Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-Winning Drama, "All My Sons", On-Stage at Center Playhouse!

Every once in awhile … almost always without expectation … each of us is exposed to a Masterful Performance.  It may be that beautiful pitching match which differs markedly from the usual, high-quality baseball game; it might be the political speech which is quoted again and again for decades later; it might be Bob Dylan’s creation of The Times They Are A’Changing  sang and played before a live audience in one’s presence …

One of those to-remember-forever-Masterful Performances is now occurring in that precious “My Hometown” of Freehold!

With an almost indescribable such time-being, the presentation of Arthur Miller’s troubling and amazingly written play, All My Sons – presently being offered by Freehold’s simply wonderful matchbox community theater – Center Players – is one of those never-to-be-forgotten-Masterful Performances. Sharon “Saks” Sakosits as Kate Keller offers a simply amazing performance …. equal to or arguably exceeding the very finest ever offered during the 12 years of terrific shows, since Center Players first began as a Freehold treasure.  And Jessica O’Brian as Anne Deever …. There is no wonder whatsoever that she, just a few years ago, was nationally recognized by Broadwayworld as Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Carousel.  Spellbinding hardly offers justice …. She is magnificent as Anne.

Right alongside her is the often Center Players featured, Bill Lee, as Joe Keller, and while Bill’s performances – without exception – reflect a talent so often reserved only among those whose accolades are more well known than are Bill’s – virtually every member of the audience “felt” his being on stage as Joe.  He does not “perform as Joe Keller;” rather Bill Lee in All My Sons at Center Players IS Joe Keller.  And, of course, as the Director - and as Chris Keller - the often present – and consistently remarkably-talented Anthony Greco – offers a level of performance that simply resonates again and again and again. Anthony offers a talented performance in All My Sons which shall remain in the hearts and minds of an audience, somewhat indefinitely.

At the very same time, Sharon, Jessica, Bill and Anthony are gorgeously accompanied by the supporting group of Center Players’ best  - namely, Freehold’s own always-terrific and multiply-talented Yvette Cataneo as Lydia Lubey, Manalapan’s most notable actor, Ray Sammak as Dr. Jim Bayliss, Matthew Gochman – a frequent Center Players’ actor – as Frank Lubey, Marcy Zieve Kouveliotes and Colleen DeFelice as Sue Bayliss, and the also multi-talented Jeff Caplan as George Deever. As a special treat, the new-to-Center Players Patrick Marhold  - a fifth grade student  - performs very well as Bert.

The age-old question which manifests in slightly different forms …. “Do the times make the (wo)man, or does the (wo)man make the times?” continues to plague the often-sophisticated audience which – with increasing credibility – is attracted to Center Players.  To be sure, Arthur Miller’s work is an amazingly preciously written play - but at the same time, it is difficult to imagine the performance of this classic to be any better than that which Center Players creates.  It is – as noted at the very outset above – one of those indelible moments in theater - and as such, so, so well worth seeing.

Any and every significant military effort engaged by a society creates impacts not simply with and among those who are – literally – on the battlefield, but to and with families and friends at home.  All My Sons captures that reality as very few literary pieces do - but to the point precisely, Center Players touches and offers that compendium of impact which cannot help but – without the hint of an ideological message – bring a level of pause to the audience, as the reality of impact, family disintegration, guilt, self-doubt, relationship alternation - is inevitably bound to such a societal public policy decision.

For the wonder of theatrical beauty - for a performance which IS of “the best;” for a lie-awake-at-night-reflection, Center Players - through the present presentation of All My Sons cannot be missed.

All My Sons opened at Center Playhouse, 35 South Street in downtown Freehold, on Friday, June 6, the anniversary of D-Day and runs for five weekends through June 29th, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM.  (No performance Friday June 20th.) Tickets are $25 for Adults and $23 for Seniors & Students and includes gourmet desserts and refreshments. Group rates for parties of ten or more are available. Seating is limited so call the box office at (732) 462-9093 or visit us online at www.CenterPlayers.org to purchase your tickets. 

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 (Fred Hertrich is a multi-decade proud resident of Freehold.  With no theatrical experience whatsoever he is the remarkably family-fortunate lifetime husband of Violet, and father of three children, all of whom were educated, in part, in the Freehold Township and Freehold Regional Schools, as is, presently, one of his grandchildren. Fred is both honored and privileged to serve as Professor of Political Science, currently for both Brookdale Community College and for Middlesex County College.)

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