Man and Moon Play Shines Spotlight on Breast Cancer, Trans Community, and Friendship in Touching New Play

SAN DIEGO, October 31, 2023 (Newswire.com) - A new article by Live Fit Magazine interviews playwright Siena Marilyn Ledger about their play Man and Moon at Moxie Theatre. The non-profit production house in San Diego, California, founded in 2004, is releasing the timely and touching play Man and Moon as part of its 2023 season lineup this November.

The play opens on the tail end of breast cancer awareness month (October), bringing attention to two seemingly diverging issues via the play's lovable characters. Aaron, a transitioning man, and Luna, a precocious coming-of-age girl with an affinity for space who is losing her mother to breast cancer, meet each other while waiting in an oncology ward. “Waiting” catalyzes the development of an unlikely friendship in this 90-minute, two-person play. 

“It’s this tender connection that drew me to this play. The writing is magnificent, and the characters are recognizable,” says Desireé Clarke Miller, the Executive Artistic Director of Moxie Theatre and Director of the play Man and Moon. The play is especially touching for her because her sister is a breast cancer survivor.

“This play explores in the most poetically honest way the struggles of that not only for the folks experiencing breast cancer but also for how it affects the people around them.”

Man and Moon is being embraced and applauded by the Trans community for creating a lead role for Trans actors and turning the spotlight on a community that has been shunned and misunderstood. 

“You all know that the climate for our Trans folks is not ideal. A reason why this has happened is because we’ve been erased from history and from the public eye, on purpose for many, many years, but we’ve always been here,” says Farah Dinga, Assistant Director and Cultural Consultant for the play. 

At the First Look for Man and Moon, Dinga told the audience, “When we are unable to have empathy, or we don’t have people who are actively humanizing that identity, it makes it a much easier place to breed hate.”

Dinga is excited about how Man and Moon will help create a greater understanding of the Trans community.  “Something that I really love about this play is that it gives the opportunity to people who might not know a Trans person or might not know that they know a Trans person to humanize us and our stories.”  

“I'm thrilled to see 'Man and Moon' as part of Moxie's lineup in my hometown. It's deeply meaningful that Moxie stimulates conversations around significant human matters,” says Ledger. 

When: November 5 - December 3, 2023 (Opening Night: Nov. 10th)

Where: Moxie Theatre — 6663 El Cajon Blvd suite n, San Diego, CA 92115 — (858) 598-7620

About Man and Moon by Siena Marilyn Ledger

Siena Marilyn Ledger (Playwright) they/he/she is a playwright and actor from San Diego, CA. Their educational journey includes graduating from Cal State Fullerton’s BFA Acting program and completing the Tutterow Fellowship at Chicago Dramatists. Instagram: @tadasiena or visit their website: gayforplays.com.

“Man and Moon” started as a collaborative collegiate project with director Kat Devoe-Peterson. In 2022, it debuted in three cities as part of the National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, with performances at Good Company Theatre, The 16th Street Theater NFP, and Oregon Contemporary Theatre.

Source: Live Fit Magazine