Moon over Buffalo: A Comedy

by Ken Ludwig

This award winning play is hilarious and engaging. A good read for those who love the story, it's a great place to start for anyone interested in stage comedy.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Fiction, Drama, Comedy, Humor

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

KEN LUDWIG is an internationally-acclaimed playwright whose work has been performed in more than 30 countries in over 20 languages. He has had 6 shows on Broadway and 6 in the West End. He has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Helen Hayes Awards, the Edgar Award, the SETC Distinguished Career Award, the Edwin Forrest Award for Services to the Theatre and he is a McCarter/Sallie B. Goodman Fellow. His plays have been commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Bristol Old Vic. His first play on Broadway, Lend Me A Tenor, won three Tony Awards and the New York Times called it "one of the two great farces by a living writer." His other best-known Broadway and West End shows include Crazy For You (5 years on Broadway, Tony Award Winner for Best Musical), Moon Over Buffalo, Leading Ladies, Twentieth Century, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Game’s Afoot, The Fox on the Fairway, Midsummer/Jersey, The Three Musketeers, Treasure Island and The Beaux’ Stratagem. His plays have starred Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Lynn Redgrave, Mickey Rooney, Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, Tony Shalhoub, Anne Heche, Joan Collins, and Kristin Bell. His book, How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare, was published in June 2013 by Random House, and his work has been published by the Yale Review. He has degrees from Harvard, where he studied music with Leonard Bernstein, Haverford College and Cambridge University. For more information, please visit www.kenludwig.com

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

great characters, lots of chaos and fun moments, great to read but even better to perform!

[David Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moon Over Buffalo has a special place in my heart (Mainly because I had the pleasure of performing in a production of it). It is story of the Hay’s; a family of traveling actors and how one mistake by the leading man has the possibility to break the troupe apart. Ludwig’s characters are crazy; they do everything to the extreme. Most likely comes from their actor roots, because we all know actors are theatrical. Drunken performances, secret affairs, and tied up weathermen, this play is laugh out loud funny. Anyone can enjoy this play. There is no doubt that the obscurity of this play has rubbed off on me and affected my own writing.

[Lisa Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightfully funny romp, this was great play. 10/10, would recommended.

[Angela Blount · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the 1950's America, this comedic play-within-a-play is rife with slapstick and situational humor, backstage shenanigans, and dysfunctional family dynamics.

This eight person production centers around a traveling theatrical couple, George and Charlotte--whose marriage is on the rocks, along with their fading careers. Charlotte has ambitious dreams of breaking into Hollywood, while her husband seems content in his alcohol-addled, philandering ways. The inciting incident? George receives a call from a famous film director in need of replacements for a movie he's currently directing. He plans to see one of George's shows and consider George and his wife, Charlotte, for the parts.

Charlotte, however, doesn't believe this good news from her husband--she's just found out that George had an affair with one of their younger actors. Charlotte declares her intent to run off with a rich lawyer, and George falls into a boozing despair. What follows is a series of misunderstandings and mistaken identities, accidentally stoked onward by Charlotte's nearly-deaf mother and George's guilty conscience.

Though the content is a bit dated, and the theater troupe concept not exactly unique, this play holds fast to a humorous and endearing charm all its own.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This play was an absolute gas. The dialogue was lighting-quick and the stage direction even more so. I picked it up because it took place in Buffalo, NY, a former stomping ground, and that was a payoff in itself. The digs at the wee city are hilarious and clever. The action between the characters was reminiscent of Philadelphia Story (a la Hepburn, Stewart and Grant). I just loved it and would be thrilled to see it on stage. I am sure small companies stay away from it because it would require precision execution of the stage direction and overlapping dialogue to be a success.

[Sierra Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite plays. It's witty, and the banter between George and Scarlet is genuinely funny. The surprise unintended pregnancy makes the plot into that of kind of a sitcom, but the play is still intelligent. Of course, the jokes appeal more to an older crowd, who can still remember the 1950's, and, therefore, it will soon be dated. However, I think it's laugh out loud funny and the writing and commentary on the theatre business is great.

[Greg Kerestan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a theatregoer, I like a well-done farce. It's a guilty pleasure but one that most audiences seem to share. Ken Ludwig's backstage farce "Moon Over Buffalo" isn't as dark or as viscerally uncomfortable as the more famous "Noises Off," but it packs laughs, quick entrances and exits, misunderstandings, prop work and all the other essential elements of a satisfying farce, complete with a happy ending.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very funny farce set on and just off-stage with characters not knowing whether they are doing Cyrano de Bergerac or Private Lives; drunkenness, mistaken identities, infidelity. It was originally done on Broadway with Carol Burnett, among others. I borrowed this from interlibrary loan.

[Sella Malin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahahaha. This play is hilarious. I was cracking up the whole time I read it. The characters are funny and three-dimensional, the plot is simple but fast and hilarious. Amazing. :)

[Rachelle Urist · Rating 5 out of 5]

I played Charlotte Hay. What a hoot! Especially given my wonderful leading man!

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really funny, reminded me of screwball comedies from early Hollywood.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent farce, but I'm not a fan of the Native American jokes... I'd love to see an updated version of this without the Apache Woman references and stereotypical "Indian chanting."

[Pat Mckay · Rating 1 out of 5]

If even one character had a single functioning brain cell, there would be no play.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am reading a lot of plays at the moment. My wife and I are in process of figuring out the next season of our theatre company, Out of Pocket Productions, and in order to select three plays, I end up reading 20-30.

Ironically, that is not the reason I read this play. The other night I participated in a Play Reading Club hosted over Zoom by Blackfriars Theatre, and this was the chosen text.

Ken Ludwig has a special place in my heart. The very first play I did upon moving to Rochester was Ludwig's Lend Me a Tenor, for the Penfield Players. Since then, I appeared in his The Game's Afoot for the aforementioned Blackfriars and directed Shakespeare in Hollywood just this past fall for McQuaid. Ludwig have written more quality farces than any other American playwright over the the last fifty years and is currently considered the master of the form in this country.

Farces are incredibly difficult to perform and even harder to write: they are intensly formulaic--slamming door, mistaken identities, lecherous husbands--but you need to wring something fresh out of each new one; they also have to be extremely clever--even to the point of satirical insight--while also being profoundly stupid.

This particular farce is set in Buffalo--my hometown!!--in the 1950s and tells the story of two once-famous actors, George and Charlotte Hay, and their down-on-its-luck theatre company. Chaos--of course--ensues when a rumor spreads that famed film director Frank Capra is coming to a matinee to scout the Hays for film roles that could reignite their careers.

I have to say that, overall, I feel pretty lukewarm about this. As I said, I like farces in general and Ludwig in particular, and I have seen this play staged to very satisfying effect--but I would ultimately lable this as one of his second-tier works. The crazy-theatre-people trope in particular is really played out, even for a farce, and none of the secondary characters are as well-developed as they are in his other plays.

One final note--this play's main claim to fame is that the Broadway Production marked Carol Burnett's return to Broadway after a thirty-year absence, and there is an excellent documentary by famed filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker called Moon Over Broadway. You can find it on Youtube--it is well-worth watching for those interested in what it takes to mount an elaborate Broadway production.

[Edward Cheer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another case where the production I saw was terrible, but I was still able to appreciate the script. Sure the acting was over-the-top and the directing was horrible... but I could tell the show was at least intended to be performed well. Then again, aren't all plays meant to be performed well?

Moon Over Buffalo follows a family of actors in a dying theatre company hoping for their first big break to make it big. The play has little references to other theatre shows, the state of theatre compared to film, and some of the reasons as to why theatre isn't doing as well today- but it's done as a labor of love. It's clear that Ludwig took a lot of his passion for the stage and put into this play.

Now, as a comedy Moon Over Buffalo is... fine. There's a lot of mistaken facts, characters running in and our of rooms, fake identities, and other hilarious antics but after reading so many farces this year there wasn't much about the comedy in Buffalo that made it stand out. There were a couple good gags here and there but there were so many jokes I could already tell the punchline to that it rendered the joke unfunny.

Buffalo isn't a bad play, just one with a lot of good ideas that's bogged down by some by-the-numbers comedy bits. Maybe I'm not a good comedy critic or maybe I'm getting sick of all these comedies and how much they're blending together, but in either case don't let this review deter you from watching or reading Moon Over Buffalo. It's still a fine play with some fun characters and some little bits of good dialogue here and there that make it enjoyable. But I don't know if I'll be coming back to this play anytime soon after seeing it.

[Tony Loyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a door slammer, I think this is the most entrances and exits that I've ever seen in a show, it would be an absolute marathon to be a part of a production of this play. Overall, I found the content of this play thin, most of the humour of this show is not so much in the dialogue but in the ridiculous situations and misunderstandings that the characters find themselves in. I would probably enjoy seeing this show live but not necessarily as it could be a little tedious if the characters aren't endearing enough, and that could be a struggle as they're not written as very likable. I feel like I would definitely enjoy being a part of this show, it looks like fun to do although also a lot of work.

[Joe Bolin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first play I've ever read and I enjoyed it immensely. Moon Over Buffalo is a theatrical farce, in the style of "Noises Off" and, I'm sure, many other plays. There were only a few major characters and the plot was pretty simple to follow, which made it all the more enjoyable to read. It was almost too easy to see Carol Burnett (who played the female lead on Broadway) in the role of Charlotte Hays; it's as if the role were written for her brand of physical comedy and rich repertoire of facial expressions.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm on a play reading committee for our local theatre group and read this 2 days ago. It's still making me laugh! It is a laugh out loud, screwball comedy with eccentric characters and mistaken identities. Carol Burnett was in the original cast, and I could picture her antics in every scene. The set design will be a bit tricky (you need lots of doors leading on and off stage, but I think audiences would love it!

[Stuart Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious farce for theater lovers.
A deaf grandmother, mistaken identities, and chaos backstage in 1953 Buffalo for touring actors George and Charlotte Hay, fearful that at their age, television and movie roles are not available, and live theater is dying in that era. Community theater lovers will identify with the scenarios, missed cues, wrong costumes, and marital strife all adding to the chaos. A joyful romp backstage.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really funny, but too racy for us. Grandmother to adult granddaughter plus another lovely young woman who is pregnant by father. Couple starts to undress for sex. Extensive drunk scene but very funny. Gay jokes. Costumes specific to 16th century, 1920's and 1953. Lamp explodes in gunshot accident. Sex toy confusion. Simulated intercourse.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve only read this play—I haven’t seen it performed—but I thought it was hilarious. The high-energy wackiness hit just the right pitch for a farce. Somehow setting the play in the 50s gave it a timelessness. It felt very fresh, and I’ll happily see it if I get the chance.

[Ctroskoph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a fan of slapstick humor. The silly, drunken falling down the stairs comedy irritates me but there were some moments that redeemed it. Act 2 was certainly better than Act 1.

[Amy Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny script, but it would be a total nightmare to stage and costume! A large budget would be needed for production.

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this play. As ridiculous as "Noises Off" but even more clever with the wordplay. Hilarious!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ken Ludwig seems to really be into adultery.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rough script, made worse by edits by a director. The pace is off, and the characters have no realism at all, but also are constantly contradicting themselves.

[Mahtab Safdari · Rating 5 out of 5]

MOON OVER BUFFALO is an uproariously funny comedy by Tony Award winning playwright Ken Ludwig.
It tells the story of George and Charlotte Hay, a once-famous acting couple who shined for years in the theatre but have yet to make their big break onto the big screen. A potential opportunity for a feature film comes about for the couple…but at the worst possible time in their relationship. Can they figure out a way to mend their marriage AND achieve their dreams of becoming film stars?
Although some of the topics discussed and dealt with in the play may be seen as inappropriate to some more conservative audience members, I strongly believe that every play or generally every work of art must be considered and judged according to the rules of its own genre. As a comedy or rather a farce the viewer/reader first and foremost expect to laugh, if the work provokes further thoughts that would be wonderful, though it’s not much necessary. Moon Over Buffalo achieves the most important goals that should be set for any comedy, which are making people laugh (preferably laugh out loud) and entertaining them. Ken Ludwig knows very well how to do these two and without limiting himself uses all the tools in his brilliant toolbox to create a clever hilarious piece which is both fun to read and fun to watch.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this play from the moment I finished the first scene on a plane ride home from the edinburgh fringe festival. The humor is just so accessible, it doesn't even need a great actor to get the humor of the script across, which is a sign of really good comedic play writing, at least for me. I had the joy of playing Eileen last fall and although a part on the smaller side, it was so fun to be apart of a play that demands as much energy as this play.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, the farce placed backstage among crazies trying to make theater is hardly a new idea, but this has to be one of the best examples. A dysfunctional family troupe faces a variety of crises: keeping the troupe going, even if they have to play Buffalo; mom and dad's infidelities; daughter's defection to the non-theater world; and the remote hope that they might get parts in a Frank Capra film. Many doors are slammed, many identities are mistaken, and there is much drunkenness along the way.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

So funny, but not for high school. You'd have to explain too much of it and it's too long for my taste. I can shove them through 50 pages but not 120! Plus I steer away from make out scenes. I'm not gonna make someone's momma mad at me...