All My Sons by Arthur Miller is a deeply layered play that provides a rich source for discussion of traditional Western dramatic structures. It is also a great example of how an actor mines the text for their performance. David Carter, Managing Director and Dramaturg for the Santa Fe Playhouse, along with Artistic Director, Robyn Rikoon, will present an analysis of the various dramatic tools employed throughout All My Sons.

Using a dramaturgical approach, we will examine how the play ‘works’ using peripeteia, anagnorisis, pathos, moral polarization, and realism. We then examine, from a classically trained actor's perspective, the process of breaking down a scene into action, objective, inner object and personalization. All of these are necessary parts of the effort to take the written words of a play from page to stage.