Sept. 29, 2004 -- The University of Wyoming Department of Theatre and Dance opens
its 2004-2005 season with one of Arthur Miller's greatest works, "All My Sons," Oct.
5 through 9 at 7:30 p.m. on the Fine Arts Center main stage.
Tickets cost $13 for adults, $11 for senior citizens, and $6 for students. For ticket
information or to purchase, call the ticket office (307) 766-6666, stop by the Fine
Arts Center box office (10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays) or go online at www.uwyo.edu/finearts.
"All My Sons" is a stark depiction of the American Dream gone nightmarishly awry,
as personal greed and wartime profiteering come into conflict with the ethics of personal
responsibility. Written in 1947, this powerful and moving drama underscores America's
postwar irrevocable loss of innocence.
"One of the most evocative things about this play is its timelessness," observes director
Wolf Sherrill. "Miller wrote 'All My Sons' decades ago, and yet his dominant themes
-- deceit, negligence due to greed, avoidance of responsibility -- really resonate
with me today. Are the spoils of war loot or simply a byproduct of the upholding of
ideals? Are we trapped by human nature into repeating the same mistakes? Miller deals
with these issues and questions with great craft and skill."
"All My Sons" centers on self-made man Joe Keller (Jason Boat, Salt Lake City, Utah),
who has spent his life in the pursuit of wealth for the sake of his family, working
his way up from blue collar worker to factory owner. In 1943, doing his part for the
war effort, Joe built cylinder heads for P-40 fighter planes and made a fortune. Now,
nearly four years later, Joe has eased into a comfortable postwar life with his wife
Kate (Heather Kaloust, Arvada, Colo.) and his idealistic son Chris (Brandon Taylor,
Rawlins), a war veteran.
But 21 planes went down and as many men lost their lives because of faulty parts from
Joe's factory. Now Joe's business partner is in prison; his eldest son, Larry, is
missing in action and presumed dead; and his wife is inconsolable. When Chris brings
home Ann (Hannah Kellerby, Cody), Larry's childhood sweetheart and the daughter of
his father's business partner, to announce their engagement, the Kellers' fragile
world begins to unravel.
Posted on Wednesday, September 29, 2004
