Milwaukee Chamber Theatre presents: A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN

James Pickering, La Shawn Banks, and Kelly Doherty in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's production of Eugene O'Neill's A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

By Mary Boyle

Irish American playwright Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953) is the only playwright to ever win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama four times.  Though his name may not ring a bell to everyone, the titles of some of his plays surely will, such as Bound East for Cardiff, The Emporer Jones, Beyond the Horizon, Anna Christie, or The Iceman Cometh, among others.  Interestingly, it is one of O'Neill's failed plays that, decades after his death, became considered one of his greatest works, and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre has taken great pains to bring A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN to their stage.   

O'Neill was revolutionary to American theatre in that he brought realism to the stage by writing the stories of people not usually represented in our culture: alcoholics, prostitutes, immigrants, and the poor.  Moon for the Misbegotten is actually a sequel for his earlier work, Long Day's Journey Into Night, which was inspired by events in O'Neill's own life, and where we are first introduced to the character of James Tyrone Jr. (La Shawn Banks), now a failed actor who has come home to Connecticut.  James has been left with his family's estate, which includes a poor plot of land that Phil Hogan (James Pickering) has been farming for years.  Mike Hogan (A.J. Magoon), the last of the old Irish farmer's sons, is running away from the farm like his brothers before him, leaving his sister, Josie (Kelly Doherty), to care for both the farm and their aging, alcoholic father.  While James and Josie have long had a tenderness for each other, and James made a promise to sell the land to Phil once the estate is settled, Phil isn't so certain that the money of their new wealthy neighbor, T. Steadman Harder (Zach Thomas Woods), might cause James to go back on his word.

Brent Hazelton, MCT's Artistic Director, intended to stage a production of Moon for his first season with MCT in 2020, but I'll bet you can guess what happened next.  A large part of MCT's mission is casting local talent and, though years passed before he could make the production a reality, his inspiration, Kelly Doherty, an up and coming local actor who he felt was made for the role of Josie, was still available when the time came.  Doherty truly was perfect for the role, as was Milwaukee icon James Pickering as Phil.  The bulk of the play is supported on the shoulders of these two actors, and they carry it so impressively.   Although they spent little time on the stage, A.J. Magoon (who makes his MCT debut) and Zach Thomas Woods, two of my favorite local actors, also certainly make their mark.  La Shawn Banks, who makes an impressive MCT debut as James, is a Chicago-based actor who has frequented plenty of other Wisconsin stages, including American Players Theatre and Children's Theatre of Madison.

This production is the 24th show directed by Mary MacDonald Kerr, who is a local actor, herself, alongside an entire production crew filled with Wisconsin-based artists.  Utilizing local talent is what MCT does best, and it is on full display in every aspect of this production.  That being said, there is a reason O'Neill's works are rarely produced (this show hasn't been professionally produced in the Milwaukee area since 1995).  Seeing this show reminded me of when I read Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë in high school.  To my modern mind, it was no more than a soap opera; however, I could also appreciate that, in the time it was written, it was revolutionary.  The same can be said of O'Neill's plays.  The struggle of Josie and James to love each other because they can't love themselves was probably enlightening to audiences of the time; the way that shame can get in the way of connecting with others and living the lives we want was a concept that needed to be spelled out then, but is far too obvious and overdramatized for audiences now.

I was also reminded of MCT's production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? from last season, in that this is also a play that hits differently in our modern culture, yet I relish the chance to see where we came from in theatre.  To that end, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre delivers in a way that no other local theatre company does.  As with Virginia Wolf, you should see A Moon for the Misbegotten because it's a rare opportunity to see what great theatre was, but also because you should see James Pickering act if you have the chance and, as an added bonus, see three of the future icons of Milwaukee theatre on one stage with the current one.  This one has a short run, so act accordingly.

A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN runs through February 4th in the Studio Theatre at  the Broadway Theatre Center, located at 158 N. Broadway in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org or by calling the box office at (414) 291-7800.

Join MCT at MARN for A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN Happy Hour between performances on Saturday, February 3. Try an Irish Coffee or the Irish Blonde Cocktail while enjoying MARN's current exhibition, ‘Behind the Queen.’ Plus, local Milwaukee Irish band áthas will be leading a traditional Irish open session - bring your instrument and play along!

MARN will honor 10% off selected purchases from the Cafe, when you bring in a ticket stub from ANY currently running show or performance in Milwaukee!  This event is free and open to the public.

About Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Founded in 1975 by Montgomery Davis and Ruth Schudson, guided until 2020 by Michael Wright and Kirsten Finn, and now led by Brent Hazelton, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (MCT) partners with other arts organizations, community-based organizations and universities to produce thought-provoking productions and innovative outreach programs on an intimate, human scale.  As a leader in developing Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s theater community, MCT provides regular employment and a stable artistic home to local theatre professionals through a five-play subscription season, the Young Playwrights Festival (YPF), and the Montgomery Davis Play Development Series (MDPDS).  MCT performs at the Broadway Theatre Center in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward and is a proud Member Group of the United Performing Arts Fund.