DRESS REHEARSAL—Oak Park High School will present the Arthur Miller drama “All My Sons” this weekend. From left: Preston Walker, Ashley Ford, Riley Litman, Katelyn Pilcher, Tirsoh Schneider, Mason Harrison, Claire Adams, Alexander McKee, Nick Kruger, Keyra Stevens. DREW GREGORY/Special to The Acorn Oak Park High School Theatre presents an unforgettable powerhouse drama with Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons,” in the Pavilion at 899 N. Kanan Road. Show times are 7 p.m. Thurs. through Sat., June2through4.There’sa2p.m. matinee June 4.

The play is the annual spring student- generated Spotlight production. Seniors direct and produce the play with minimal supervision from drama teacher Allan Hunt. Spotlight serves as a capstone thesis for graduating drama students, and the talent displayed by the Class of 2011 is impressive.

A three- act, 1940s family drama may seem an odd choice for the high-tech generation. But director Russell Carter, who chose the script, explained he wanted a straight drama, and playwright Arthur Miller “seemed a good person to look into.”

Of all Miller’s plays, Carter said, “this one stood out and grabbed me. I could see the people (student actors) in the parts.”

The setting is the backyard of the comfortable Keller home in Anytown, USA, in an era where neighbors knew each other well— sometimes too well. The Kellers’ yard is a community gathering spot; yet in this public spot some dark secrets are revealed.

Each act opens with Austin Sauer and Grace Stauffer dancing to a Glen Miller tune. As the show progresses, the lighting and dancing are more somber. Students Madeline Rubinstein and Erik Lindenau are the choreographers.

Family members and neighbors exchange pleasantries on a Sunday morning with clear skies. They comment on a tree knocked down by a strong wind during the night. It’s “Larry’s tree,” named for the Keller son who was never found following a wartime mission nearly four years ago.

The once-cheery mood soon sours. Chris (Tirosh Schneider) wants to marry his brother Larry’s former girlfriend, Ann Deever (Katelyn Pilcher). The Keller matriarch, Kate (Claire Adams), refuses to let them wed as she’s convinced Larry will return.

Ann’s brother, George (Riley Litman), also opposes the engagement. The Deevers’ father was a former business partner of Keller patriarch Joe (Alexander McKee). Some years ago Joe’s factory shipped out cracked airplane parts for the war effort that caused 21 pilots to crash. Joe was exonerated for the mishap; Deevers was sentenced to jail.

The play could be called “All My Secrets” because as the day goes on and the sky darkens, skeletons come rattling out of the Kellers’ closet. Is Larry alive? Was Joe innocent in the manufacturing debacle? Do the neighbors respect the Kellers as much as they pretend to?

As each character’s sociable veneer is stripped away to reveal their emotional core and each tries to justify past actions, the seemingly stable Keller family rips apart.

The drama also critiques the American dream. The town doctor, Jim Bayliss (Preston Walker), would gladly trade his wealth for a chance to do medical research. Chris doesn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps. Yet they’re both hampered by society’s expectations.

The young actors do a dynamite job of interpreting the complex roles and playing characters older than themselves. The audience can sense the bond among family members.

Tirosh is the play’s lynchpin, the sane one in the center of the hurricane. He and the commanding Alexander share an intense scene in Act 2 where they nearly come to blows. Claire is sufficiently stubborn and angry with her single-minded devotion to Larry without resorting to hysterics.

The actors did well for their first day onstage despite not building the set until the day before dress rehearsal due to end-of-the-year activities in the Pavilion.

The set, a delightful country home, is built on the floor, level with the audience, to provide an intimate experience. The costumes, pulled from the school’s storage and rental houses, are true to the period.

Some of the seniors will continue their theatrical training at universities, building on what they’ve learned at OPHS.

As one of the actors said, “(This play) was the most enjoyable and fulfilling way to end my senior year.”