In the printed program, Road Less Traveled Productions Artistic Executive Director Scott Behrend said that he waited 20 years to bring Arthur Miller’s All My Sons to that stage to give Lisa Vitrano time to age into the mother’s role. Eight years ago, she was the snarky neighbor Sue in Irish Classical Theatre Company’s production.  It was worth the wait. A classic in Miller’s canon, Vitrano and the RLTP cast are fierce in this story of betrayal, wrong-doing, and denial in post World War II suburbia.

In brief:  Joe Keller owns a manufacturing plant which produced cylinder heads for American fighter planes. One run produced faulty parts which were still shipped and caused the death of several servicemen. Blame was pinned on Keller’s business partner who lost his home and is now serving prison time. Concurrently, a Keller son is presumed lost in combat. A couple years hence, his mom believes he’ll come home as family and friends grieve his certain death, including his girlfriend who is now preparing to wed his brother. And this is just the tip of the tension iceberg in the Keller family.

Behrend’s cast is superb as a cohesive ensemble of friends and framily. South Buffalo’s Sean Cullen is Joe Keller, and plays his character as a scrappy, glad-handing Teflon kind of guy who can’t admit when he’s wrong. Vitrano as wife Kate is there to take care of their family, remembering everyone’s favorite cookies and juice choices while refusing to believe that her son could be dead. She’s vulnerable and exquisitely fragile in this role, valiantly hanging on to her post-war mom inner strength. After all, it’s her duty to hold her family together, to will her son to come home, and be the one that holds on to all the good things about being a family.

Brother Chris Keller is Nick Stevens and Lisette DeJesus is Ann Deever, his girlfriend who was his brother’s girl, too. She’s also the daughter of Joe’s jailed business partner. Yup, with Miller, it’s always layers of complexity. Ann’s brother George – full of fury at the injustice is under- is forcefully played by Greg Howze. He’s angry. He wants answers and you see his rage in every word and gesture. The Kellers have two neighbors Jim and Sue Bayliss (Sara Kow-Falcone who does the role’s snarkiness proud and Bob Grabowski) who live in the Deever’s old homestead (another layer) and Frank and Lydia Lubey (Johnny Rowe and Maria Ta). Frank is the amateur astrologist who is keeping Kate’s hope alive by researching star charts for her son. Their stories – like all human relationships-  all knit together and unravel at different places and moments; such was Miller’s genius.

Cullen’s Joe Keller is edgy, strident, and I didn’t feel the marital love and connection between Joe and Kate. There is passion – albeit at arm’s length – when he talks to his son, Chris. Passion for continuity, passionate anger, passion for wanting to believe that all will be well…that kind of passion.

Collin Ranney’s set and Diane Almeter Jones’ props created the right setting for an upper middle class suburban home of the era, right down those metal mid-century yard chairs. Katie Menke’s music choices were period-appealing, too. Yes, this is what the neighbors were up to in 1946 when America was trying to recover from a world at war. There was no guarantee that the fighting wasn’t over on the homefront.

All My Sons is onstage until December 10 in RLTP’s 20^th anniversary season. It’s heavy material for sure and it feels longer than your timepiece will say, due to the intensity and heavy dialogue. Director Behrend and assistant director Hasheen Deberry keep the action moving, but there’s no hurrying Miller’s treatment of the human condition. Stretch your legs and reflections in the 15-minute intermission. My favorite thing is always the extra info and backstory in the printed program insert. Like attending a pre-concert talk by JoAnn Falletta at the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Classical Series, these add insight and context to the storytelling. So does RLTP’s podcast “Off Road with Peter Palmisano” (who was Joe Keller is ICTC’s production eight years ago). I appreciate how the company uses multiple platforms to support its outstanding work.

Tickets and details at www.roadlesstraveledprodcutions.org.