Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune
by Terrence McNally
Directed by Gary F. Bell
Stray Dog Theatre
June 14, 2025
Stephen Peirick, Mara Bollini
Photo by Sarah Gene Dowling
Stray Dog Theatre
“Love is messy and beautiful.” That’s a tagline for the show that’s featured on the marquee outside Stray Dog Theatre’s Tower Grove Abbey performance space for their latest production, Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. SDT always posts a memorable saying, line or quote related to their current production on that signboard, and this one is particularly appropriate, considering the quality of McNally’s script and the staging by director Gary F. Bell featuring two talented local performers.
The “Clair de Lune” in the title refers to a famous Debussy piano piece as well as the literal moonlight to which the characters refer throughout the story. As also mentioned in the title, the story follows Frankie (Mara Bollini) and Johnny (Stephen Peirick), who work together in a New York City diner–she’s a waitress and he’s the new cook. We meet them at her apartment following their first sexual encounter, following a dinner-and-a-movie date, and the early suggestions are that this is intended to be the start of something more serious. Or is it? The problem here is that, while Frankie and Johnny are obviously attracted to one another, they are very different in personality and attitudes toward life, and both have suffered various disappointments and personal struggles over the years, as their conversation soon reveals. Both characters have their obvious flaws, but there’s also an undeniable pull toward one another that becomes more clear as they share their stories, even though Johnny is prone to oversharing and Frankie is guarded and hesitant. It’s a fascinating look at an unfolding “will-they-or-won’t they” connection that can either be left as a one night stand or be developed into something more. Also, despite the obvious character flaws, and how easy it would be to make Johnny look like a predatory creep, McNally makes a concerted effort to not go there with the character.
The casting and direction is key, as well, since the characters have to be watchable and to some degree relatable for a story like this to work. It’s a delicate balance of conversation, chemistry, and attempted empathy, as two hurting people reach out to one another and try to figure out if they can work as a couple. Peirick’s talkative Johnny comes across as sincerely well-meaning, for the most part, if a bit on the oversharing side. He’s effusive in the romantic language, and the also excellent Bollini’s clearly guarded Frankie displays a mixture of annoyance, curiosity, and fascination with this guy who isn’t what she first thought he would be. These are relatable, highly personal portrayals, and both performers excel, individually and as a pair. Director Bell’s thoughtful staging manages to both be frank and respectful to the characters as genuine, flawed humans searching for a real connection.
The set by Bell is an appropriately detailed representation of a small New York apartment, with a credibly “lived-in” vibe. Tyler Duenow’s lighting adds much in the way of atmosphere to the proceedings and late-night setting, with also excellent work from Justin Been on sound design, as the music and radio are important elements of the story, and the clarity of the dialogue is also essential. Bell’s costume design also works well for the characters, even though they (and especially Johnny) don’t wear a lot of clothes throughout the show.
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune is an intense, intimate, highly personal look at a couple struggling with past regrets and clinging to the possibility of finding something good together. It’s definitely for mature audiences, as there is frank discussion of sex and intense subject matter, strong language, and sexual situations. It’s a thoughtfully scripted, well directed character study, showcasing two especially strong lead performances by excellent local performers.
Stephen Peirick,, Mara Bollini
Photo by Sarah Gene Dowling
Stray Dog Theatre
Stray Dog Theatre is presenting Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune at the Tower Grove Abbey until June 21, 2025
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