Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Fine acting elevates LUNAR ECLIPSE, Donald Margulies’ moderately captivating new romantic two-hander

• By drediman
• June 10, 2025
• No Comments

This past weekend at the Pershing Square Signature Center, I was able to catch Donald Margulies’ latest play Lunar Eclipse courtesy of Second Stage Theater (the play was previously scene in 2023 at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA). Taking place on an open field of a Kentucky farm (the convincingly outdoorsy set is by veteran scenic designer Walt Spangler), the play depicts George and Em — an older married couple in their twilight years together — who take in a lunar eclipse for what seems like one of their final times as fully lucid adults. In their bittersweet time together over the passing hours of the night, both husband and wife take stock of their relationship at large, assessing the ups and downs of their many years as a couple, including their tumultuous relationship with their troubled adopted son.

Having penned works like the 2000 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Dinner with Friends, Margulies is no stranger to exploring the knotted core that often forms in long-term romantic relationships. With a running time of just under 90-minutes and its episodic structure — based on the phases of a lunar eclipse — the playwright’s latest is the kind of work that is best taken in as character studies rather than a satisfying piece of dramatic narrative. Indeed, little transpires plot-wise, but the banter between George and Em is often revealing of the mysterious depths of their respective inner lives, casually spreading its tentacles across the pair’s thoughts on mortality and memory, their regrets as partners and parents, and ultimately their affection towards each other. That being said, Lunar Eclipse concludes with a time-traveling denouement (no spoilers here!) that seems superfluous rather than necessarily illuminating.

Although on paper the two-hander is arguably only moderately captivating — it’s the kind of straightforward theatrical work that seems to have been much more prevalent in previous eras playwriting — much credit must go to Reed Birney and Lisa Emery for their exceptional, lived-in performances as George and Em. Throughout, the duo conveys deep humanity, unafraid to show vulnerability and humor as they gradually open themselves to each other (Birney in particular has been one of American theater’s most notably reliable stage actors). Most importantly, they display wonderful chemistry that comes across as awfully natural. The Second Stage’s Off-Broadway production has been directed with a sensitive and steady hand by Kate Whoriskey, who largely stays clear of her fine actors.

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

LUNAR ECLIPSE
Off-Broadway, Play
Second Stage Theater
1 hour, 20 minutes (without an intermission)
Through June 22