The play focuses on two lonely, middle-aged people whose first date ends with their tumbling into bed. Johnny is certain he has found his soul mate in Frankie. She, on the other hand, is far more cautious and disinclined to jump to conclusions. As the night unfolds, they slowly begin to reveal themselves to each other as they take tentative steps towards the possible start of a new relationship.
Winner of the Dramatists Guild Hull Warriner Award. A critical and popular success, this bittersweet comedy combines poignancy and laughter as it traces the unlikely romance that begins to develop between two middle-aged "losers." "Terrence McNally has…a hit…in FRANKIE AND JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE. A romantic two-hander with character depth and an abundance of laughs…" —Variety. "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. "…Terrence McNally's very sweet, extraordinarily funny, romantic and ribald comedy…" —NY Post. "Terrence McNally is one of our most original and audacious dramatists, and one of our funniest…" —The New Yorker.