All My Sons

All My Sons is playing at the American Airline Theatre located at 227 West 42nd Street. It runs two hours twenty minutes with one intermission. It closes on June 23, 2019.

Arthur Miller is the playwright. All My sons opened in 1947 at the Cornet Theatre on January 29, 1947 and closed November 19, 1949 and ran for 328 performances. It was directed by Elia Kazan and starred Ed Begley, Beth Miller, Arthur Kennedy and Karl Malden. It won a Tony Award for Best Author and Best Direction of a play.

Jack O’Brien is the director. He won three Tony Awards for The Coast of Utopia (2007), Henry IV (2004), Hair spray (2003) and was nominated seven Tony Awards for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005), The Invention of Love (2001), The Full Monty (2001), Two Trains Running (1992), Two Shakespearean Actors (1992), The Piano Lesson (1990), and Porgy and Bess (1977).

Douglas W. Schmidt is the scenic designer. He was nominated for three Tony Awards for The Front Page (2017), Into the Woods (2002) and 42nd Street (2001).

Jane Greenwood is the costume designer. She won a Tony Award in 2017 for Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes.

Annette Bening was nominated for a Tony Award in 1987 for Costal Disturbances. She was nominated for four Academy Awards for The Kids Are All Right (2010), Being Julia (2004), American Beauty (1997) and The Grifters (1990).

Tracey Letts won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2008 for August: Osage County. He won a Tony Award in 2013 for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Michael Hayden was nominated for a Tony Award in 2001 for Judgement at Nuremberg.

The time is August 1947.

There has been a big storm. A tree planted in honor of Larry the oldest son of Joe Keller (Tracey Letts) and his wife Kate (Annette Bening) has been damaged. He disappeared over the Pacific Ocean.

Joe is in his backyard with his neighbors Dr. Jim Bayliss (Michael Hayden) Frank Lubey (Nehal Joshi). Frank son Bert comes in (Alexander Bella) and makes a comment to Joe.

When Fred leaves his wife Sue (Chinasa Ogbuagu) who is his nurse comes looking for him.

Chris (Benjamin Walker) Joe and Kate’s youngest son is cleaning up the branches from the storm. He was an aircraft pilot during the war. Chris has demons about losing men under his command. His mother is sure his brother is still alive. Chris has invited Ann Deever (Francesca Carpanini) to come to the house and stay awhile. She lives in New York City. Ann use to live in the house next door (Franks house), with her brother George (Hampton Fluker) and their parents. She used to be Larry’s girlfriend. Chris loves her and wants to marry her. He’s afraid to say anything because his mother is sure Larry will come home,

Joe and Steve (Ann’s father) were business partners. Their factory made parts for planes during World War II. The parts were defective and should have been thrown away. Instead they were shipped to be put into planes Twenty one planes went down. They were both arrested and put in jail. When it went to trail Joe said he was sick and not at work. He knew nothing about the problem. He was cleared off the charges. Steve went to jail. Behind Joes back the town felt he was guilty. Steve kids want nothing to do with him. However Ann gets a call from George that he is at the prison with their father. He’s on his way to Joe’s home for a confirmation on to what really happened.

When George arrives he has a determined look, he’s not relenting till he finds out the truth. He does perk up when he see Franks wife Sue (Jenni Barber). She was his sweetheart. Everyone tries to calm him down.

I’m not telling you what happens. I don’t want to spoil it for you.

Time only heightens this play. It is a well done, intriguing revival. One mans greed and selfishness has an effect on so many lives.

Annette Bening, Tracey Letts and Benjamin Walker were outstanding. Hampton Fluker facial expression is so awesome that you feel his pain.

Douglas W. Schmidt set is impressive. It has to be one of the most stunning sets I’ve seen. I’m especially liked the special effects before act1 and 2. Lighting, rain and sounds were awesome.

This is a revival is worth seeing.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

To read a candid interview with the cast, scroll down to the left for photos. Click on photos for this and other shows.