Review: Annette Bening, Tracy Letts and a question of American morality in ‘All My Sons’

Theater Critic The carpentry of an Arthur Miller play, all that sawing, hammering and sanding of wood, can sometimes distract from the impressiveness of the house that has been theatrically constructed. The production — directed by Jack O’Brien and starring Annette Bening as Joe’s wife, Kate — seems caught between a solid midcentury Broadway realism and a more theatrically fluid 21st century approach. ‘KING LEAR’: How Glenda Jackson does battle with a brazenly busy production » This Roundabout revival made headlines late last year when the Miller estate objected to the decision by Gregory Mosher, originally set to direct the production, to cast both Ann Deever and her brother, George, with African American actors. Rebecca Miller, the playwright’s filmmaker daughter, while generally supportive of diverse casting, expressed concerns that casting African American actors as the children of Joe’s imprisoned business partner could change the thematic dynamics, raising issues the play doesn’t address. The last Broadway revival of “All My Sons,” Simon McBurney’s 2008 production starring John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest, dared to liberate the play from its naturalistic foundation.