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Patrick Cavanaugh and Caroline Westeimer Photo: John Sullivan |
Arthur Miller’s success as a playwright stems from his deep
interest in the human condition.
Most think first of his Death of
a Salesman, the story of failure through the best of intentions mingled
with excuses. Interestingly, Salesman
was Miller’s second play following the success of ALL MY SONS in 1947.
Evidently, based on a true story of greed and malfeasance stemming from the
sale of faulty airplane parts for the WWII effort ALL MY SONS foreshadows the
sad tale In Miller’s Willy Lohman with the main
character, Joe Keller. Briefly,
Keller (multitalented Ronald Quigley who is credited with the set design) has
profited from the war in a suspicious way. Blaming his partner, Steve Deever, for shipping cracked
cylinder heads, Keller is exonerated in court while Deever is sent to prison.
Dreamhouse Theater Company’s current production of ALL MY
SONS at The Jet Theater in NoHo stands with professional productions of the
play in many aspects. Quigley’s
spot on exterior of the Keller home takes us to Ohio a few years after the
war. Keller has grown his business
after the cylinder head scandal and his son, Chris (Patrick Cavanaugh) is the
beneficiary. There is a bravado in
the Keller men. The matriarch, Kate (Caroline Westheimer) holds out
hope that their older son, Larry, will return from the war, though he’s been
declared missing in action and presumed dead. The war is now over, yet Kate
holds out for the unlikely return of her son. Frank Lubey (Lukas Bailey) fans the flames of
Kate’s vigil by declaring that, according to Larry’s horoscope, he could not
have died on his ‘favorable day.’
The story, as in other works by Miller, goes down a rocky
path of familial strife. A young man seeks his own way out of the shadow of his
father’s apparent greed. Personalities
conflict. Hard feelings are
maintained. Chris wants to marry
Larry’s girlfriend, Ann Deever (beautiful Jacqueline Hickel), against his
mother’s wishes. The dialogue is
crisp and cutting. Finding the
through line to any kind of happiness is difficult for Arthur Miller and
whether or not this play leaves us with much hope is beside the point. It’s a story of people struggling to
survive in the face of ruin. How Keller
is finally revealed as the true culprit in the cylinder head debacle turns him
inward with shame and, as later in Death of a Salesman for Willy Lohman, the
end is near.
Director Alex Sol (working with his lovely wife, Producer Sarah
Sol) is building a strong company of theatre professionals whose youth and enthusiasm
are vital to taking a storefront and building a space to present
theatricals. Excellent tech (with
the exception of one flash that should be seen anywhere but behind the front
door of the Keller home) is flawless.
Arthur Miller’s language is an absolute reflection of the
forties in Post WWII middle America.
The cast pulls it off, keeping pace and their individual characters
lively and involved. It’s an
intimate space where every nuance of the issues of the story are immediately
available. Small theatre like this
deserves an audience. Tell a
friend and experience the joy of a dedicated company with a difficult play.
ALL MY SONS by
Arthur Miller
Dreamhouse Theater Company at
The Jet Theater
5126 Lankershim Blvd. (Enter in the back)
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM
Sundays at 7PM
Tickets $25.00
Understudy Matinees August 12 and 19 @ 2PM $12.50
Through September 2, 2012
Tickets:
www dreamhousetheatre.com
818 745 7331
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