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MARSHFIELD – “All My Sons,” by Arthur Miller, will be performed by Campus Community Players at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Nov. 11-12, and Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 17-19, in the Helen Connor Laird Theatre on the UW-Marshfield/Wood County campus, 2000 West 5th St., Marshfield.

“All My Sons, like many of Arthur Miller’s works, forces us to face issues of social responsibility,” said Steve Decker, director and UW-Marshfield/Wood County professor. “All My Sons considers the legacy of war, an issue that is certainly timely for us today.” 

All My Sons takes place in the Keller family back yard just after WWII. Joe Keller has lost one son, Larry, in the war. Mother, Kate Keller, clings to the hope that her son is alive. Joe allowed his partner and former neighbor to take the fall for shipping faulty aircraft parts from their plant. His partner’s estranged daughter and Larry's former fiancée, Ann Deever, shows up at the invitation of the Kellers' surviving son, Chris, who plans to marry her.  She is soon followed by her brother, George, who is bent on clearing their father's name. The back yard becomes a battlefield of shattered illusions, shifting alliances and painful realizations. 

Two professional actors are taking part in the production, Decker said. F. Martin Glynn, Chicago, is playing the part of Joe Keller. 

“Joe is facing, ultimately, his own social responsibilities,” Glynn said. “I think that’s something that all of us want to do, but often avoid doing. We want to believe we’re doing the right thing. It takes a lot for us to confront ourselves and ask if we’re being socially responsible to ourselves and our fellow man and woman.” 

Ira Amyx, New York, is playing the role of Chris Keller, an idealist and a veteran.  He believes his father is innocent.  The climax of the play occurs when Chris Keller discovers his father is actually guilty. 

“(Chris) feels let down by the lack of respect for the war,” Amyx said. “He has a hard time adjusting after he gets home from the war. He says in the play, ‘This is the land of the big dog.’ He has a great respect for life and has trouble spending any kind of money because he has seen how (other societies) live. He says, ‘People here regard the war as a bus accident,’ failing to recognize the sacrifice of those who fought in the war, so you can have the big car and new refrigerator.” 

Local newcomers to the Campus Community Players stage include Kaila Pooler, a UW-M/WC freshman from Marshfield, who hopes to be a professional actress.  She plays the part of Ann Deever. 

“Ann is very confused,” Pooler said. “She’s very unsure of where she’s going. She knows what she wants to do and where she wants to be, but she’s unsure of how to accomplish that.  She is caught between her love for Chris and her sense of responsibility to her family.” 

Kim Garland, a UW-M/WC employee from Marshfield, is making her acting debut in the role of Sue Bayliss.

“Sue is definitely before the era of being politically correct,” Garland said. “She lets people know how she feels and lets the chips fall where they may.  She’s a commonsense woman who is unafraid to speak her mind. She knows what’s happening in the Keller family and refuses to let that have any more of a ripple effect on her family.” 

Tickets for All My Sons are $10 in advance, $12 at the door.  The Campus Box Office is open 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour before performances.  Tickets can be ordered by calling 389-6534.  VISA, MasterCard and Discover are accepted. All seating is reserved.  Tickets are non-refundable. 

The Campus-Community Players presents a wide variety of productions, including classical work, new plays, musicals and sometimes family oriented work. As a college theatre program, which also relies on members of the community in its productions, the primary goal of the program is the education of students. Many students have gone on to professional careers in acting, directing, playwriting, theatre education and theatrical production. This aim of teaching and learning requires a variety of theatrical genres, periods and styles which reflect the current contemporary theatre landscape. There are many opportunities to get involved both onstage and off. New faces are always welcome. Contact Decker, assistant professor of Communication and Theatre Arts, at sdecker@uwc.edu, for more information.