BWW Reviews: ALL MY SONS at the Intiman

Seattle's Intiman Theatre is currently presenting Arthur Miller's post war tragedy, "All My Sons" with a bit of non-traditional casting.  And while the casting didn't detract from the story, I didn't feel it lent anything to it either.  But my biggest qualm was not with the casting but with the lack of connection happening on stage.

Set in 1947 the story follows the Keller family.  Joe Keller (Chuck Cooper) is a successful factory owner who manufactured airplane parts during the war.  His wife, Kate (Margo Moorer), supports Joe in almost every turn except that she refuses to believe their son, Larry, who never returned from the war is actually dead.  And their other son, Chris (Reggie Jackson) has invited Larry's old girlfriend, Ann (Nicole Lewis), over for a visit in order to announce their budding romance much to Kate's dismay since she still views Ann as Larry's girl.  Meanwhile Ann's brother George (Shanga Parker) has arrived with news that could shake this family apart.  And all of this happens the morning after the tree planted in Larry's honor ominously blows over in a storm.

Director Valerie Curtis-Newton chose to go for a bit of non-traditional casting by making the Keller's African American and then setting the play in Seattle where integrated neighborhoods were not so uncommon in the 40's.  But the fact that the play is set in Seattle is really only known by reading the articles in the program and the choice of casting seemed a little bit of a gimmick.

But like I said, that's not what bothered me most about the production.  In any production but especially in an interpersonal family drama the characters need to listen to each other in order to connect with each other in a real way.  This seemed to be severely lacking here as the actors went about saying the pretty words and waiting for their next cue line.  The intentions and emotions for the most part were all there especially as the intensity amped up in the second act.  Cooper's epiphany over what he caused at the end was extremely powerful.  And Moorer's delusional insistence of her son's survival was heartbreaking even though I felt she lost some of that intention as soon as the secrets came out.  The problem is that they all felt like they were in their own plays on that stage and were just sharing it with other plays happening at the same time.

The most believable and grounded performances of the evening came from some of the supporting players.  Parker's devastated and broken man carrying the burdens of his family was stunning.  And Carol Roscoe as the Keller's neighbor with her own duplicitous ulterior motives took one small scene and ran away with it.  And both of them seemed to be doing the best at trying to connect with the others on stage but tended to get very little back.

I'm not saying any of the performances were bad by any means, but for actors to connect with the audience and really impact them in a highly emotional piece like this (or really any Miller play) then they first need to connect with each other.  And I feel that director Curtis-Newton and the cast would have done well to take the time to develop those connections better.  Without them, the play falls a little flat and loses the importance I'm sure they were trying to convey.

"All My Sons" plays at Seattle's Intiman Theatre through April 17^th.  For tickets or information contact the Intiman box office at 206-269-1900 or visit them online at www.intiman.org.

Photo Credit: Chris Bennion

 

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