Tribune staff reports
Jackson County Community Theatre’s 2017-18 season will wrap up with the classic Arthur Miller postwar drama “All My Sons” at 5 and 7:30 p.m. April 27 and 28 and May 4 and 5.
Miller’s 1947 drama was the winner of the New York Drama Critics’ Circle award for best play.
“All My Sons” visits the Keller and Deever families as they are healing from their families’ wounds of World War II. Joe Keller and Herbert Deever, best friends and next-door neighbors, ran a machine shop that made airplane parts. Some defective parts were sent to the military, which caused the deaths of 21 men. For his part in the disaster, Deever went to prison. Keller, however, was exonerated.
The play is set in the Kellers’ backyard. The Deever family moved away when Herbert went to prison. Keller’s son, Larry, was reported missing in the war and after three years is presumed dead by all but his mother, who clings to an irrational certainty that he is alive and will return.
His surviving brother, Chris, and his childhood friend, Ann Deever, who was engaged to Larry when he went to war, have accepted Larry will not return and have fallen in love. They wish for the family’s blessing, but Kate Keller is determined Ann is still “Larry’s girl” and is ferociously opposed to the romance.
Ann’s brother George Deever’s return after a visit with his estranged father in prison propels the story to a powerful climax.
Jeremy Hendrix is directing this show. Other well-known dramas by Miller are “The Crucible” and “Death of a Salesman.”
John Rohlfing and Jana Kaye Peters will portray the elder Kellers, Joe and Kate. Paul Keller plays their son, Chris. Michelle Elkins and Pete Law portray siblings Ann and George Deever. Neighbors Jim and Sue Bayless (Shane Crouch and Elyse McGill), Frank and Lydia Lubey (Jeremy Kinnett and Rachel Franke) and young Bert (Mason Williams) round out the cast.
Sarah McGill is producer, Lisa Burrell is stage manager and Isaiah Edwards is stage assistant.
Lighting designer is Horace Tucker. Evan Rohlfing will operate the sound. Kathy Nelson and Mike Bumbleburg will run the lights. Joel McGill, Joe Bradley and Joe Reynolds are building the set.
JCCT wishes to caution patrons there will be a few strong words used in moments of intense emotion during the play.
Tickets may be purchased online at jcct.org or at Family Drug in Brownstown or Artistic Impressions in Seymour.
The Jackson County Community Theatre season is supported by a grant from the Indiana Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Columbus Area Arts Council.
Significant local support comes from the Seymour Oktoberfest committee and the Community Foundation of Jackson County.
Information about JCCT, including the 2018-19 season, season ticket and membership information and ways to become involved may be found at jcct.org.