After reading “The Crucible” and “Death of a Salesman,” Jamie Bruno made up his mind that Aruthur Miller was not for him. So it is surprising that Bruno is not only directing Miller's play “All My Sons,” he is excited about the production.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Roy Van Norstrand, right, and Nick Bessette star as Joe and Chris Keller in the Auburn Players' production of “All My Sons.”
Roy Van Norstrand, right, and Nick Bessette star as Joe and Chris Keller in the Auburn Players' production of “All My Sons.”
While the play deals with heavy and tragic themes that are common with Miller's works, there is also an incredible energy and feeling of liveliness to the piece, Bruno said.
“Miller didn't write it programmatically like he was trying to sell his version of politics,” Bruno said. “(The play) is almost like a machine that you wind up and let go. It has a life of its own that takes you right to the end.”
Produced by the Auburn Players, “All My Sons” opens its two-weekend run Friday at Cayuga Community College's Irene Bisgrove Theater. Written in 1947, the play was Miller's first Broadway hit and was made into a film in 1948 starring Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster.
The play is about Chris Keller, a soldier who arrives home after World War II and wishes to start his life. But to do that, Chris has to come to terms with the loss of his brother who went missing at war, while confronting a horrible act committed by his father, Joe.
One of the things that makes the play so appealing is its dynamic characters, Bruno said. There is no clear-cut hero or villain, which makes the story believable, he said.
“When I picked up the play, I realized Miller was creating these fully-developed characters,” Bruno said. “They are in this impossible situation which is creating this conflict that has to relieve itself.”
Roy VanNorstrand portrays Joe, the hard-working father whose priority in life is to provide for this family. VanNorstrand said that Miller's play is an “incredibly relevant story,” as much today as it was in the late 1940s.
“The play is really about the American dream, and the inherent contrast between this idea of the American dream and the idea of family,” VanNorstrand said. “I think this play will ask difficult questions to the audience, and that is worth doing.”
Bruno said that his goal as a director is to evoke some sort of feeling or emotional response from every audience member, even if it is small. And a great piece of drama like “All My Sons” can make people think about life in a new and profound way, Bruno said.
“To me, if you don't go into the theater one person and come out another, even in a tiny way, we didn't do our job,” Bruno said. “Otherwise, it is all just a game, and we are doing this for no good reason.”
For VanNorstrand, who has participated in community theater in the region for about five years, being able to engage the audience is worth all the work that comes with memorizing and rehearsing the lines on his spare time.
“Theater, and particularly community theater, is a way to tell stories to each other that are worth telling,” VanNorstrand said. “It engages us and prods us, and it encourages us to think about ourselves and our culture.”
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net
If you go
What: “All My Sons”
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 15, 16, 22 and 23; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17 and 24
Where: Irene Bisgrove Theater, Cayuga Community College, Auburn
Cost: $12 general admission, $10 students and seniors
Info: Call 255-1743
“Miller didn't write it programmatically like he was trying to sell his version of politics,” Bruno said. “(The play) is almost like a machine that you wind up and let go. It has a life of its own that takes you right to the end.”
Produced by the Auburn Players, “All My Sons” opens its two-weekend run Friday at Cayuga Community College's Irene Bisgrove Theater. Written in 1947, the play was Miller's first Broadway hit and was made into a film in 1948 starring Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancaster.
The play is about Chris Keller, a soldier who arrives home after World War II and wishes to start his life. But to do that, Chris has to come to terms with the loss of his brother who went missing at war, while confronting a horrible act committed by his father, Joe.
One of the things that makes the play so appealing is its dynamic characters, Bruno said. There is no clear-cut hero or villain, which makes the story believable, he said.
“When I picked up the play, I realized Miller was creating these fully-developed characters,” Bruno said. “They are in this impossible situation which is creating this conflict that has to relieve itself.”
Roy VanNorstrand portrays Joe, the hard-working father whose priority in life is to provide for this family. VanNorstrand said that Miller's play is an “incredibly relevant story,” as much today as it was in the late 1940s.
“The play is really about the American dream, and the inherent contrast between this idea of the American dream and the idea of family,” VanNorstrand said. “I think this play will ask difficult questions to the audience, and that is worth doing.”
Bruno said that his goal as a director is to evoke some sort of feeling or emotional response from every audience member, even if it is small. And a great piece of drama like “All My Sons” can make people think about life in a new and profound way, Bruno said.
“To me, if you don't go into the theater one person and come out another, even in a tiny way, we didn't do our job,” Bruno said. “Otherwise, it is all just a game, and we are doing this for no good reason.”
For VanNorstrand, who has participated in community theater in the region for about five years, being able to engage the audience is worth all the work that comes with memorizing and rehearsing the lines on his spare time.
“Theater, and particularly community theater, is a way to tell stories to each other that are worth telling,” VanNorstrand said. “It engages us and prods us, and it encourages us to think about ourselves and our culture.”
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net
If you go
What: “All My Sons”
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 15, 16, 22 and 23; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17 and 24
Where: Irene Bisgrove Theater, Cayuga Community College, Auburn
Cost: $12 general admission, $10 students and seniors
Info: Call 255-1743
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