It all begins with a mother's nightmare and a burst of lightning.
In the Huntington Theatre Company's production of Arthur Miller's 'All My Sons,' the storm that splits a tree in the middle of the night is a dramatic portent of truth's emergence in '40s Middle America. A family secret punctures a seemingly steady world, creating irrevocable familial rifts. Director David Esbjornson's interpretation revisits past events, rightfully reproducing the static tension and potential volatility of a post'minus;WWII America.
On an August morning three and a half years after their son goes missing'minus;in'minus;action, the lives of Joe and Kate Keller (Will Lyman and Karen MacDonald) are uncomfortably shaken. The splitting of the tree in their front yard coincides with the arrival of Ann (Diane Davis), the former sweetheart of their missing son Larry.
Despite Kate's resistance to accept that Larry is very probably dead, the rest of the family attempts to move on, particularly the Keller's other son, Chris (Lee Aaron Rosen). Chris wishes to marry Ann and had invited her in order to propose. The result of her visit is domestic tension and reluctance to open up old wounds of guilt and betrayal.
The appearance of Ann's brother George (Michael Tisdale) comes at the play's climax. Tisdale portrays a believably torn individual who is desperately looking for a foundation of truth. Chris' steadfast convictions provide a desirable sense of balance for both George and Ann, but when Chris begins to doubt himself and his father, everything falls apart.
Lyman and MacDonald both excel in their roles as parents who separately struggle with guilt and the loss of a son. Joe is nonchalant, with a surface of confidence and acceptance that is more fragile than it originally seems. Kate, who at first appears neurotic, begins to show her strength throughout the course of the play in a dramatic crescendo of motherly love. MacDonald's performance is heart'minus;wrenching and inspiring; she succeeds in personalizing her character's pain despite its widespread applicability to all mothers who have lost a child.
Joe Keller stresses the importance of family above all else. The younger, more idealistic generation objects to this creed, but for Kate it rings true. Her emotions dominate her actions and morals. Kate Keller's strength stems from the same source as her despair: the love she has for her sons. She must find the strength to choose her living son over her dead one.
The set for the production is appropriately nondescript, indicating that the Kellers' house is not unique. Joe Keller's financial success from the war granted him the American dream: lazy afternoons with the neighbors and a housekeeper for his wife.
The Kellers' front porch on the side of the stage is a screen literally and metaphorically for the characters. A shadowed presence on the porch is a prelude to disaster or catastrophic events.
A giant movie screen functions as the set's backdrop, which startlingly shows enlarged images of war and Kate's nightmares at the beginning of the play. The screen is blank for most of the remainder of the play, leaving a lingering feeling of dread in the viewer that something awful could pop back up at any moment.
'All My Sons' is one of Miller's earlier plays, predating his more well'minus;known works 'Death of a Salesman,' written in 1949 and which won the Pulitzer Prize, and 'The Crucible' (1953). The dissolution of the American dream was a reoccurring theme for Miller, one that is perfectly brought to life on the stage in Esbjornson's direction of 'All My Sons.'
'All My Sons' is playing at the Boston University Theater until Feb. 7. Student rush tickets are available two hours before the performance for only $15.
