West Boca Raton High’s Samantha Denney
In the award-winning play All My Sons, Arthur Miller paints a picture of the Keller family’s complicated past of lies and loss, which unravel by the second. In post-war New England, the featured family includes Joe, Kate, and Chris Keller, and their deceased son, Larry. Kate is unable to accept the truth that her son has died, so when his past sweetheart shows up to marry the remaining Keller son, all of their pasts are revealed.
Jacob Steinger did an outstanding job portraying Joe Keller’s constantly changing emotions, guilt, and greed. Steinger was spectacular at acting his character’s age, always taking extra time to stand up, talk maturely, and walk slowly. It was obvious how much time and energy was spent working on character development. Whether he was bringing light to a tense moment or showing Joe’s extreme anger, Steinger always kept us on our toes.
Kate Keller, played by Katherine Rodgers, is a heartbroken mother holding onto hope that her missing child may still be alive. Rodgers gave the audience a captivating performance, showing us anger, sadness, laughter, and shock. I could feel the pain she was portraying.
Caden Quinn portrayed Chris phenomenally. I was truly taken aback by how amazing his acting was. We were given so much depth in Chris’ character, and I constantly empathized with him. I could feel his sense of disbelief when he found out the truth about his father. Major congratulations are in order for this amazing actor.
Ann Deever, the once lover of Larry Keller, shows up to the Keller home to marry Chris. This takes a toll on mom Kate, still hoping her son Larry will return home and marry Ann himself. Catherine Schenk played Ann’s character to a tee, by showing her infatuation with Chris, but also the heartbreak she felt when her brother told her about Joe’s awful past with her father.
I was truly taken aback by Caden Quinn’s stunning portrayal of Chris. He provided so much depth in Chris’ character, and I constantly empathized with him. His sense of disbelief when he found out the truth about his father was performed so well. Major congratulations are in order for this fabulous actor.
Ann’s brother George, played by Casey Crawford, is a difficult character to take on, yet he did it so well. George’s frustration with Ann sent the audience on an emotional rollercoaster, and Crawford’s performance was truly astonishing.
The neighbors of the Keller family were played by incredibly talented actors and actresses. Each character was unique in their own ways and the characters did a great job providing structure and comedic relief to an otherwise serious show.
In conclusion, The Benjamin School did a fantastic job of taking on this difficult play. I laughed, I cried, and I truly enjoyed this stunning performance of All My Sons. Shoutout to these outstanding actors for their amazing roles in this phenomenal show. Bravo!