A Moon for the Misbegotten on the American Stage

A Moon for the Misbegotten is one of Eugene O’Neill’s most frequently revived works, and major American revivals of the play have been instrumental in securing its esteemed position in theater history. While the play’s landmark production in 1973 is largely regarded as the moment when it finally achieved greatness, its 60-year production history also includes several regional productions and Broadway revivals.
This work provides a production history of A Moon for the Misbegotten in the United States, from the play’s original Theatre Guild production in 1947 to its Broadway revival in 2007. Throughout the study, the author provides the inside story on the play’s often rocky transition from the page to the stage, including detailed looks at initial casting difficulties and several controversies over censorship.

Laura Shea is a professor of English at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York. Her essays and reviews on topics in theater and drama have appeared in The Eugene O’Neill Review, Theatre Journal and American Theater Web, among other publications. She lives in New York.

Laura Shea
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 190
Bibliographic Info: 8 photos, chronology, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2008
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3563-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2177-7
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgements      7

Preface      13

Introduction      15

The Plot      21

1. The Original Production, 1947      27

2. New York Premiere and Broadway Debut, 1957, and Off Broadway Debut, 1968      53

3. Broadway Revivals, 1973 and 1984      75

4. Broadway Revival, 2000, and Regional Productions      107

5. Broadway Revival, 2007      137

Conclusion: “What’s past is prologue.”      161

Production Chronology      173

Works Cited      177

Index      187

“Shea’s admirable study makes clear that [this book] came into its own when directors and actors learned to discover the play’s spirit in performance”—The Eugene O’Neill Review; “much valuable information…a worthwhile volume”—www.talkinbroadway.com.