All My Sons: Why Arthur Miller Plays Give Me a Headache

I recognize that Arthur Miller is a very important American playwright, I do, but that 1950s bash your messages into the audience's skulls form of playwriting is just not my cup of tea. By the time Dianne Wiest ended the play shouting "live! live!" I had such a headache that I just wanted to run away from all the screaming. I feel this way about Death of a Salesman and the Crucible as well (especially the Crucible) - the morals and message are so obvious and so heavy-handed that you can't help but choke on them by the end of the play.

That aside, the current production had some high and low points. I thought the set design worked very well - a stark backyard with images and message projected on the back screen and the cast hovering visibly in the wings throughout the show. I also thought that John Lithgow did a great job of trying to humanize and naturalize the overly moralistic dilemmas and Patrick Wilson matched him whenever they had scenes together. However, Dianne Wiest was doing her best "I am in an important play" voice which only enhanced the overkill of the play itself. And Katie Holmes, although she tries her best, just doesn't have the ability to match the others and also ends up projecting a self-conscious, important play-type vibe.

All in all, I would say that if you find Arthur Miller interesting then you should try and check out this production, even for John Lithgow's portrayal alone. However, if like me you're prone to Miller headaches, then you might want to steer clear.