A magnificent display of emotions, ethics and family blood is hurled across stage in the whirlwind performance of "All My Sons," hosted by the Department of Performing Arts. But at no fault of the actors, the winds start as just a light breeze, only really picking up after intermission.
Arthur Miller's classic play "All My Sons" is slowly paced, but the pacing is purposely meticulous, never revealing more pieces of the story than needed. The pacing leads to one heavy ending that's sure to cause a few tears in the audience.
"All My Sons" depicts the dilemma of family trust and love being broken when competing with fiscal prosperity.
One of the main characters, Joe Keller, played by Pat Ivansek, a junior in the College of Communication, was involved in business practices in his airplane manufacturing company that lead to the death of 21 pilots during World War II. He and his next-door neighbor and business partner, Steve Deever, paid the price for this crime by being sentenced to prison. However, Joe got out and moved back home while his partner didn't. Now Joe, his family, and all the neighbors have been living a lie for three years turning a blind eye to the feelings that will soon erupt in tragedy.
The spectacular set built for "All My Sons" elevates the acting to a new level and makes it something more than interpretation; it becomes a reality. The entire stage floor of the Helfaer Theatre has been covered with faux grass and plants and other homey garden necessities. Stone and wooden benches in the front yard almost become secondary characters as the main characters share times of laughter, love, hate and remorse while sitting on them.
And to cap off the massive set is the Keller house, resembling a mid-1940s home cut in half and squeezed into the Helfaer.
Incredible lighting on the backdrop and foreground also accentuate the liveliness of the neighborhood. "All My Sons" takes place over the course of one day so the backdrop lighting changes smoothly to represent the shifts in time of day. Shadows on the foreground also change to show how the sun and moon cast different light.
As the mood of the play turns from optimistic to dubious (and as the sunlight is replaced by moonlight), two actors especially shine. The arguments between father Joe (Ivansek) and son Chris Keller (Nick Inzeo, junior in the College of Communication) about Joe's unethical business decisions send shivers down the spine. It really appears as though the son will tear the father apart.
Inzeo's contributions are immense. From his romance with Deever's daughter, Ann (played by Bonnie Auguston, a junior in the College of Communication), all the way to his final lines, Inzeo shows great versatility. Not to take anything away from Jennifer Shine, senior College of Communication, Scott Piecuch, graduate student in the College of Engineering or Genevieve Grdina, senior in the College of Communication. Each actor plays their part in tune to truly make it feel like a neighborhood of different breeds of personalities.