While Moon features James Tyrone, Jr., its central character is Josie Hogan, an earthy, tough-as-nails woman whose exterior is as stubborn and rocky as the New England soil she farms.  But underneath that calloused exterior is a lonely woman, filled with love and passion—particularly for Tyrone.

            Beth Wittig gives a multi-layered, powerful performance as Josie.  Wittig has Josie’s tough side down cold—but when the vulnerability forces its way through that hardened exterior—she breaks your heart.  Wittig rarely leaves the stage in this production that clocks in at 2 hours and 45 minutes and fills each one of those minutes with emotion.  My only hesitation is that Josie is described as being “an ugly old cow” and the best that can be done is to make the beautiful Wettig look merely plain.

            As Tyrone, Victor Slezak nails the whiskey-soaked, wet-brained part of the alcoholic.  Complete with tremors and bio-polar mood swings, it’s difficult to see how Josie loves him—so I wish we saw more of the character’s charm, the things that draw Josie to him.  However, Slezak’s best moments come in his speech prior to falling asleep with his head on Josie’s breast.

            Tom Atkins brings humor to the show as Josie’s drunken father Phil Hogan.  While he is said to be a tyrant, Atkins gives a twinkle-in-the-eye charm to the role.  Dan Krell also adds homur to the production in the role of Stedman Harder, a neighboring farmer (and dandy) who wants the land Josie and her father farm.  Poor Jason McCune has the misfortune to play the thankless role of Josie’s brother Mike, who appears only in the opening moments of the show—not to be seen again until the curtain call hours later.

            While the actors give inspiriting performances and director Pamela Berlin keep the play moving, it is a very talky play and many of the major actions happen offstage.  That means we end up hearing about events instead of actually seeing them.  At the heart of the play is the moving evening Josie spends with Tyrone.  Even though we see it on stage, the next morning we have to listen to Josie recount the evening for Tyrone who was so drunk, he can’t remember what happened.

            The set by Allen Moyer is realistically detailed.  At its center is the crumbling farmhouse with flaking paint and weathered shingles.  Although the play takes place outside the house, the inside of the home has been outfitted with an old stove and rotting draperies.  Wild flowers sprout from crannies around corners and rocks.  Carrots are dug up from the garden and washed with water from a working pump.  Hidden under the porch are rocks and broken boards.  One could easily spend hours just taking in the set!

            This marvelous set is complimented by lighting by Frances Aronson.  Aronson does a beautiful job of re-creating various times of the day and night.  Particularly effective is the rising of the sun after Josie’s long night with Tyrone.

            But the heart of A Moon for the Misbegotten is Josie and the emotional journey she makes.  Despite the fact I wish the show were shorter, this show does have a powerful, moving and poignant heart in the performance of Beth Wittig.

            A Moon for the Misbegotten runs through May 17 at the Public Theatre.