Review: Oyster Mill Delivers Classic Production of ALL MY SONS

ALL MY SONS isn't just a play. It's an Arthur Miller play, which immediately means there's an air of Greek tragedy and a certain clear universalism to the moral despite a specific plot. It's also one with a legendary history - originally directed by Elia Kazan, it beat out O'Neill's THE ICEMAN COMETH for the Critics Circle award, won multiple Tonys, and boasted a cast including Ed Begley and Karl Malden. It's been turned into two films and a television show, and been revived on Broadway twice. The play has the weight of its history upon it.

Lew Silverman took on the task of directing ALL MY SONS at Oyster Mill Playhouse over the past few weeks; unfortunately, a week was lost to weather, for this was a thoughtful, nuanced production with a solid, enthusiastic cast. It's a pleasure to see that Oyster Mill took it on; there's frequently a dearth of meaningful drama in the area, and Oyster Mill has regular performers who certainly have the acting chops to handle a heavy drama. Whether you see the play more in terms of Miller's anti-war sentiment, or about corporate greed, or as a reflection of people who can't see further than their own family and their own interests rather than the greater good, Silverman's direction allowed for your interpretation while maintaining its own integrity.

Area theatre veteran Eddie Costik starred as Joe Keller, the paterfamilias of the Keller clan, an excellent casting choice - Costik maintained his gravitas as family and business patriarch until his vivid breakdown at the end. His wife Kate was played by Oyster Mill regular Aliza Bardfeld. Whether it was Silverman's or Bardfeld's choice, Kate came off as a much stronger character than in many productions. Bardfeld is always a delight to watch on stage, and does well in period shows such as this. While one might normally expect Kate to be more bewildered and less stiff-spined, Bardfeld's consistency as a tougher Kate made her interpretation believable. Considering that Michael Learned played Kate in the last Broadway revival, a mentally tougher Kate may be the new standard for the play. Kate does have issues, though - she is undoubtedly the Queen of Denial, not only of her son Larry's death, but of other family matters.

Nick Webb co-starred as son and heir Chris Keller, the war veteran who finds taking over his father's business a bore after the adrenalin rush of war, but also the man who's been in love with his late brother's fiancée. Bardfeld, incidentally, is at her most powerful when Kate confronts Chris and his new fiancée Ann Deever (Elizabeth Enns Petters) about her perception of their betrayal of Chris's brother Larry. Webb gave a nicely nuanced performance as Chris, though his own breakdown at his discovery of his father's business secrets is especially well-rendered. The continual underplaying of emotion by Costik and Webb, against Bardfeld's displays of Kate's raw emotion throughout, makes their emotional collapses all the more impressive.

Sam Eisenhuth delivered one of his best performances to date as George Deever, brother of Ann, son of Steven Deever, Joe Keller's business partner, and the one of the two who was convicted of business wrongdoing in supplying defective parts for military aircraft. George comes in as the radical conscience of the story, rattling cages and shaking foundations, and allowing the truth to at last be dislodged. It's a small part, comparatively, appearing in only one act, but it's a necessary one, and Eisenhuth, as the only male in the show whose emotion is visible from the start, gave it full due.

Oyster Mill always excels at drawing room comedies and mysteries; it's a pleasure to see the theatre do as well with a truly heavy drama. This was the first show of what has promised to be a very interesting season for them, especially as it's being followed up in short order with recent Tony winner ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS, which starred British performer James Corden on Broadway.

For tickets and information, visit oystermill.com.

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