Grade: B+
It's a difficult proposition to find the humor in the works of Arthur Miller. Most of his best plays are deep and allegorical; heavy, tragic and even ponderous. It isn't that the humor or humanity isn't there. But it takes skilled actors and direction to find it, mine it and make it work.
That director and those actors take the stage this weekend in Miller's “All My Sons,” a play that makes us question responsibility; to family, to country and to the world. Director Jamie Bruno and his cast, particularly Roy VanNorstrand and Anne Fitzgerald, have found the humanity in the play and keep the audience completely invested in the characters and the story.
Bruno's direction is lean and agile, there are no prolonged bits of business, no clutter to the scenes, no pregnant pauses turning awkward. Everything in the play, everything about the performances fits. In only his second time at the helm, Bruno has begun to fulfill the promise he showed last season.
VanNorstrand and Fitzgerald are nothing short of brilliant. I have long held the position that community theater is one of the most vital of artistic endeavors, and performances like these are my proof. Despite being what passes for the villains of the piece, both actors create and sustain believable and sympathetic characters. VanNorstrand demonstrates considerable charm and poise as Joe Keller, with a performance that is at once comfortable and profound. Where some may use a broadsword, he uses a rapier and volume is never a substitute for intensity.
Fitzgerald matches him every step of the way with a quiet power underscored by a dangerous tension. While he drive the play forward, she is the ultimate enabler, never letting her husband face the consequences of his actions. While these fit the constructs of Miller's script, it is the actors who make them flesh and blood and these two deliver at every turn. They are remarkable performances at any level of theater.
The rest of the cast should not be overlooked. Nick Bessette, in perhaps the plays most difficult part, does good work as their idealistic son. Carole Estabrook is wonderful as his fiance and Joe Pine is solid as her brother. Lesley Kennedy and Tom Minion are excellent as the Keller's neighbors and the scene between Estabrook and Kennedy is outstanding. Tim Morgan and Rachel Scarr are another set of neighbors and, along with young Logan MacNicol as a neighborhood tattletale, provide able support.
Technically, the show is very good. The simple set by Brian Hensley and Dustin Czarny, evokes the Midwestern backyard of the Kellers and provides ample space for the action, although the swing set appears to be too modern for the period and too new for the circumstances. Vera Carabajal does wonderful work with the lighting, particularly the final act. Bourke Kennedy's costumes are perfect for the period.
“All My Sons,” Miller's first major success and still one of his best plays, is a challenge for any group and the Players here have risen to the challenge with a production which, with a bit more focus and sharpness from some of the supporting cast (something often facilitated by the presence of an audience), could be a highlight of recent seasons.
While there is nothing objectionable for families, the material may not hold the interest of young children.
If you go
What: “All My Sons”
When: 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24
Where: Irene Bisgrove Theater, Cayuga Community College, Auburn
How much: $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors and $2 off for groups of 10 or more
Info: 406-7435
That director and those actors take the stage this weekend in Miller's “All My Sons,” a play that makes us question responsibility; to family, to country and to the world. Director Jamie Bruno and his cast, particularly Roy VanNorstrand and Anne Fitzgerald, have found the humanity in the play and keep the audience completely invested in the characters and the story.
Bruno's direction is lean and agile, there are no prolonged bits of business, no clutter to the scenes, no pregnant pauses turning awkward. Everything in the play, everything about the performances fits. In only his second time at the helm, Bruno has begun to fulfill the promise he showed last season.
VanNorstrand and Fitzgerald are nothing short of brilliant. I have long held the position that community theater is one of the most vital of artistic endeavors, and performances like these are my proof. Despite being what passes for the villains of the piece, both actors create and sustain believable and sympathetic characters. VanNorstrand demonstrates considerable charm and poise as Joe Keller, with a performance that is at once comfortable and profound. Where some may use a broadsword, he uses a rapier and volume is never a substitute for intensity.
Fitzgerald matches him every step of the way with a quiet power underscored by a dangerous tension. While he drive the play forward, she is the ultimate enabler, never letting her husband face the consequences of his actions. While these fit the constructs of Miller's script, it is the actors who make them flesh and blood and these two deliver at every turn. They are remarkable performances at any level of theater.
The rest of the cast should not be overlooked. Nick Bessette, in perhaps the plays most difficult part, does good work as their idealistic son. Carole Estabrook is wonderful as his fiance and Joe Pine is solid as her brother. Lesley Kennedy and Tom Minion are excellent as the Keller's neighbors and the scene between Estabrook and Kennedy is outstanding. Tim Morgan and Rachel Scarr are another set of neighbors and, along with young Logan MacNicol as a neighborhood tattletale, provide able support.
Technically, the show is very good. The simple set by Brian Hensley and Dustin Czarny, evokes the Midwestern backyard of the Kellers and provides ample space for the action, although the swing set appears to be too modern for the period and too new for the circumstances. Vera Carabajal does wonderful work with the lighting, particularly the final act. Bourke Kennedy's costumes are perfect for the period.
“All My Sons,” Miller's first major success and still one of his best plays, is a challenge for any group and the Players here have risen to the challenge with a production which, with a bit more focus and sharpness from some of the supporting cast (something often facilitated by the presence of an audience), could be a highlight of recent seasons.
While there is nothing objectionable for families, the material may not hold the interest of young children.
If you go
What: “All My Sons”
When: 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24
Where: Irene Bisgrove Theater, Cayuga Community College, Auburn
How much: $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors and $2 off for groups of 10 or more
Info: 406-7435
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