Chamberlayne Actors’ ‘All My Sons’ is a gem

The close examination of morality in Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" makes the play an excellent choice for the 2009 Acts of Faith Festival.

This was the play that made Miller famous in 1947 and won him a Tony Award in 1948, and Chamberlayne Actors Theatre's straightforward and careful production comes close to doing it justice.

In fact, the fine cast, directed by Sheryle Criswell and well supported by the design staff, is nearly perfect. Miller wrote no throwaway roles in this beautiful work, and each of the 10 actors gets a fully realized human to inhabit. And the detailed set by Lin Heath is just right, as are the period costumes by Charlotte Scharff and Betty Williams. Alan Armstrong's lighting is well done except for the third act, which takes place after midnight and is sometimes just too dim.

In the post-World War II story, Joe Keller runs an industrial plant; he and his former partner were accused of supplying faulty military airplane parts that resulted in the deaths of 21 fliers during the war. The partner is in jail, but Joe's been cleared, though he's suffered the death of his own pilot son, Larry. His other son, Chris, is in love with Larry's fiancée, Ann, who is the daughter of the jailed partner. Ann's arrival for a visit is the catalyst for the Keller family to confront searing issues of denial and responsibility.

The conflict comes down to Chris, viewed as scrupulously honest and honorable, and Joe, who is practical and puts his family first. Joe believes there's "nothing bigger" in life than the family; Chris believes there is something much bigger.

Criswell gives proper emphasis to the philosophical elements of the play while keeping a strong focus on characterization. Supporting performances that might have been forgettable are instead important features of the drama. Steve Graham is wonderful as a doctor with humanitarian leanings; Barbi Partlow, as his wife, reveals a vicious streak. Matt Hackman is moving as Ann's tortured brother, and Chris Yarbrough, Debbie A. Walton and Skyler Gemmer help to create a sense of the America the Kellers inhabit.

Emma Mason shines as the coltish Ann, who's pretty tortured herself. Criswell sends her into excessive motion now and then, but Mason gives the character a spine of steel. Dean Knight's Chris is steadier, the unmistakable conscience of the piece, moving from awkwardness to anger, but never to hatefulness. Jacqueline Jones is at her powerful best as Joe's wife, Kate, denying the possibility of Larry's death with a terrible insistence.

Woody Robertson Jr. plays Joe, and though he is a big enough presence to fill the outlines of the character, he lacks the finesse to reveal his layers. For a man with a secret, his Joe is remarkably relaxed in the first act; a subtle hint of some underlying tension might have been more illuminating.

Susan Haubenstock is a freelance writer and editor based in Henrico County. Contact her at .