A Moon for the Misbegotten is a play by Eugene O'Neill. The play can be thought of as a sequel to the autobiographical Long Day's Journey into Night. Jim Tyrone is an older version of Jamie Tyrone from the first play, and they are both based on Eugene O'Neill's older brother, Jamie O'Neill.
Set in a dilapidated Connecticut house in early September 1923, the play focuses on three characters: Josie, a domineering Irish woman with a quick tongue and a ruined reputation, her conniving father, tenant farmer Phil Hogan, and James Tyrone, Jr., Hogan's landlord and drinking companion, a cynical alcoholic haunted by the death of his mother.
The play begins with Mike, the last of Hogan's three sons, leaving the farm. As a joke during one of their drunken bouts, Tyrone threatens to sell his land and evict Hogan, which propels the latter to set into motion a scheme that will take advantage of the mutual affection between his daughter and Tyrone. The play ends with Jim Tyrone leaving the farm, apparently to die soon of complications from alcoholism.
A Moon for the Misbegotten had its world premiere at the Hartman Theatre in Columbus, Ohio in 1947.
The play has been produced five times on Broadway. The original production opened on May 2, 1957 at the now-demolished Bijou Theatre with lighting by Lee Watson, where it ran for 68 performances. The cast included Cyril Cusack, Franchot Tone, and Wendy Hiller. There was a well-reviewed Off-Broadway revival in the late 60's with Salome Jens as Josie.
After four previews, the first Broadway revival, directed by José Quintero, opened on December 29, 1973 at the Morosco Theatre, where it ran for 313 performances. The cast included Colleen Dewhurst who won a Tony Award, Jason Robards, and Ed Flanders. Two years later, the cast reprised their roles in a Quintero-directed production for television, which garnered five Emmy Award nominations; Flanders alone won.
After nineteen previews, the second revival, directed by David Leveaux, opened on May 1, 1984 at the Cort Theatre, where it ran for 40 performances. The cast included Ian Bannen, Jerome Kilty, and Kate Nelligan.
After fifteen previews, the third revival, directed by Daniel Sullivan, opened on March 19, 2000 at the Walter Kerr Theatre, where it ran for 120 performances. The cast included Gabriel Byrne, Roy Dotrice, and Cherry Jones.
A fourth revival, starring Kevin Spacey, began previews on March 29, 2007 and closed on June 10, 2007 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre following a 112 performance run at the Old Vic Theatre in London 15 Sep 2006 - 23 Dec 2006, featuring Eve Best, Billy Carter, Colm Meaney, Eugene O'Hare, and Kevin Spacey.