Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
by Terrence Mcnally

Broadway Off-Broadway

Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Cover

Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Book Cover — Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

120 mins Present Day Interior Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes Comedy

Awards & Recognition

Tony Award

Nominee: 2020 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play Nominee: 2003 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play Winner! 1987 Dramatists Guild Hull-Warriner Award

Synopsis

In Frankie’s apartment on Manhattan’s West Side, she and her colleague Johnny are in bed together.

It is their first encounter, having met several weeks ago on the job, and Frankie is hopeful that Johnny will now put on his clothes and leave, so she can return to her usual routine of watching TV and eating ice cream.

But Johnny, a compulsive talker (and romantic), has other ideas.

He is convinced that he loves Frankie, a notion that she, at first, considers to be ridiculous.

She has had more disappointments than delights in life, and he is the veteran of one broken marriage already – and neither of them is in the bloom of youth.

As they talk, with some hilarious interplay, the promise of a relationship beyond a “one-night stand” does begin to emerge.

This is a bittersweet comedy that combines poignancy and laughter as it traces the unlikely romance that begins to develop between two middle-aged “losers.”

Press Reviews

"A romantic two-hander with character depth and an abundance of laughs."
— Variety

"Terrence McNally is one of our most original and audacious dramatists... and one of our funniest."
— The New Yorker

"A richly warm, humorous, clear-eyed portrait of the beginning of a relationship, it cuts deeper to the heart than any previously seen McNally works."
— Drama-logue

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Johnny Johnny’s best feature is his personality. He works at it. He is in good physical shape.	male	—	Johnny’s best feature is his personality. He works at it. He is in good physical shape.
Frankie Striking but not conventional good looks. She has a sense of humor and a fairly tough exterior. She is also frightened and can be very hard to reach.	female	—	Striking but not conventional good looks. She has a sense of humor and a fairly tough exterior. She is also frightened and can be very hard to reach.