Although the play’s run was short-lived because of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order on Monday to cancel many public events including theater shows until March 30, the cast and crew were able to get three performances in before upcoming shows were canceled. The play opened Thursday with a surprise reception for seasoned actor David Usher, who starred in his 50th production that night. Then, too few reservations forced the cancellation of Friday’s show, and tickets were refunded. The actors took the stage again Saturday evening and, finally, Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday, attendance was light, so those who came had the option of spreading out if they so desired, to keep social distance.

Playgoers buckled up for a roller coaster of emotions from a cast of very talented actors who certainly delivered. Under the direction of Carol Rundell, well-known for her gravitation toward dramas, the cast blossomed with meaningful, believable portrayals of familial struggles throughout a devastating situation.

Arthur Miller wrote the drama in 1947, basing it on a true story he had read in an Ohio newspaper about a manufacturer who sent known defective airplane parts to be installed in military aircraft, which ended up causing the deaths of 21 pilots.

Mother Kate Keller (Marlo Broad) comforts her bewildered son Chris (Joe Rybarczyk).

In the play, Joe Keller, owner of the manufacturing plant, allows a batch of faulty cylinder heads to be sent to the Air Force during World War II. Instead of admitting that he played a role in the deaths, he allows the blame to fall solely on his partner and next-door neighbor Steve Deever, who is sent to prison. Meanwhile, Keller goes about his life as though nothing happened, continuing to head up a successful manufacturing business.

Another aspect of this catastrophic drama is the fact that one of Keller’s two sons never returns from the war, leaving his then-fiancee husbandless. Enter the surviving brother to pick up the reins with his lost brother’s betrothed, who just happens to be Deever’s daughter.

Her bitter brother George Deever had returned from the war to find his father in prison and his father’s partner free. Now a lawyer, he returns to the neighborhood to confront the Kellers about the blood-soaked past. Oh, and to retrieve his sister before she ties the knot to officially knit the two families together.

Usher plays the role of Joe Keller, and his wife Kate is portrayed by Marlo Broad. In this, their third onstage marriage, the pair meshes cohesively, while pushing and pulling as longtime married couples do. Flawless timing and authentic emotional delivery make this power couple an intense force to be reckoned with. Keeping their family secrets under the rug becomes increasingly difficult as the play barrels forward, especially once Keller’s imprisoned partner’s son George Deever storms onto the scene.

Played by Matt Southwell, Deever shakes things up when he gets back to the neighborhood.

The cast of “All My Sons” poses at a recent rehearsal at Alpena Civic Theatre. Pictured in back, from left to right, are Doug Niergarth (Dr. Jim Bayliss), Dani Ayotte (Sue Bayliss), and Matt Southwell (George Deever). In front, from left to right, are Amelia Berles (Lydia Lubey), Devin Gougeon (Frank Lubey), Marlo Broad (Kate Keller), David Usher (Joe Keller), Rodney Ayotte (Bert), Joe Rybarczyk (Chris Keller), and MJ Smith (Ann Deever).

He barges in to find Chris Keller, played with gripping fervor by Joe Rybarczyk, planning to marry his sister Ann Deever, played by MJ Smith, who embodies beauty and hope for the future amid a chaotic saga of pain.

To put it bluntly, George Deever is livid. You can see it on Southwell’s face and hear it in his voice. He’s not having it. Joe Keller must pay for what he has done to Steve Deever.

And eventually, he does. But not before all the family secrets blow up in the faces of two deeply impassioned families, turning what appears to be normal neighborhood into a whirlwind of flagrant deception that can only precede loneliness and doom.

Doug Niergarth as Dr. Jim Bayliss provides a stable and steady presence to whom others are inclined to vent their frustrations. Dani Ayotte offers some comic relief with her quips as his wife Sue. Devin Gougeon also offers a bit of light-hearted fun as the unsuspecting, good-natured and somewhat dim-witted Frank Lubey, and Amelia Berles as his kind and loving young wife Lydia Lubey. Rodney Ayotte plays neighborhood scamp Bert, who pops onto the scene to tattle on his friends to Joe Keller, who fancies himself a policeman with a “jail” in his basement.

Assistant Director Jessica Luther was highly impressed with the cast and crew. Authentic-looking 1940s costumes were done by MaryAnn Crawford and Virginia Hulsey. Jason Luther built the sturdy set, which Rundell said is likely “to code,” thanks to the engineering assistance from Powell. Kendra McInerney and Steve Watson painted the beutiful set, which features a realistic rockwall surrounding the yard where the entire play takes place. Lighting design was by Jay Kettler, and sound design was by Isaac Ayotte.

Audiences who were lucky enough to make it to this play received more than their money’s worth of talented, passionate actors performing a high-caliber drama at a level you would expect to see only in much larger cities. Everyone involved in this production should be proud.