JOE KELLER (Louis Schilling) tries to explain his World War II business dealings to his son Chris (Reuben Alvear II) in the Masquers Playhouse production of Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons,” showing through Sept. 29. Jerry Telfer photo

Theater review by Elizabeth Warnimont
Special to The Herald

“All My Sons,” showing now through Sept. 29 at the Masquers Playhouse in Point Richmond, is a passionate story about some of the deeply personal repercussions of the Second World War, as seen through the actions of a fractured family and their neighbors in a close-knit rural community shortly after the war’s end. Arthur Miller wrote the play, first performed in 1947, as a critique of what he saw as Americans’ narrow perception of the war’s aftermath, and the fallacy of the American dream. As director Dennis Lickteig describes it, “the power of the play lies in its characters and their relationships to each other and the world around them,” as a horrible truth from their shared past gradually comes to light.

For most of the way, Louis Schilling carries the production as Joe Keller, the story’s central figure. While Schilling gives a consistently strong performance, some of the other featured players seemed to take time to warm up on opening night last Friday. The bright and artistic set design (a team effort) and thoughtful costuming (Maria Graham) helped to hold audience interest through the first act.

In the opening scene, all seems well as Joe’s neighbor Jim (Joseph Hirsch) stops by to chat in the Kellers’ front yard. Joe entertains his guest with quips about the want ads he’s been reading, while Jim fills his pipe with a pinch of his friend’s tobacco. Once Joe’s wife (Marilyn Hughes as Kate) comes out of the house, though, it becomes obvious that there is a serious strain in the couple’s relationship — and Jim seems to be in on the secret.

Carina Lastimosa Salazar has the pivotal role of Ann Deever, the former girlfriend of the Kellers’ son Larry, who has been missing in action since before the end of the war. Ann had distanced herself from her father and their entire home community since he and Joe were accused of knowingly selling defective airplane parts during the war, resulting in the deaths of more than 20 servicemen. Now she has returned to face the ire of her former neighbors, who never believed in the men’s innocence, because she is in love with Larry’s older brother Chris, who still lives in his parents’ home. Chris had expressed deep feelings for her in his letters, and now she has come to see just how serious he is about their relationship.

Salazar is the bright spot in the production. She and Schilling are equally powerful in their portrayals, but she gets to be the good guy, the one who eases everyone else into accepting the reality of their past — even after her brother George (excellently portrayed by David Irving) arrives with shocking news that even she couldn’t have imagined to be true. Meanwhile, Steph Peek is delightful as the starkly bright and positive Lydia, former girlfriend of Ann’s brother George, and Hirsch and Jacqui Herrera master the roles of the Kellers’ neighbor Jim and his vindictive wife Sue.

The closing scenes in “Sons” are by far the most powerful, and they serve to showcase the best abilities of several actors. No doubt this writer’s tears were not the only ones shed when some painful truths were finally brought to the surface, the whole, terrible reality delivering the families a final, crushing blow.

Like a clever mystery, “All My Sons” must be carefully watched from the beginning to catch the early clues. The first act builds deceptively slowly, leading rather suddenly to some passionate turns of event later on. By the second act, the action picks up, and the audience’s patience is richly rewarded.

If You Go
“All My Sons” continues at the Masquers Playhouse, 105 Park Place, Point Richmond through Sept. 29. Tickets are $20 and are available by calling 510-232-4031 or online at masquers.org.

Elizabeth Warnimont is a freelance writer specializing in the performing arts. She is a regular contributing writer for BAYSTAGES magazine and writes a weekly review for The Herald.

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