Brian Riggs as James Tyrone and Catherine Eaton as Josie Hogan in "A Moon for the Misbegotten."

(photo: Lawrence Rowswell)

A MOON FOR

THE MISBEGOTTEN

The current Irish Classical Theatre production of Eugene O’Neill’s A Moon for the Misbegotten, directed by Brother Augustine Towey, C.M., is handsomely staged and has been given a first-rate cast featuring Catherine Eaton, Brian Riggs, Gerry Maher, Lawrence Rowswell and Tim Eimiller.

Set in a rundown farmhouse in Connecticut, 1923, this late O’Neill play focuses on Phil Hogan, a conniving rascal of a tenant farmer; his daughter Josie, who possesses the strength and feminine charm of a man; and their landlord, the charismatic but tragically flawed James Tyrone, Jr. Detecting an attraction between his daughter and wealthy Tyrone, old Hogan schemes to get the two married. Through his manipulations, the pair stays up one moonlit night, sparring and exploring the truths of their lives. When it’s all over, Josie realizes that her beloved James is a dead man walking, and that any union between them is impossible.

In a previous season with the Irish Classical Theatre, Miss Eaton, who makes her home in New York City, distinguished herself with a remarkable performance in Bryan Delaney’s play, The Cobbler, and was recognized with a Katharine Cornell award for her effort. Here she imbues Josie with equal doses of spirit and motherly compassion in a superb rendering of the role. Brian Riggs, who specializes in flawed Irishmen, gives an affecting and clearly articulated performance as charismatic but self-destructive Tyrone. Maher continues to astound with every role, and, with Hogan, gives a performance that is at once hilarious and poignant.

It took a long time for this, among the last of O’Neill’s scripts, to be staged successfully. The Broadway debut in 1957, four years after the playwright’s death, was a flop, even with a star as distinguished as Wendy Hiller. It was not until the 1973 Broadway version, directed by José Quintero, that A Moon for the Misbegotten would be heralded as a masterwork, the equal of O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night, for which it serves as a kind of sequel. In that production, Colleen Dewhurst played Josie and Jason Robards played James Tyrone, Jr. Ed Flanders played old Phil Hogan. (Buffalonians may recall that Quintero had previously staged the piece in 1965 as the opening production of the newly established Studio Arena Theatre, also starring Dewhurst, on that occasion opposite James Daly).

Quintero was regarded as the definitive interpreter of O’Neill’s work. His innovative insight for A Moon for the Misbegotten, according to reviews of the time, was in his interpretation of the James Tyrone, Jr. character. Previous readings had looked upon the play as a piece about father and daughter. Quintero saw the play as a piece about Josie and James. Moreover, he did not see James as the suave Broadway swell originally portrayed by Franchot Tone (a Niagara Falls native and one-time husband to Joan Crawford). Instead, what distinguished Jason Robards’ performance was that he played the man as an incurable drunk, tormented by the demons of his past and fated to self-destruction. When Josie sees through the surface charm, she realizes that her love cannot rescue him and resigns herself to a life without him.

The play is constructed in four acts. The first plays as pure comedy, and this is performed to complete perfection on the Andrews stage. The second and the third follow two distinct but contiguous actions: First, assuming Tyrone has forgotten a promised date with Josie that night, old Hogan and Josie devise a plot to punish him for selling their tenant farm; then, when Tyrone actually does make an appearance, he reveals his story to Josie. The moment that separates the two acts is the instant when Josie goes into the house for the bottle of whiskey and Tyrone momentarily reveals himself with an outpouring of anguish. This act is entirely about Tyrone telling his story, and every bit of sparring in between is merely a complication of that larger action. Once the story is told, everything else in the play falls into place. In the final act, Josie sends Tyrone on his doomed way, and she and her father resolve the issues of the play.

Brother Augustine makes excellent use of the circular Andrews Theatre space, with the audience on all sides. His cast is able and appealing, and the final act, like the first, is perfection. The combined middle acts, however, meander and seem long. There are moments of inspiration and brilliant acting, but the through-line of this middle territory is unclear. The production redeems itself in the end, of course, and the audience is left with the exhilaration that comes from having seen fine acting in a profound and moving play.

CAMELOT

Others yearn to see Wicked and such high-tech contemporary musicals of that ilk in the Shea’s lineup. I get just as excited about the old shows, from Sweet Charity to The Sound of Music. Opportunities to see first-rate productions of the classic musicals with full production values are rare. In that regard, the current national tour of Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot, starring Lou Diamond Phillips, is delightful in every way.

To begin, Lou Diamond Phillips could not be more charming and endearing as King Arthur. His manly command of the role is offset by the boyishness with which he adores Guenevere. When he dances for her during “What Do the Simple Folk Do?” one wonders how she will ever be able to be betray him—though I must say, in this production, the betrayal itself amounts only to lusting in her heart and a quick kiss. Director Glenn Casale has walked a most agreeable line with the production and we manage to get to the conclusion caring about everyone—even Lancelot. Phillips sings the role well, and any imperfections in his voice only serve to make his character even more vulnerable and appealing. He is, in a word, adorable in every sense. He makes a magnificent Arthur.

Rachel de Benedet is spectacular as Guenevere, as well. Endowed with a glorious singing voice, great beauty and formidable acting ability, she is everything one might hope for in the spirited queen. I had seen Miss de Benedet before, in the Philidelphia premiere of Christopher Durang’s Adrift in Macao, for which she and Buffalo native Michele Ragusa both won Barrymore awards. She was memorable for that performance and she is memorable for this one as well. She is clearly an actress with an impressive range—I would love to have seen her Alexa Vere de Vere in As Bees in Honey Drown. Performances like these remind us of the extraordinary talent in the American musical theater, and should make us grateful that Shea’s can provide a full season of opportunities for us to see it.

Matt Bogart has the thankless task of filling the shoes of the recently deceased Robert Goulet in his signature role. Happily, he does very well. In casting Bogart, we have moved away from the Goulet legacy with a lighter, more lilting voice. In addition, the actors muscular, smoothly chiseled good looks are decidedly modern, giving a whole new generation of teenaged girls (oh, what the hell—boys and girls of all ages) a reason to go to the musical theater. His is especially gifted at finding the comedy of the role.

Cincinnati Conservatory trained Shannon Stoeke is wonderfully despicable as Mordred. Time Winters is comically endearing as Pellinore. The ensemble is uncommonly strong. The dancing is lively and pleasing. The sets are magical.

I have special affection for director Glenn Casale, having known him since I was a teenager. Moreover, he directed me in Cabaret at the Bardavon Theatre in Poughkeepsie in 1976, and I actually danced with him while he was dressed in a gorilla suit. He brings wonderful humor, invention and romance to this production. I do not recall ever seeing a Camelot at which King Arthur’s final appeal for an end to war got applause from the audience—certainly a comment on the times. We need the musical theater more than ever. (It’s a non sequitur, but worth noting, the opening night was attended by Alan Jay Lerner’s daughter, Liza, who is one of the producers, and it was really a thrill to meet her).