When the earth, moon, and sun are in alignment, the moon moves into earth’s shadow blocking light from reaching the moon’s surface. This lunar eclipse is the featured event of Donald Margulies play of that name. It also serves as a somewhat strained symbol for the darkness that has engulfed the long marriage of 70-something George and Em.
The piece opens with George alone on stage crying in the vastness of night in a field on his Kentucky farm. Soon Em arrives with a gigantic bag filled with items that might make him more comfortable, though he doesn’t show much interest in her offerings. They talk as they wait for the moon to take on its eery red glow. The phases of the astronomical phenomenon — umbra, penumbra, total — are projected behind them, inserting breaks in flow of their conversation. It soon becomes clear that much as the moon’s shine is being swallowed up, so have they been swallowing their fears and sadness.
George is intellectual with a particular interest in the stars and a strong need to stop and appreciate his surroundings. Em is more an instinctual “city girl” and her relative ignorance allows George to explain events to us as well. As time elapses and the bourbon flows, their increasing levels of honesty and respect break chinks in the wall between them. Despite all the disappointments they’ve had to face, they are reminded why they chose each other in the first place.
Marital every day moments and eventual strain is not new territory for playwright Margulies, who previously won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2000 for Dinner with Friends. Much of the terrain here is as well-ploughed as George’s family farm. But director Kate Whoriskey has been blessed with her cast. Lisa Emery and Reed Birney — reprising his role from Shakespeare & Company’s 2023 production in Lenox, Massachusetts — remain two of the most reliable stage performers and watching their exchange is enthralling. The dialogue may not be radical, but much is communicated in a touch, a look, or a pause. Their poetic descriptions of worry, loss, and grief ring true, though the fog doesn’t just roll across the skies.
Scenic designer Walt Spangler has created a thick black box around the proscenium, restricting the space and cushioning the actors’ movements with earth (though what that does to the audience view from the first few rows is unwelcome.) Just a few wild flowers add color to the landscape. The tinkling of a piano lulls the audience upon entry to the theater. Occasionally the soft sounds of the surrounding nature join Sinan Refik Zafar’s soundscape. Lighting by Amith Chandrashaker provides metaphoric bright and shadow building to the crescendo of S. Katy Tucker’s video.
Unsurprisingly, though seeped in tragedy, Lunar Eclipse with its slow reveals and well-earned sorrow, is a master class in acting. Performances take place on The Irene Diamond Stage in the Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street. Runtime is approximately 90 minutes without an intermission. Tickets are available through June 22 at https://2st.com/shows/lunareclipse
The Unforgettable Line 