by Terrence McNally

Suzie and David Oddy star as Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny (click on image for hi-res quality for printing) photo by Eric Bench

“an intriguing portrait of two
people on the brink of real love”
Michael Morain,
Des Moines Register
(full review - adobe pdf)

Buy the script on amazon.com:
Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune

Original run

May 7-10 & 15-17, 2009

The cast and crew

Δ denotes CHANGE debut

About the show

Suzie and David Oddy star as Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny (click on image for hi-res quality for printing) photo by Eric Bench

Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune is a bittersweet comedy that combines poignancy and laughter as it traces the unlikely romance that develops between two middle-aged “losers.” Frankie is a waitress in a New York diner, and Johnny is the relatively new short order cook. She is a failed actress who considers herself a “very simple person.” He’s an ex-con who keeps a Shakespeare collection and dictionary in his locker. No longer in the blossom of youth and hardened by life’s disappointments, they are unlikely candidates for a grand romance.

The play begins at the end of their first date, post coitus: Frankie wants to be alone and Johnny is more interested in basking in the afterglow. Out of their sometimes touching, sometimes hilarious interplay, the promise of a relationship beyond a one-night stand emerges. Though their personal details may be unique, the problems Frankie and Johnny face are universal. Who among us has not longed for acceptance or been afraid of facing the future alone?

CHANGE advisory: This show contains nudity, adult language and situations