TheatreXP presents Donald Margulies’s Lunar Eclipse

As they look to the stars, George (TheatreXP founder and producing artistic director R.T. Bowersox) and Em (his real-life spouse Melody G. Moore) reflect (and bicker) about their years together—their losses, accommodations, disappointments, and loyalties and differences in an increasingly inexplicable and mannerless time. Their journey demonstrates that complex long-term unions are rooted in intentional connection, rich with hope and character, and that the painful art of letting go is a necessity of aging successfully.

But don’t worry: this production from codirectors Kathryn Wylde and Brian Scott Campbell is in no way depressing. It is the opposite: insightful, authentic, meaningful, and quietly, beautifully uplifting.

Echoes of Our Town

Margulies, a known admirer of Thornton Wilder, echoes the refreshingly unspoiled, no-nonsense, hardworking rural Americans of Our Town, though his George and Em are in the cornfields of Western Kentucky, while Wilder’s George and Emily hail from New Hampshire. George and Em have been granted the gifts of life: sharing young adulthood, building their family, aging together. They’ve watched eclipses before, but this time George is not sure whether Em will join him.

Lunar Eclipse doesn’t reach the heights of genius and universality of Our Town, but the splendidly in-sync talents of Moore and Bowersox more than compensate. They bring an in-depth understanding of Em and George, including their conflicting ways of framing life events—their deepest losses, their compromises and sacrifices, the threats to their connection and trust—in a world where kindness and grace are no longer priorities. They (and their audience) face an unpredictable future.

An emotional salon experience

A meticulously crafted salon experience awaits ticket-buyers. The play comes to life in a stylish and welcoming first-floor living room, where we intimately share the artists’ personal world. Of special note is the simple, creatively presented cornfield, where the actors sit on folding chairs (George with bourbon and Em starting out with hot chocolate). Close contact illuminates Moore’s green eyes as she wraps herself with her blanket (yes, green), offering protection from the cool evening and traumatic reflections of each. Crops painted in the background enfold them in this color of growth, life, and tomorrow, despite everything.

I wanted to experience Lunar Eclipse because my husband and I, older than George and Em, have a profound understanding of the chapter they face. Deeply touched by the artistry of gifted actors, our private reflections resulted in misty eyes. The show is a perfect one for those who value opportunities for introspection and reflection, and for new theatrical experiences. It also provides important insights for sons and daughters baffled by the complexities and seeming contradictions of their parents’ long-term relationship.

A satisfying end

Lunar Eclipse offers a surprise ending, illuminating a sentence often heard in therapy: marriage is made, not in heaven, but in the unconscious. Marriages endure through character, the capacity for kindness, devotion, fortitude, and hope. A short line from George, spoken as the couple prepares to exit, underscores the fragility of this life chapter. It will make you gasp.

Prior to the performance I attended, we were invited for wine and light refreshments on the second floor, warmly hosted by Wylde and Campbell. I departed after the bows, but ticket-buyers had the option to continue the festivities upstairs, joined by the actors and directors, to discuss the play. The show runs through March 28 and is currently sold out, but there’s a wait list. If many hopeful ticket-buyers join it, the artists may be able to extend the run. To join the list, call (302) 540-6102 or email [email protected].

Editor’s note: Our team is proud to announce that our Readers Decide campaign has met its initial $10,000 goal, securing our spring coverage. But if you haven’t given yet, there is still time to join the campaign (running through March 31), and secure our coverage for summer.