Arthur Miller’s 1947 drama All My Sons is “the tragedy of a family uncovering the truths of those they love,” said Intiman Theatre’s artistic director Kate Whoriskey. It’s the timeless story of Joe Keller: a husband, father, and self-made man in pursuit of the American Dream—a manufacturing plant as big as General Motors’—but haunted by a past that’s not entirely buried. The neighbors still whisper behind closed doors, even though they play cards at the Kellers’ on the weekends.

Set this family saga in Seattle’s Central District just after World War II—as director Valerie Curtis-Newton has done for Intiman’s production—and it takes on a whole new meaning. It’s a simple tweak with big impact. “For our Joe Keller, the decision between self-interest and self-sacrifice, between family and country, isn’t just about a legacy, money or security,” said Curtis-Newton. “It is about a shot at equality in a time when real equality was a rare thing. I loved that the stakes could be that high.”

The stakes are high onstage and off, as Intiman starts its 2011 season in the middle of an emergency fundraising campaign: raise $1 million by September or face the possibility of shutting down. They’re almost halfway to their goal, but nerves were certainly high on opening night—so much so that new managing director Melaine Bennett got Curtis-Newton’s name wrong during her introduction of the play. But when the lights dimmed and a tree, “planted” center stage, snapped and fell to the floor, the tension broke with it. Joe’s wife Kate (Margo Moorer) stumbled onto the front porch in her nightgown, eyes wild, as a storm whipped through her yard. The lights went out entirely, and the audience was hooked. I was hooked.

Tony winner Chuck Cooper struts around as Joe Keller, all smiles and hearty pats on the back—the unofficial mayor of the CD—until son Chris (Reggie Jackson) arrives with news that prompts the slow unraveling of the family. By the second act, a woman near me was leaning so far forward in her seat, she could have smelled the next lady’s shampoo. It’s a powerful production, the kind that deserves a full house each night. The play may be a tragedy, but Intiman’s story doesn’t have to be.

All My Sons is at Intiman Theatre through Apr 17.