Miller’s Crossing: The Price and All My Sons

Arthur Miller is often described as one of the moral arbiters of twentieth-century American theater, a writer whose works frequently wrestled with how capitalism, corruption and self-deception negatively affected people’s lives. Nowhere are these themes more prevalent than in what I think of as his “Bad Dads Trilogy,” which would include All My Sons, Death of a Salesman and The Price. Two of these plays are currently receiving very strong productions – The Price by Pacific Resident Theatre (PRT) and All My Sons by Antaeus Theatre Company – with Salesman set to appear at A Noise Within later this month. I’m not sure why the stars have aligned for this particular Miller conjunction, but while corporate malfeasance is running rampant and we’ve just been led into another war, his themes are sadly all too relevant.

The Price by Arthur Miller at Pacific Resident Theatre

In The Price it’s 1967 Manhattan, and the brownstone building that brothers Victor (Scott Jackson) and Walter (Jason Huber) grew up in is scheduled to be demolished. Victor and his wife, Esther (Dana Dewes), have arrived in the apartment to meet Solomon (Richard Fancy), an octogenarian antique dealer, to try and sell all the old furniture. When Walter (who hasn’t spoken to Victor in years) doesn’t show up, Victor makes a deal with Solomon, but before it’s concluded Walter arrives and insists the price of everything will be bitterly argued and decided upon.

Jackson gives a terrific performance as the emotionally controlled Victor, whose feelings are clearly simmering directly below the surface but finally explode in a passionately delivered speech about the prices to be paid in life. Dewes does fine, subtle work as the desperate Esther, who is very sure that she wants her life to change and believes that money is the key to that. Huber expertly manages to make Walter a fascinating combination of intelligence and moral weakness. Fancy is superb as ex-acrobat Solomon, making a full-course meal of a great role, getting every laugh but also delivering every dramatic nuance. He brings enormous energy and skill to the character in a mesmerizing portrayal.

Director Elina de Santos gets outstanding work from her cast, but on opening night the runtime, which was stated on the PRT website as being two hours including the intermission, ran closer to three. Rich Rose’s scenic design of the apartment is wonderfully dense with detail, the past ever present around the characters. Miller gives Solomon the best lines, from describing trying to sell old furniture to modern buyers as being as appealing as “a case of tuberculosis” to opining about Esther, “I like her – she’s suspicious.” Miller’s references to our “disposable culture” and moral debt ring truer than ever, as does the sad impossibility of some people being able to connect, despite their best efforts.

The Price may be a bit prolix, but it’s still a very good play, and this is an excellent production of it.

All My Sons by Arthur Miller at Antaeus Theatre Company

In 1947, WW2 veteran Chris (Matthew Grondin) is working at his father Joe’s (Bo Foxworth) manufacturing business. Things in the household are a bit uneasy, because mother Kate (Tessa Auberjonois) is convinced that her son Larry is still alive, even though he’s been missing since the end of the war. Chris would like her to get over that belief, because he wants to marry Larry’s one-time girlfriend, Ann (Shannon Lee Clair), and has invited her to visit the family home to propose to her. The fact that Joe was accused of shipping defective cylinder heads to the military during the war (which led to twenty-one American deaths), and that Joe blamed it all on Ann’s father, makes things a bit trickier, but Chris and Ann believe Joe is innocent. Until one day Ann’s brother, George (Michael Yapujian), shows up with news…

Foxworth is very impressive as the seemingly genial Joe, but also very convincing when he gets challenged and uses Joe’s self-righteous anger to bully others into seeing things his way. And yet he also depicts Joe’s genuine desire to be a good father along with his self-deception, combining these aspects into a fully three-dimensional character in his performance. Auberjonois is fantastic in her fierce portrayal of Kate, who is committed to her denial of reality. Grondin is great as Chris, especially in the final scenes of the play, in which he explodes with rage. Clair is smart and charming as Ann, and Yapujian makes the most of a scene in which he is nearly seduced.

Director Oánh Nguyễn gets tremendous work from his actors, and in concert with lighting designer Andrew Schmedake, he cleverly uses flashes from vertical banks of lights surrounding the stage on three sides to serve as a vivid indicator of the emotions the characters are feeling. Miller shines both comedically (Joe reading the newspaper – “I like to keep abreast of my ignorance.”) and dramatically (Chris describing the family money as “loot with blood on it.”), but mainly he focuses on how far someone will go to convince themselves they’re right when deep down they know they are in the wrong.

All My Sons is one of Miller’s best plays, and this Antaeus production makes it shine.

The Price is presented by and at Pacific Resident Theatre and plays through April 12. Tickets are available at https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=302016

All My Sons is presented by Antaeus Theatre Company and plays through March 30. Tickets are available at https://antaeus.org/show-details/all-my-sons