The third act of “All My Sons” is explosive. Actors Jimmy Smits and Wanda De Jésus (a married couple in real life as well as in the play) are firing on all cylinders. Actually De Jésus has been doing so throughout the entire play; her arrival toward the middle of an otherwise stilted first act is electrifying.
Back in 1947, when Arthur Miller’s play was first performed, two and a half hours, three acts and a few unnecessary characters were de rigueur.
These days, for various reasons, audience expectations and perhaps tolerance levels have changed…