A brutal awakening unfolds in ‘All My Sons’ at Berkeley Rep

There is a heaviness to every word in Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons.”

Characters shamble around the backyard with long faces, bemoaning all aspects of post-World War II life. Even the laughs and smiles that Joe and Kate Keller issue are fleeting, a respite from the journey toward a more crushing reality.

A new production of iconic drama at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, starring television and film stars Wanda De Jesús and Jimmy Smits and given a masterful directing vision by David Mendizábal, is a marvel.