nuanced performance. Annabella Price is an absolute gem of an actor who looks and sounds as if she just finished a performance run at Dublin’s famed Abbey Theatre. And the onstage chemistry between Price and Bramhall is a delight to behold, in the bargain.

Between Bramhall’s laidback Dan and Price’s no-nonsense Betty, the audience can cancel their airplane tickets to Ireland in the hope of seeing a slice of working-class Irish life. That experience can be seen and felt by attending a performance of “Chapatti”. Incidentally, the title of the play is the name of Dan’s dog, a stray he rescued to later name it after a favorite Indian food of his and Margaret’s.

The technical credits are always first rate at North Coast Rep, and this production doesn’t disappoint. Scenic Designer Marty Burnett and lighting designer Matthew Novotny, the two man team responsible for the many outstanding set designs over the years, score again. The costumes designed by Elisa Benzoni are picture-perfect for each character. A special kudo goes to dialect coach Jan Gist for coaching two Yanks and transforming them into authentic sounding Dubliners that would make believers out of the real residents of the Emerald Isle. Or, as the locals might say” It’s the likes of you actors that makes the likes of us enjoy the evening in the theatre.”

“Chapatti” runs at the North Coast Repertory Theatre through November 15, 2015. Don’t miss it.

ARTHUR MILLER CLASSIC "ALL MY SONS" STILL RINGS TRUE AT A NOISE WITHIN

A Noise Within (ANW) Theatre’s production of Arthur Miller’s powerful drama “All My Sons” opened on the actual date and year of Miller’s 100 year anniversary. He was born on October 17, 1915. It was a good omen.

A Noise Within is one of California’s finest production companies that present, in repertory, mainly classic theatrical productions along with iconic American playwrights like Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Eugene O’Neill. ANW’s Fall 2015 Repertory Season consists of Feydeau’s classic farce “A Flea in Her Ear”, and Anouilh’s “Antigone” along with Miller’s “All My Sons”.

Rafael Goldstein (Chris Keller)and
Deborah Strang (Kate Keller)© All photos by Craig Schwartz

Arthur Miller is one America’s greatest playwrights and one who understood the term ‘experiencing the unique American dream’; along with its melting pot cultural contributions that are woven throughout his work. Miller and Paddy Chayefsky, arguably two of the finest writers with the greatest ‘ears’ for dialogue of working-class America, along with the argot and speech patterns of the immigrant populations that swept out Europe and into the east coast of America’s urban cities during the early 20th century. Where Miller and Chayefsky captured the flavor and speech of northern urban America, Williams understood and wrote his dialogue profiling the strength of Southern women.

America went to war in 1941, but not all of America. There were those who had to stay at home and man the war industries of building airplanes, ships and the weapons of war. “All My Sons”, nicely directed by ANW co-founder Geoff Elliott, centers around the Keller family of a fictional Ohio city set in 1946.

Jeremy Rabb (Dr. Jim Bayliss) and June Carryl (Sue Bayliss)

Joe Keller (Geoff Elliott) a businessman and owner of a manufacturing company that supplied airplane engine parts to the government during the war is caught up in a scandal surrounding the deaths of twenty-one pilots whose planes crashed due to faulty engine parts. Keller during the investigation, blames his partner and next-door neighbor Steve Deever for knowingly shipping the faulty parts. Keller, is exonerated while Deever serves a long prison sentence.

Elliott delivers a finely judged performance as Joe. Some may come to the performance expecting to see a Lee J. Cobb interpretation (he created the role on Broadway) or Edward G. Robinson’s disciplined turn in the movie version. No matter your expectation, you will leave the theatre knowing you saw the plight of a real family in crisis mode.

Kate Keller (Deborah Strang) plays Joe’s wife and the mother of Chris (Rafael Goldstein) and older son Larry, a WW II fighter pilot who has been listed as MIA, and presumed dead by the government. She is living in a state of denial concerning her missing son Larry. She refuses to believe he’s dead. Family and friends know better but no one wants to be the one that sends Kate over the edge. Strang’s heart-rending final scene is achingly poignant and connects emotionally with every parent in the audience.

Aaron Blakely (George Deever), Deborah Strang (Kate Keller),

Rafael Goldstein (Chris Keller), Maegan McConnell (Ann Deever)

The Kellers are a flawed family with secrets that ultimately set in motion a series of confrontations between father, son, and mother, along with their neighbors, that even affect Ann Deever (Maegan McConnell) Larry’s old girlfriend. Chris wants to marry Ann who has accepted that Larry is never coming back alive. But the sticking point in accepting Larry’s death and Ann becoming a daughter-in-law to Kate, is the public acknowledgment and acceptance of Joe’s culpability in the death of his older son Larry. Neither parent can face or process that information. It’s just too painful.

Solid support comes from Rafael Goldstein as Chris, Maegan McConnell as Ann, and a nicely controlled performance from Aaron Blakely as George Deever (a role that can easily get too intense, if one is not careful).

Miller was heavily influenced by the great Greek playwrights Sophocles and Aeschylus, who dealt with the Gods and the tragedy that befalls the ‘common man’ when he steps out of line. Joe Keller is one of Miller’s common men, caught up in a situation that is of his own making, but whose actions set off a domino effect producing collateral damage to those around him.

“All My Sons” is realistically mounted on ANW’s thrust stage and is energetically and intensely performed by a talented company of actors. Even today, the story of the flawed Keller family dealing with deep-rooted conflicts still resonates sixty-nine years later. That sort of tells us that either we haven’t learned a thing about ourselves or that nothing in society has changed in the intervening years.

The technical team credits led by Director Elliott are first rate. Scenic Designer Frederica Nascimento provides a generous space for the actors to perform their magic under lights designed by James Taylor; allowing us to see the spot-on period costumes designed by Leah Piehl. Audiences, however, should be prepared to fasten their seat-belts while watching this potently performed production.

“All My Sons” performs in repertory at A Noise Within theatre through November 21, 2015.