AM+Performance+Critique+for+All+My+Sons

Alex Moosariparambil Professor Richmond 14 November 2011

Performance Critique of //All My Sons//

The University of Georgia’s Department of Theatre and Film Studies’ major production for this semester was Arthur Miller’s //All My Sons//. Boasting a performance from Brian Reddy, alumnus of the university’s drama department, this play served as the headliner for the season. Performed in the Fine Arts Theater, it was able to take advantage of a large set and sophisticated lightening to further capture the drama between a father and son.

Although this piece is considered as the headliner for this semester, I personally thought the play lacked consistency. While I enjoyed many distinct moments in the play, I felt overall it was muddled. This was exemplified by the audience’s reactions throughout the performance. There were moments when I thought Miller was trying to present a serious idea, while the audience had scattered laughter. Again, this is my own opinion and I did enjoy most of the actors’ performances. That being said, I thought there were moments when it seemed as if the actors and actresses were lost as to what emotion they were portraying.

Apart from that, I really enjoyed the scene design from this play. Richard Dunham did a great job in achieving his goal of moving “away from the American Realism that has traditionally been associated with this play.” This was achieved using a minimal set that included a table with chairs, a wooden bench, and a felled apple tree represented by metal tubing. In addition, Dunham provided the framing for a house by suspending windows and a doorway from the stage rafters. This creative idea served two purposes. The first to represent the house physically, and secondly, to speak to the idea of a house being a “front” put on for the neighbors. I felt like the windows and doorway were a symbol to cover the battle within the Keller family. In addition to the physical set, David Gotlieb, the lighting designer, was extremely effective at using soft blues and purples as a background, while contrasting the stage itself with brighter yellows and golds.

The costumes were also very appropriate for this play. Being a larger play, this performance had more complex costumes than //39 Steps// and //Life is a Dream//. The characters had very realistic clothing, representative of the time period. The detail displayed by the costume designer and the dedication from actors was extraordinary. From cutting hair and changing hair colors, the details helped to convey the characters of the play.

Without a doubt, the star of this show was Brian Reddy. His ability to showcase a wide range of emotion is the reason he has been so successful in theatre, television, and movies. I enjoyed his performance and his ability to interject humor in some of the more serious moments of the play. My favorite scene of his is when Chris Keller discovers that his father did commit the crimes accused of him. Even in his old age, his dedication to theatre is shown when he is willing to be thrown to the floor. The exchange before that is powerful and poignant. The audience can truly see how dedicated Joe Keller is to providing for his family.

Another character I enjoyed was Harry Valentine as Chris Keller. Chris Keller served as the idealistic son of the Keller’s who came back from the war to a hard lesson, namely that the world had gone on without much change. He works in the family factory and looks to his father as a role model. One particular line of his I enjoyed was when his father explained that most men were in the business of profiting from the war. Chris’ response is along the lines of yes you are right but you are not just a man, you are my father. This one line sums up Chris’ character. He views his father as a role model and the epitome of integrity. To learn that his father had thrown his partner under the bus and murdered those twenty-one soldiers breaks his heart and shatters the image of honor.

In contrast to these characters, I thought the female roles in this play were weak. Both of the actresses that played Kate Keller and Ann Deever, Marzena Bukowska and Jennifer Schottstadt respectively were in my opinion overly emotional. Although they did shine at certain moments, I cannot help but remember the overly dramatic end scenes. While reading the letter from Larry, Bukowska was trying too hard. Rather then being subtly shocked and disturbed her cries came off as fake and over-the-top. Another example of this came at the end of the play. As Chris comes running to his mother after Joe has killed himself, she rushes her lines and the scene and gives the audience a kind of dead fish glare. Ann Deever was not much better. Her character, representing Larry’s old sweetheart, had the opportunity to really engage the audience, but I feel like she came off as the shallow lover in these kinds of dramas. It was almost as if she was there without really being there.

I must say that this was my least favorite of all the plays we watched this semester. I personally felt that //All My Sons// lacked a certain pop to it. It felt very staged and melodramatic at times. I hope that the reason for this was that this was the last showing and the actors and actresses were just tired and unable to make it seem like they were performing for the first time. I must also say thank you however. As a student at UGA majoring in science I do not think I would have ever discovered the fine arts departments productions without being “forced” to see them. While attending these plays, I have been excited to learn of future works from both the music and drama departments including a performance by Yo-Yo Ma and the musical //Chicago//.