Review: FRANKIE AND JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE at Tower Groves Abbey

Stray Dog Theatre’s latest production shows that relationships aren’t easy. The latest show in their 2025 season, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune is a raw and intense examination of human interaction.

Based on Terrance McNally’s two-hander, the play is quintessentially New York in its attitude. Set entirely in a Manhattan studio apartment, the angst-filled drama opens with Johnny, a loquacious diner cook, and Frankie, his straight-talking co-worker having sex.

Afterward, the couple talk about their lives. Despite their intimacy, the awkwardness between them is palpable. Frankie, who is more suspicious by nature, wants her companion to go home so she can sleep. Johnny wants a beer and deep conversation.

From there the friction ebbs and flows. Their troubles are nearly instantaneous as Johnny begins to map out their future together. Believing that Frankie is his soulmate, he is relentless in conveying his aspirations.

Meanwhile, Frankie is more guarded. Unlike Johnny, she is less impulsive and more pragmatic. She’s been hurt in the past and is not looking for a long-term thing.

As Frankie discovers, Johnny is pretty needy. Making matters worse she is quickly annoyed by Johnny’s motormouth. Saying that he talks too much would be an understatement. Unleashing a word barrage upon her, he fills her in on his hopes, dreams, and life with his first wife who lives in Maine with his kids.

As the play unfolds the couple‘s banter alternates between light conversation and heavy discussions. Unlike her counterpart, Frankie is reluctant to share details of her life. This sends a series of dizzy clashes in motion that test the chances of the pair becoming an item.

During their intense discourses, the one thing that brings them together is Debussy’s Clair de Lune, which they hear on a local radio station. For them, the piece represents a pause in the fighting which allows them to relax and reconnect.

Directed by Gary F. Bell, this production of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune walks a tightrope of comedy and tenderness. Emotionally, his show highlights the agility between trust and truth as the two characters open and then shut down their feelings.

Driving the tension is Stephen Peirick as the emotionally scarred and overly talkative Johnny. In a performance filled with substantial portions of dialogue, he keeps things lively by sprinkling. His performance with moments of inflammation.

A returning veteran of the company, Peirick does his job by making Johnny frustratingly annoying. Playing a desperate soul looking for a partner, his excellent turn is filled with loneliness, trauma, and persistence.

Also fantastic is Mara Bollini as Frankie. Seemingly tough as nails, her performance is textured, adding vulnerability and anger to her character’s suspicious nature. Her return to Stray Dog is emotionally powerful.

Together, both actors perfectly feed off each other, allowing their verbal jousts to carry emotional resonance. In and out of bed, the chemistry between Bollini and Peirick remains intense throughout the show, allowing audiences to soak in the pleasures and perils of their relationship.

St. Louis Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. THE SECOND HURRICANE (Stray Dog Theatre)

9.7% of votes

2. THE PROM (Gateway Center for Performing Arts)

7.4% of votes

3. 9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL (Alton Little Theater)

7.3% of votes

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