Tribune-Review – After driving through the peaceful Longue Vue Club in Verona and parking, audience members made their way to an array of chairs on risers in a clearing. Before them, with a copse of trees whispering in the breeze behind it, sat the cross-section of a simple shanty. Ushered into silence by the tones of lush instrumental music, the audience watched as a story of love, betrayal and grief unfolded before them as the sun set and the moon rose.
Quantum Theatre is known for finding unique places to stage their intimate productions, and this was no exception. Their production of Eugene O’Neill’s final play, “A Moon for the Misbegotten,” which runs through Aug. 25, felt as real as the chirping of crickets in its outdoor setting.
“Misbegotten” is actually a sequel to O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” following the character of James Tyrone Jr. — based on O’Neill’s real-life brother. In this chapter, he has inherited the land owned by his now-deceased parents, including the property on which the Hogans farm. The brash and witty Josie Hogan and her father, the scheming Phil Hogan, are close with James, but Josie is forced to hatch a fiendish plan when her father discovers that James intends to sell the property on which they live.
This play takes place during an eventful 24-hour period in which its three lead characters are put through the full scope of human emotion. The first half is often laugh-out-loud funny, while the second half digs deeper under the surface to show the vulnerabilities that lie beneath. Melessie Clark as Josie is fast-talking, funny and bold, but it’s palpable in the air when her walls break down and the true nature of her character is on display.
Wali Jamal portrays Phil Hogan, Besides putting on some of the finest drunk acting — and fake drunk acting — seen in a long time, his interplay with Clark and the subtleties of his emotional performance were a joy to watch. As James Tyrone Jr., Brett Mack was both inscrutable and familiar. There was a universality in his performance as a man plagued with grief slowly succumbing to alcoholism that made it impossible for the audience not to feel for him. This material deals with some complicated aspects of the human experience, and all three actors handled it beautifully.
In the play’s two smaller roles, both giving memorable performances, were Jordan Drake as Mike Hogan, Josie’s brother, and Allen Law as T. Steadman Harder, the Hogans’ wealthy neighbor who tries to buy their land from James. Drake was only in the play’s first moments, but he provided an engaging opening to the story. Law was especially hilarious and compelling in his scene.
“Misbegotten” takes place entirely in the small house where the Hogans live, and the set, by scenic designer Stephanie Mayer-Staley, was spare but cozy, with small touches that made it feel like an inhabited cottage dropped into the woods. The lighting design by C. Todd Brown blends well with the natural light as the sun sets in the performance space, and continues to feel ambient as darkness falls. But the really impressive aspect of the lighting design was the interplay of brightness and shadow that often mimicked the characters’ own vulnerabilities and hidden feelings — and their revelations.
The composition and sound design by Ryan McMasters brought in music that fit the tone of the play perfectly, and costume designer Damian F. Dominguez did a terrific job, especially with Josie’s wardrobe.
This production was directed by J. Cody Spellman, who looked at this clearing at the Longue Vue Club and saw the perfect space to let these characters unspool their story. He did a superb job of bringing the setting and actors together to tell a nuanced, human tale.
Also, major applause for intimacy and fight director José Perez IV, who had a lot to do with both fights and moments of affection and made them all look both realistic and captivating.
Quantum Theatre’s production of “A Moon for the Misbegotten” is entertaining, heartbreaking and deeply immersive. It’s a pleasure to see O’Neill’s words in the new light of this moon.
“A Moon for the Misbegotten” will run through Aug. 25 at Longue Vue Club in Verona. For tickets, visit quantumtheatre.com.
