All My Sons

One of my cousins is an actress in the DC metro area, and she got me a comp ticket so that we could see All My Sons by Arthur Miller at the Everyman Theatre in Baltimore. It was a fun night. I had never been to Baltimore, and we all went to a downtown restaurant/bar with regular seating on the first floor and then another bar in the basement, where we ate. The food was delicious, and the place had a trendy rustbelt feel to it. They also had their own microbrewery with delicious beers. Going to the theatre made me feel cultured and sophisticated because I could dress nicely and analyze the play with my cousin. Granted, I didn't really know what I was talking about when I analyzed the play.

Arthur Miller, who also wrote Death of a Salesman and The Crucible, wrote All My Sons as a last ditch attempt to make a living as a playwright after his last play was a financial disaster. If this play had not been successful, he would have changed his career. It ran in New York from January to November 1947, and it won the 1948 Tony Award for Best Authored Play. The play is based upon a true story of a factory owner from Ohio during the Second World War. One of the play's major themes is that the American Dream is not as ideal as society believes. This dream is selfish and does not encourage individuals to take care of others. This theme was one reason why Arthur Miller was accused of being a communist sympathizer in the 1950s. He later wrote The Crucible after his experience during this 'Red Scare.' The play's critique of the American Dream is interesting, but I didn't see it as communist. Instead, it emphasized how neighbors should take care of each other. Honestly, the argument could have been a very Christian critique of America because Christ called his followers to love others.