High School Tackles Arthur Miller Drama

The Theater Arts Boosters is making local history by staging a drama as its fall play. All My Sons, Arthur Miller’s Tony Award-winning play, will open Dec. 1 and play for two weekends. The show is directed by theater veteran Elizabeth Brasler, head of the school’s drama department.

The story takes place in 1946, post World War II, and tells the story of Joe Keller, a successful, middle-aged, self-made man who has done something both terrible and tragic. He framed his business partner for a crime and engineered his own exoneration. Now, his son is about to marry the partner's daughter, and the affair is revisited as his life of lies unravels.

All My Sons was chosen this year, because Brasler said it presented themes with which the audience could identify, including "love of country, love of family and commitment,” she said. 

According parent Stephanie Goldman, who is involved with the production, "Other plays didn't have the same impact. Every word is important. It's all about the dialogue and the language. There is deep meaning in the words and many levels of subtext."

All My Sons was Miller's final attempt at writing a commercially successful play. He vowed to "find some other line of work" if the play did not find an audience.  It went on to win the Drama Critics Circle Award and two Tony awards for Best Play and Best Direction of a Play, and Miller followed it up with Death of a Salesman for which he won the Pulitzer Prize.

All My Sons revolves around the Keller family. At the heart of the story is Kate Keller (performed by Alexandra Goldmann, 16) a middle-aged woman who, despite the protests of those around her, believes that her youngest son, Larry, is still alive and will some day return home from the war, even though he has been missing for three years. She is in deep denial over the reality of the situation.  

Compounding matters is the fact that her older son, Chris (alternately performed by Ryan Rosenheim and Matthew Oster), has fallen in love with Larry's girl, Ann (alternately portrayed by Katherine Steele and Melanie Abramoff). Ann is the daughter of Steve Deever, former business partner of father Joe Keller (performed by junior Evan Laffer).

The character of Joe Keller is equally conflicted. Keller and his partner, Steve Deever, have been put on trial for shipping out faulty airplane cylinder heads to the U.S. Military.  These parts were put into American war planes and resulted in the deaths of 21 pilots. While Keller was exonerated, Deever was sent to prison and Keller has allowed the blame to solely fall on his partner's shoulders.

The G Building stage has been transformed into a suburban backyard by technical director Chris Winfield. The period costumes were created by Stephanie Goldmann.

Rehearsed over an eight-week period, the play also includes cast members Hunter Paris, Jack Filsinger, Stephanie Kane, Sammy Lassoff, Justin O’Hadi, Sydney Heller, Cici Stephan, Max Kennedy, Kyle Lewis and Sarah Cherney.

Performances are Dec. 1, 2, 3 and Dec. 8, 9, 10 at 7 p.m. in the G Building.  

Tickets are available at the door for $15 or you may purchase them in advance in the Attendance Office. Reserved seats are $20 and may be purchased by calling 818-625-9731. Student tickets are $10 or $5 for the Dec. 8 performance.