The University’s Swine Palace is paying tribute to one of the nation’s most memorable names in theatre with a classic that helped this playwright make a name for himself.
Fans remember Arthur Miller’s well-known productions of “The Crucible” and “Death of a Salesman,” but the University’s theatre department is helping to bring Miller’s “All My Sons” to life.
Miller first gained recognition with “All My Sons” nearly 70 years ago. The story depicts the state of life in a post-World War II world. The play’s director, Jane Page, admires the production for its investigation of both the ups and downs of life during that time.
“It explores what we thought [life] was, what we hoped it would be,” Page said. “At the same time, the seedy side of what making war is about is also explored, and I think that it’s really interesting and disturbing.”
Page is the head of directing at the University of California, Irvine, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to fulfill a dream of hers on a campus she has history with.
“I was here several years ago for ‘She Stoops to Conquer,’ after Katrina,” Page said. “‘All My Sons’ is a play that I’ve wanted to do for many, many years. I’m delighted to have a crack at it and especially to get to do it here.
Karli Henderson, Swine Palace and LSU Theatre associate managing director of development and marketing, said the classic text features several intertwining story lines surrounding one family’s wartime experiences.
“They obviously lost a son in the war, but their business grew because of the war, so you see these different sides of how war affected families,” Henderson said. “War is still affecting families, just in different ways, today.”
The production includes more than just the University’s Masters in Fine Arts students. The company assembled a cast comprising actors from coast to coast, children from the Baton Rouge community and even a few Broadway performers.
The diverse cast isn’t the only group who contributed their efforts to the production. The set design and costume departments have both been busily preparing for this week’s opening night. The crew paid special attention to each detail of the show, in an effort to maintain a realistic ‘40s vibe.
“[The costumes] really represent what these people would be wearing at the time,” Page said. “The house is actually based on a house from the Sears catalog when you used to be able to order houses from the Sears catalog. It’s very iconic of midwestern, solid, All-American values.”
Both cast and crew have been preparing for the show since spring 2014, and Page can’t be more proud of what the production has to offer.
“It’s a fantastically written play,” Page said. “I mean, it’s just a terrific play. It’s stood the test of time, and the level of the work of these folks is just astonishing.”
Page will leave her months of work in the hands of the stage manager after the production’s Feb. 6 opening night, as professional directors often do, but she advises fans of theatre to attend a performance.
“All My Sons” opens Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Claude L. Shaver Theatre in the Music and Dramatic Arts building. Shows will close on Feb. 15 with 7:30 shows each weekday and Saturday and a 2:00 p.m. show on Sundays. Tickets are $15 for students, $20 for faculty and $30 for general admission.