With All My Sons another season has come to a close. Its final offering is certainly respectable, if never quite thrilling.
I know people seem scared to see this based on the director replacement drama/Jack O’Brien’s involvement, but honestly this barely felt directed at all. It’s an extremely straightforward and accessible production of the play, the kind you would see at a college or standard regional theater. I would have to pull out my copy of the Miller’s works to verify, but it felt like the actors simply followed the stage directions to the letter (Kate enters stage right, crosses the chair and pours a glass of grape juice for George type stuff). Basically this is the anti-Ivo production, and given the two extremely, I’ll gladly take this one.
Without the director having much vision, this leaves everything in the hands of the actors. The last revival was all about Katie Homes- remember how the press went wild when Tom was in the audience!- and this time around it’s all about Bening. I thought she was very good, especially in acts two and three. This is the perfect type of role for her.
Letts is fine, but I preferred Lithgow’s performance from the last revival. The latter had a streak of guilt and frailty under all the lies and bulster that I found very affecting. Letts is like a steamroller, which makes the ending come a little out of left field this time around.
I do like All My Sons as a play a lot (there’s Chekhov, Ibsen and Greek tragedy all rolled into one and delivered via Miller’s fine prose), but along with View From the Bridge and Williams’ Cat and Streetcar, it sometimes feels like these are the only four American plays ever written. I guess it’s like comfort food- and who doesn’t like mac and cheese or grilled cheese and tomato soup?- but at this point, if you’re going to mount another production, shouldn’t there be a point of view?
Of course the third act will always be moving as the secrets come tumbling out and the truth must be reckoned with , but when the secrets are already known, a pedestrian production with fine acting rarely will rise above “good.”
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!