Jim Panttaja

We attended A Moon for the Misbegotten in New York this week. There were many plays to choose from, and only one night for theater while we were in New York. We appealed to our daughter and her boyfriend for advice, and looked at the listings. Through intelligent processes – or luck, we chose A Moon for the Misbegotten. This production was brought to Broadway from the Old Vic in London, and stars its artistic director Kevin Spacey, Colm Meaney and Eve Best (who I had never heard of – but who is nominated for a Tony award for this performance).

The production was wonderful – with incredibly strong performances. The first act was full of caricatures – which had me put off a bit at intermission. But the caricatures in the first act were essential to the second act.

What surprised me about the play – were the sets. They reminded me of the magic that is the theater (or at least can be). When we walked in – the main set piece was striking. It is a rough cabin – whose angles defy gravity and the rules of geometry. But when the lights came up – and some music and sound effects started – you were in a different place. We weren’t in Manhattan anymore. That transition took seconds, and was accomplished well before the first actor appeared on stage.

To be clear, the actors did their part as the evening went by. The intermission arrived with a bit of a jolt – had we been there long enough yet?

It was a worthy production regardless, but it reminded me of the magic that the sets, lighting and sound create.