Lunar Eclipse

 Lunar Eclipse
2^nd Stage Theater
The Pershing Square Signature Center
May 31, 2025

Photo courtesy of 2nd Stage Theater

Donald Margulies’ new play, Lunar Eclipse, is now running Off-Broadway.  It is an intimate two-hander, filled with deep sentiment that lingers long after the play is over.  Mr. Margulies structured the piece to parallel the stages of a lunar eclipse.  Director Kate Whoriskey shapes the emotions in the dialogue to gently draw the audience in.  Reed Birney and Lisa Emery are wonderful together.  Their connection is honest, innate, and effortless. 

George (played by Reed Birney) is sitting in the middle of a field in the dead of night, crying.  When a car pulls up and headlights illuminate his emotional state, he quickly pulls himself together.  It is his wife, Em (played by Lisa Emery), who has come to keep him company.  It is George’s ritual to watch the lunar eclipse, and she brought supplies to get them through the cold night.  Em tells George she saw him crying when she drove up.  He denies it at first, then finally opens up.  George admits that he misses their newly deceased pet dog.  They reminisce about all the dogs they have had on the farm over the years, all of whom have been buried in the field where they are sitting.  He also tells Em that he is awake in the middle of the night worried about the state of the world, and is having trouble remembering everyday details.  She makes light of his getting older.  They talk about their inability to have children and the challenges they faced adopting.  George tells Em that he knows how and when they are both going to die. 

Photo courtesy of 2nd Stage Theater

As in all Donald Margulies plays, the rhythm of the dialogue flows naturally, which offers visceral insight into the relationship of the characters.  They poke and tease, lose their patience, shut down, then selfishly blurt out their feelings.  What is different in this piece is the location.  A farm in western Kentucky requires a different pace and ease than Ms. Margulies’ earlier plays, and it works beautifully.  The audience sits back and absorbs the revelations in the dialogue. 

In the final scene George and Em are transported back in time to the night they ventured out to the field to watch their first lunar eclipse together.  They are young and hopeful.  They have their whole lives ahead of them.  This scene perfectly frames the couple’s reflections during the previous scenes.  Their journey has just begun and, knowing where it takes them, we understand the importance of appreciating every moment. 

Lunar Eclipse is playing at The Pershing Square Signature Center through June 22.  It is a touching and intimate play.  Go see it. 

Domenick Danza

1984

1984

Hudson Theatre

June 25, 2017

Photo courtesy of 1984

Powerful!  Alarming!  Brilliant!  The Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 can be described with those three words.  Powerful in its structure and use of technology to engage the senses, stimulate the intellect, and evoke emotion.  Alarming it its multiple levels of truth and relevance.  Brilliant in its scope of vision and precise interpretation. 

Sitting in the theatre waiting for the show to begin, there is sound, a presence, an electrical presence.  The huge speakers are visible, obviously working.  Does anyone notice the sound?  Can they be listening? 

Photo courtesy of 1984

The lights come up on Winston Smith (played by Tom Sturridge) writing in a journal for verification, so the future will know, so he will remember.  The year is 1984, or so he thinks.  He catches the eye of Julia (played by Olivia Wilde) who he concludes must be Thought Police.  They meet in secret.  He trusts her.  They decide to join the resistance against the party and the watchful eye of Big Brother.  Who to trust is never fully known, and the truth is always in question.

Photo courtesy of 1984

Tom Sturridge and Olivia Wilde have a strong connection and chemistry.  Ms. Wilde implements numerous tactics as her character assesses the trustworthiness of Winston Smith.  Through these actions, the extent of her character’s intelligence, cunning, and emotional depth is constructed right before our eyes.  Mr. Sturridge is relentless and unwavering in his character’s belief and understanding of truth.  Reed Birney plays O’Brien, the man these two characters meet in their quest.  Mr. Birney’s portrayal of O’Brien is commanding and cold.  The encounter and subsequent journey of these characters is gripping, surprising, and unnerving. 

Reed Birney, Olivia Wilde, & Tom Sturridge
Photo courtesy of 1984

One scene stands out in particular.  O’Brien is questioning Winston and Julie to test their loyalty.   Winston quickly answers yes to all questions to verify his level of sacrifice.  He will willingly agree to throw acid in the face of a child and give up his life for his belief in truth.  Is our hero a terrorist?  Suddenly Winston’s unwavering beliefs become questionable.  What is right?  Who is good?  From this point on, everything becomes uncertain.

When pressed, O’Brien explains to Winston that Big Brother is not a person who watches, but the paranoid belief implanted by the party to make you feel as if your own words, actions, and memories are questionable.  Big Brother is you.  The party can be destroyed by simply not participating in it.  On the train on the way home from the theatre I saw the poster, “If you see something, say something.”  This campaign ensures our safety.  We see it every day.  We believe in it.    

Photo courtesy of 1984

Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan have taken George Orwell’s futuristic dystopian warning even more forward in time in order for it to hit a direct bullseye in the present.  This production makes us question.  George Orwell would be proud.  I want to see it again!

Domenick Danza

1984 is playing at the newly renovated Hudson Theatre in 44^th Street.  The renovation is refreshing, spacious and open.  Be sure to check it out!  

The Humans

The Humans

Roundabout Theatre Company

The Helen Hayes Theatre

January 31, 2016

Photo courtesy of The Humans

The Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of The Humans has moved to Broadway’s Helen Hayes Theatre.  The script, written by Stephen Karam, is brilliantly crafted with strong dramatic action that keeps the audience riveted.  Director Joe Mantello directed a seamless ninety minutes of action that enthralls, entertains, and excites.  The cast of five naturalistically delve into the underlying issues that bubble beneath the surface of continuous holiday conversation.  They then boomerang back with understanding that tenderly defines the family network that the play so aptly and realistically portrays. 

Brigid (played by Sarah Steele) invites her family for Thanksgiving dinner.  She has just moved into a new apartment in lower Manhattan that she shares with her boyfriend, Richard (played by Arian Moayed).  Her mother, Deirdre (played by Jayne Houdyshell), is constantly dropping remarks about Brigid and Richard not being married.  Her father, Erik (played by Reed Birney), has been having trouble sleeping and shares one of his disturbing nightmares.  Her sister, Aimee (played by Cassie Beck), is suffering from gastric colitis, has recently broken up with her longtime partner, and is being let go from her law firm.  Momo, her grandmother (played by Lauren Klein), is suffering from dementia and violent outbursts.  The “normal” family holiday stress drives the dinner conversation, revealing a few serious emotional scars.  The evening culminates in an announcement that shakes the foundation and security of this close family unit.

Sarah Steele, Arian Moayed, & Jayne Houdyshell
Photo courtesy of The Humans

This is a true ensemble piece with five strongly developed characters.  Each one carries a storyline of their own.  It is their careful and deliberate intertwining that makes the play engaging.  All the actors are fully committed and create a web of complex relationships that are realistic, truthful, and endearing.  The set, by David Zinn, is an ingenious split level design that effectively allows action to be viewed simultaneously.  The lighting, by Justin Townsend, and sound, by Fitz Patton, create an atmosphere of mystery and suspense that builds as the play reaches its climax.  

Photo courtesy of The Humans

The Humans is performed without an intermission.  There is no late seating and the notice in the program says, “If you leave your seat for any reason during the performance, you will not be permitted to return.”  Rightly so.  The action of this play should not be interrupted once it begins… and should not be missed.  Get a ticket today!

Domenick Danza