AHSU+ALL+MY+SONS

I knew this production was going to be different from the previous plays we watched. First, the location of the play was different. The production took place on an actual stage instead of the cellar theatre. Second, the play was not a comedy or had very little comedic elements. I did not know what to expect from such a play. Aside from a few flaws, I was swept up by the dramatic moments of the play __All My Sons__, by Arthur Miller.
 * All My Sons Critque**

I entered the theatre intrigued by the set design. The set was built so that the frame of a house could be made out with chairs behind it. At first, I thought that the set was designed so that the audience would be able to view the characters behind the scenes as the play proceeded, but to my surprise the chairs were placed so that the characters sat still as part of the chorus behind the frame. They may have shown some facial expressions as they watched the plot, but otherwise they played a fairly insignificant role. What was the purpose of this specific placement for the characters not on stage? The difference in the location and stage of the production gave off a different feel to the play. In contrast to the cellar theatre, I felt less associated with the characters and more like an outsider viewing another world. But, to compensate for a larger and less personable stage, the stage was cleverly built so that it projected into the audience.

The sound and lightning were true to the realism roots of the production. There were very little special effects in the lighting and sound. Most of the play occurred under a bright white light with the occasional black out for a scene change. Aside from the radio static used during transitions, there were only a few moments in which sound effects were used, and the lack of sound effects impacted the play negatively. I felt that the production was lacking in sustenance without the sound effects to support the emotions of each scene, and when they did occur, the effects seemed out of place. For example, in the scene in which Kate was explaining her dream, the music and sound effects were used to emphasize and highlight how real her dream felt to her, but instead, the effects hindered the emotions and mood the actor was trying to display and took away from the overall realistic effect of the play. However, I do think that the use of radio static between each scene was well thought out. The radio static added to the post war feeling and helped the audience transition between scenes since no curtains were utilized.

Two other realistic aspects of the play were costume design and props. Each character was dressed in what would be post World War II outfits. The color palate and clothing designed were fairly accurate and represented the typical dress of the era in which this production took place in addition to going well with the personalities of each character. For example, Frank and George. Frank seems like a carefree and bright person. His style reflects his personality because he is seen dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and slacks. In contrast, George is a stiff and serious man. He is introduced in a business suit and hat. Most of the props used were real. Kate was actually snapping peas, Joe was given a knife to cut his apple with, and the characters drank real grape juice. The only non-realistic prop used was the tree. The prop used to represent the tree was made metal attached so that it could be easily lifted and removed. The use of metal to represent the tree was interesting. Obviously, a real tree that had been cut down would have been difficult to utilize over many showings, but the director could have opted for a more realistic looking tree. The metallic tree seemed to represent the underlying conflict of the story and the cause of what tears the family apart. The death of the tree was also the start of the conflict in this play, just as the truth of the metal parts manufactured by his father was the cause of the death of Larry.

As for the choice in characters, I feel like the director’s choice was a hit or miss, especially with the lack of sound and lighting to help with the portrayal of each character. The actors had to make up for the lack of sound and lighting effects, and some actors were not experienced enough to successfully pull this task off. For example, the actor, Harry Valentine, who played Chris. From the beginning of the play I felt like he was forcing his portrayal of the character, and his depiction of the character’s emotions and facial features were awkward and fake. The scene when he attempted to express his love for Annie was particularly unpleasant. The emotions of joy and nervousness, of his excitement and love for this woman were completely missed. I felt no raw emotion from this character until the end, when he portrayed the character’s anger and betrayal by his father. Otherwise, I did not understand who this character was supposed to be. Is he someone who is angered by his ties to his family? Is he a good guy who tries to believe in the best in everyone? Or was he a tortured soul from the war? In addition, the little boy who played the neighbor was awful, although I understand his situation. He mumbled his lines and could barely be heard by the audience. In addition, he was obviously bored throughout the entire play. But, since a child, he had yet to acquire the experience and skills needed to succeed on stage.

In contrast, the actors who played Joe and Kate were impressive, which is expected because of their age and experience as actors. Both actors portrayed very convincing characters and accurately displayed their emotions. As the audience, I was able to feel Kate’s pain in her monologue as she describes her dream. In addition, I felt Joe’s anxiety and dismay about the past he buried that was slowly being uncovered throughout the entire play. The characterization of both Kate and Joe were clear. Joe was obviously a nervous businessman, who, for the sake of his family’s financial well-being, sacrificed the life of others. Kate was portrayed at first as an emotionally unstable mother, but by the end, she was the one character who was struggling to keep her family intact and happy. The actress who played Ann also did a fairly commendable job. Especially the scene when she is standing alone with the stump of the tree that represented her old lover. I could see her pain as she slowly reached for and almost touched the tree and couldn’t help but begin to lean forward in my seat, as she was just about to touch it.

The end of the play was particularly intense, and I couldn’t help but be swept up by the raw emotions of the scene. The sense of betrayal and distrust from each character was obvious and each actor pulled their emotions off well. Chris’s pain and anger caused by his father when he finally learns the truth and Joe and Kate’s pain as they watch their family being torn apart was intense. The portrayal of the emotions by the actors during these scenes was really commendable and the best part of the play.

The overall tempo and rhythm of the play was well done. In contrast to __39 Steps__ and __Life is A Dream__, the plot was not rushed, and in turn the emotional build up near the end of the play was more effective. I felt the slow but steady build up to the climax of the play and the steady tempo of the play helped make the explosion of the climax as everything came apart even more convincing.

__All My Sons__ started out fairly dull, but in the end I couldn’t help but be swept up by the emotional upheavals in the production. This play was extremely successful with its dramatic and tense portrayals even though some actors lacked the skill to portray convincing characters. The costume design was well thought out and accurately displayed each character. The play was a nice change from the usual comedic productions that I have seen and on the whole I enjoyed the production.