Clarkston Village Players offer a little romance and a lot of comedy in the two-act play Moon Over Buffalo by Ken Ludwig.
Set in Buffalo, New York in 1953, the play tells the tale of George and Charlotte Hay, actors who are losing leading roles to younger talent. Their plight reflects the drama scene of the 1950s when playwrights and actors feared the extinction of their art to more modern forms of entertainment like television and film.
Not only are the Hays struggling to reach their dream careers in a fading industry, they must also sort through family drama involving infidelity, pregnancy, and drunkenness. When the Hays finally get their chance at stardom, they’re so mixed up that they aren’t certain which performance to put on for famed movie director Frank Capra ? is it Cyrano or Private Lives?
While the Hay family tries to keep their performances straight, they must also sort out cases of mistaken identity, which lead to some wacky situations. In the midst of hilarious slapstick and witty insults, the play takes pages from numerous Shakespearean classics like The Tempest, Henry V, and Romeo and Juliet.
Like many of Shakespeare’s works, Moon Over Buffalo is ‘about human nature,? said Dale Dobson who plays George. “It’s this theme that makes the play relatable. Even if you don’t have a mother-in-law like George’s who doesn’t always keep her hearing aid in, you’ll find something true in what Director Al Bartlett calls ‘a delightful play.?
If the laughs don’t bring you to tears, the love might when you see Moon Over Buffalo opening May 11 and running until May 26 at Depot Theater.