All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
#1All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/28/08 at 10:54am
Alright so I saw All My Sons was at 2pm on Saturday. I got to the theatre at 2:30 and the line was down shubert alley! There were paparazi, and all types of baracades. I have never been to the Schoenfield Theatre Before so I didn't know what to expect of the location of my seats, since I was second to last row. However its a GREAT theatre, with almost no bad seat. The set is bare-bones. No showcurtain, and just a large green square as the yard, upstage of that is the porch, no railings, no wall of house, just a flat surface made out of wood, and a door free standing there on the porch. Larrys tree is onstage D.S.R. And the back wall is just clapboard, nothing on it.
The entire cast walks out together, and dresses the stage, with chairs, tables, a radio, etc. John Lithgow holds up the All MY Sons script, and says "we will perform Arthur Millers, ALL MY SONS." John then reads the intro in the script "the play set is an american backyard, bla bla bla" and these words are projected onto the wall upstage. It then goes to blackout, and "ACTI" is projected on the wall. I'm not sure if its done in every production, however this version begins with the storm, knocking over Larrys tree, while Kate is standing in the back yard. The Lighting, Sound Design is SUPERB in this production, almost the entire production is scored to build tension, it works great here.
A few aspects that i respected but didnt understand were, there was no masking. The cast sat in chairs stage left and stage right when not on performing. When a neighbor came on stage did their stuff then left, when they got to the end of the playing space they stopped dead in their tracks waited three seconds, then continued off stage in slowmotion. Same for when any of the family members exiting through the door, into the "house" the door was see through so Kate Keller would go into the house, open the door walk in and face the upstage wall for like 3 seconds and then exit off stage. I took it as in the paues were the characters leaving their body, idk maybe you will be better to explain it when you see it.
Overall I had no problems with the performances of the 4 leads, but holy mother of god, did Dianne Weist blow the f*cking roof off of that place. I didnt need to take the bus home, because her energy blew us out of the theatre. Katie Holmes is FINE, no problems with diction, blocking etc. I was happy with her choices and it was strong for me. The father son relationship between John Lithgow and Patrick Wilson was fantastic! SO heartbreaking at the end of ActII!!
***********SPOILERS**************************
I had never read the play, nor seen a production before so when Keller when into the house for the last time i knew something was up by the staging. All the neighbors came back out on stage (5 neighbors were cast to only do this, and nothing else) and stood on the perimeter of the grass staring at the Kellers, and when he shot himself off stage, they all dropped their arms and bent over. That flew over my head of what that was all about, with the neighbors.
*********************END OF SPOILERS***************
I would recomdend going to this production, its to great to see a TRUE American piece of theatre, and then have a production of it with such a theatrical aspect in the tech.
The direction of this play is great. Overally I was thoroughly pleased with it. The final moment faded to black out, and left the audience silent for a good 10 seconds!
Best of Luck cast and crew!!!
I'll have them clawing at eachother, like drag queens at a wig sale"
perfectliar
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/1/04
#2re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/28/08 at 12:10pm
I was at the same performance. I thought Katie Holmes was much more than "fine"... for me, she had the second strongest performance (next to Dianne Wiest, who is unbelievable in this role). Patrick Wilson was unbelievable in the second and third acts, and John Lithgow was strong overall but not as spectacular as I would have liked. But this cast is definitely one of the best I've ever seen... they work together so naturally and beautifully.
I didn't like Simon McBurney's use of projections. The projection of the house was fine, but the others seemed random and completely unnecessary. The final projection of the "universe of people" is TERRIBLE. First of all, it's a shot of modern times, when we've established that the action takes place at the close of World War II. Secondly, it completely confused the audience. Those 10 seconds of silence weren't out of shock, it was because people weren't sure if the show was over or not. I've read the play before and even I wasn't sure if there was going to be something else, another projection or sound effect or something. It was just a bizarre way to end an otherwise fantastic show. Do your best to see this one.
#2re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/28/08 at 4:35pmwow, i completly forgot about the end moment. I agreed. it created confusion. I remember seeing someone with a drawstring bad in the projection and I was like "huh?"
I'll have them clawing at eachother, like drag queens at a wig sale"
Yankeefan007
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
#3re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/28/08 at 5:01pmIt sounds like a very BRITISH piece of theater. And, from what I've heard, that seems to be a good thing.
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#4re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/28/08 at 5:50pm
As written, the play begins the morining after the storm,with the tree already down when the curtain goes up.
Some other productions (such as one I did) have added "mini-prologue" the sound of the lightining strike just before the lights came up, and had Kate come out to the yard in her nightgown and robe to discover the downed tree.
#5re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/28/08 at 8:50pmI thought Dianne Wiest was going to blow away the way she was shaking in the storm! GOD I cannot get over Dianne's amazing performance!!!
I'll have them clawing at eachother, like drag queens at a wig sale"
#6re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/29/08 at 12:16amIf you got to the theatre at 2:30 for a 2 pm show, how did you see them walk out together?
FindingNamo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/22/03
#7re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/29/08 at 1:07am
:::The entire cast walks out together, and dresses the stage, with chairs, tables, a radio, etc. John Lithgow holds up the All MY Sons script, and says "we will perform Arthur Millers, ALL MY SONS." John then reads the intro in the script "the play set is an american backyard, bla bla bla" and these words are projected onto the wall upstage. It then goes to blackout, and "ACTI" is projected on the wall.:::
Why?
Twitter @NamoInExile
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#8re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/29/08 at 9:00am
I arrived at 1:30pm for a 2pm. TYPO
Nemo: "Why?" Its interesting at first, but it also gets everyones "entrance applause" out of the way.
I'll have them clawing at eachother, like drag queens at a wig sale"
Updated On: 9/29/08 at 09:00 AM
#9re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/29/08 at 9:12am
I really liked the production, but agree that the final projection needs to go. In fact I HATED it. It left me confused and broke the whole mood they had worked so hard to create.
***possible spoiler***
It should have just ended with Diane say "shhh" and fade to black. It would have been much more powerful.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
#10re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/29/08 at 9:30amAGREED, her presence was so strong everythime on stage, written she has the final moment, why tke it away from her now? I did enjoy the 10 seconds of silence after the end.
I'll have them clawing at eachother, like drag queens at a wig sale"
Fosse76
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/05
#11re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/29/08 at 11:54amI don't understand what people like about Katie Holmes. I found her delivery to be very flat and wooden. In the dramatic climax her overacting competely pulls you out of the show because it's so laughable. She isn't acting, she's reading the script from memory without any emotion. I not once ever believed that she was anything other than an actress. Even Patrick Wilson suffers in the dramatic climax of the piece...not sure if it's him or Katie dragging him down, but either way she is aweful.
perfectliar
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/1/04
#12re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 9/29/08 at 12:35pmFosse - You seem to be the only one who thinks Katie Holmes isn't holding her own. The other reviews I've read on this board comment on how (suprisingly) good she is.
sbrode
Swing Joined: 10/1/08
#13re: All My Sons review 9/27 2pm
Posted: 10/1/08 at 1:45pm
Found a great review of the show that I agree with here:
http://theatreinsight.blogsome.com/
Says that Diane Weist was fine, but that she didn't do enough for how amazing of a character she had to play. Not enough risks and not enough variety. Plus there's a lot in there that makes good sense about the sound and projection choices too. I hoped to see more reviews on the site but so far its just All My Sons... will be checking back again soon.
Theatre Insight- All My Sons Review
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