Exeter students shine in All My Sons

In the fourth week of Trinity term, the recently rekindled Exeter College Drama Society put on a production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. Directed and produced respectively by Exeter students Emily White (2023, English) and Amber Bebber (2023, English), each performance was packed, delivering a night for audiences to remember. 

In the week leading up to the performances, a branch strewn on the ground and some lines of faded washing decorated the historic Fellows’ Garden. However, when Balliol’s Tristan Hood, as Joe Keller, and Exeter’s Alfred Hennel Cole (2024, German and Linguistics), as Frank Lubey, arrived, they transformed the set. With captivating charisma, helped by their convincing American accents, they turned the branch into a lightning-struck tree, and the washing into a feature of a suburban American backyard. From the moment of their entrance, the audience was transported into the Kellers’ emotionally charged world. 

‘It seemed quite obvious to do it as a garden play’, says Emily, the director, given that the action never leaves this backyard setting. The ‘existing level of the mound meant we were able to place the Kellers’ house above the action, which helped to bring out a lot of its symbolism’. With an American flag, slightly worse for wear, hung on the washing lines framing the space, it was hard not to think about the play’s relevance to current affairs in the States. However, with the action unfolding through the context of the ‘tensions between the characters’ beliefs and values’, masterfully played out by the cast, Emily points out that the play’s political engagement is never ‘abstract’. She says that ‘we can always relate to people and their stories, even if they exist in a completely different context’. 

The performance was masterful, and, as many of the actors pointed out, the view of the Radcliffe Camera rising up behind the set didn’t hurt. This, alongside the carefully arranged audience seating and set furnishings, made the performance a visual treat. Emily extended particular thanks to Steven Cunningham and Roland Harris from the college maintenance team, who made the ‘amazing set and audience space’ possible. Exeter was, she said, ‘massively accommodating and generous, both financially and in their practical help’.

Most of the crew and three of the cast members were Exeter students, signifying just some of the talent at Exeter College. When asked whether the Drama Society had anything else in the works, Emily said: ‘Hopefully! It’s exciting to have such a new society because we can kind of do what we want with it. What we would love to do is to make drama an accessible and social space for college members.’ Given the success of All My Sons, there is no doubt that they will achieve their goal. 

Exeter student Honor Thompson (right) plays Ann Deever alongside Michael Gormley (left) as Chris Keller and Tristan Hood as Joe Keller