About This Show
A popular comedy about college life in the 1960s, Michael Weller’s most popular play chronicled a year in the life of college seniors, circa 1965. It has been described as “an epitaph for its time,” and “one of the better plays written about American youth.” It is a stunning work, one that has weathered the years to become that rarity, a contemporary play that, while rooted in the era in which it was written, remains contemporary because its underlying themes are universal and unchanging.
Moonchildren tells the story of several friends and roommates who treat “the peace movement” with differing degrees of seriousness. Mike and Cootie make fun of everything and everybody; Norman and Ruth are sincere, if misguided; Dick seems to think only of himself; and Bob is curiously detached. Into their lives drift a landlord, an encyclopedia salesman, two policemen, and other odd characters. One comic twist follows another. In the end, a surprise revelation lends a certain air of poignance to the story.
The 60s were a volatile, intense period in this country’s history. Young people were able to effect great social change, but their lives were often filled with turmoil and confusion. How a group of students react to that confusion is the comic premise of Moonchildren.
Appropriate For Ages: 13+
