Monday, Nov. 03, 2008

All My Sons

A family with secrets. A son whose illusions about his father are dashed. A morality tale about the ethical compromises of capitalism. Of all Arthur Miller's plays, this one — his first Broadway success — is perhaps the most Arthur Millerish. Yet Simon McBurney, the experimental British director, has given it a vibrant new staging: stylized, hyperbolic and altogether riveting. Among his more daring touches: casting (along with pros like John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest) Hollywood princess Katie Holmes in one of the key roles, risking derision but coaxing from her a credible, even moving performance.