PLAY REVIEW: ‘All My Sons’ a well-crafted tale
The audience was all ears Thursday night as the USU theatre arts department performed “All My Sons.” Director Kevin Doyle beautifully captured the essence of Arthur Miller’s play.
Set in post-WWII America, this plot examines Joe Keller’s pursuit to acquire money and be successful – regardless of what the consequences are. His intentions to benefit his family are moving, but he disregards the universal human family. The playwright got the idea of Joe Keller’s crime from a real-life situation: a company consciously shipping faulty aircraft parts.
Tears were brought to dry eyes through both laughter and disheartening moments. Through entertaining conversations and rowdy squabbles by the cast, the audience witnessed Joe Keller discover who, really, all his sons were.
The set was very charming and so life-like that it seemed as if we really were in a small neighborhood. The script was captivating, and the actors and actresses really got into their characters. They really played their parts well. In fact, sometimes they got so caught up in their lines that they were talking too fast to understand what was going on.
Thursday night’s performance was a great accomplishment for the actors and actresses, but the overall plot of this play was slightly depressing and heavy, as it showed how human greed can lead to disastrous effects within people’s lives.
Audra Chappell is a freshman in accounting and is the newest Statesman theater critic. Comments can be sent to audrac@cc.usu.edu.