King o' the Moon

King o' the Moon Over the Tavern, Part II by Tom Dudzick

(3)
Productions (75)
Comedy/Drama
|
120 - 135 minutes
3 W, 4 M, 
Content Notes: Mild adult language
Set: Realistic inner city backyard with rear of brick two-story dwelling, front of garage and tree with practical tree house.

In this hilarious, heartfelt sequel to Over the Tavern, the Pazinski family has left the conservative 1950s for the rebellious 1960s. But prior knowledge of this working-class family is not a prerequisite to appreciating their ongoing trials and triumphs. As Apollo 11 is about to land on the moon, the family gathers to honor their late father's memory, and they quickly become entangled in each others' problems -- Rudy is re-thinking the priesthood, Eddie is preparing for fatherhood and Vietnam, and Annie is contemplating divorce as their mother Ellen considers a new romance. There's rarely a quiet moment in the Pazinski household as they hurtle towards the next decade.

Pricing Information

Min. Performance Fee* $105
Standard Edition $13.99
Stage Manager Edition $24.99
Archival Video License $150

*The per performance fee begins at $105. Your per performance fee will be provided during the ordering process.


Playscripts is pleased to offer an Archival Video License for an additional $150 for full-length plays and $75 for one-act plays.

Play Details

In this hilarious, heartfelt sequel to Over the Tavern, the Pazinski family has left the conservative 1950s for the rebellious 1960s. But prior knowledge of this working-class family is not a prerequisite to appreciating their ongoing trials and triumphs. As Apollo 11 is about to land on the moon, the family gathers to honor their late father's memory, and they quickly become entangled in each others' problems -- Rudy is re-thinking the priesthood, Eddie is preparing for fatherhood and Vietnam, and Annie is contemplating divorce as their mother Ellen considers a new romance. There's rarely a quiet moment in the Pazinski household as they hurtle towards the next decade.

A one-act version of this play is available, perfect for competition use; contact Playscripts for details.

  • Comedy/Drama
  • |
  • 120 - 135 minutes
  • 3 W, 4 M, 
  • Content Notes: Mild adult language
  • Set: Realistic inner city backyard with rear of brick two-story dwelling, front of garage and tree with practical tree house.
  • Standard Edition ISBN: 978-1-62384-183-6

Published Reviews

"Winces with pain and winks with joy. In its easy accessibility, this is a play that sometimes feels like an all-American musical comedy without the music."

Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun Times

"The new play--like the decade in which it is set--has a greater urgency and sharper realism than its predecessor, as the adult Pazinskis tackle grown-up issues like divorce, remarriage, war and draft-evasion. Dudzick is well on his way to becoming the Neil Simon of the Catholic, Polish-American working class..."

Alice T. Carter, InTheater Magazine

"...like the comforting taste of homemade bread, this production leaves reviewers satisfied, delighted and hungering for more."

Christina M. Abt, Hamburg Sun

"Dudzick's play will no doubt at some point be referred to as a Catholic's Brighton Beach Memoirs, with its lovable down-to-earth family members and well-timed comedic happenstances. Yet it is original and real--a slice of Americana that helps us all remember what being a family is all about."

David Fielding, Pittsburgh Theatre Critic

"What is true about individual plays may be also true about Dudzick's Pazinski family saga--that it reaches a better end for taking its time getting there."

Christopher Rawson, Pittsburgh Post Gazette

"Tom Dudzick's play has taken inertia out of sixties nostalgia and brought to life an honest take on family and an honest look at tolerance. King o' the Moon is dynamic entertainment from the very beginning."

John Simonds, The Rensselaer Beacon

"It isn't necessary to have seen Over the Tavern to be immediately drawn into King o' the Moon. The Pazinskis are compelling to watch whether one knows their history or not. A breezy comedy marked by more than a dash of heartache and poignance, King o' the Moon is a clever hybrid of dysfunctional family sitcom and emotional gut-wrencher. That's not an easy mix to create, but playwright Tom Dudzick manages it."

Catey Sullivan, Press Publications/Northeast Dupage

"Tom Dudzick's done it again. His follow-up to the wildly popular Over the Tavern, set a decade earlier, offers another warm, funny and bittersweet look at American family life, tinged with bright nostalgia but edged with dark realism."

Leah A. Zeldes, Wicker Park Booster

"Dudzick's writing offers an enjoyable piece of escapist theatre with distinct, memorable characters and a message of family unity that will seem welcome to many during these hard times."

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

"Dudzick presents the tensions and struggles associated with the nuclear family, fortunately without falling into nostalgia-for-nostalgia sake syndrome."

Tim Sauers, Gay Chicago Magazine

Production History

SEP 11, 2025 - OCT 05, 2025
The Wimberley Players, Inc.
WIMBERLEY, TX United States
The Wimberley Players, Inc.WIMBERLEY, TX United States
MAR 21, 2023 - MAR 23, 2023
Stephen F. Austin High School
Austin, TX United States
Stephen F. Austin High SchoolAustin, TX United States
MAR 06, 2023 - MAR 06, 2023
Stephen F. Austin High School
Dripping Springs, TX United States
Stephen F. Austin High SchoolDripping Springs, TX United States
APR 07, 2022 - MAY 07, 2022
Community Christian School
Mineral Wells, TX United States
Community Christian SchoolMineral Wells, TX United States
OCT 18, 2021 - OCT 22, 2021
Madison County High School
Danielsville, GA United States
Madison County High SchoolDanielsville, GA United States
FEB 22, 2021 - MAY 30, 2021
IDEA FRONTIER UIL OAP
Brownsville, TX United States
IDEA FRONTIER UIL OAPBrownsville, TX United States
MAR 06, 2020 - MAR 08, 2020
The Majestic Theatre
Manchester, NH United States
The Majestic TheatreManchester, NH United States
MAR 21, 2019 - APR 23, 2019
Ballinger High School
Ballinger, TX United States
Ballinger High SchoolBallinger, TX United States
OCT 16, 2018 - OCT 17, 2018
Austin High School
EL Paso, TX United States
Austin High SchoolEL Paso, TX United States
MAR 09, 2018 - APR 23, 2018
Bay City HS
Bay City, TX United States
Bay City HSBay City, TX United States
1 of 8
SEP 11, 2025 - OCT 05, 2025
The Wimberley Players, Inc.
WIMBERLEY, TX United States
The Wimberley Players, Inc.WIMBERLEY, TX United States
JUN 15, 2017 - JUL 15, 2017
Circle Theatre
Fort Worth, TX United States
Circle TheatreFort Worth, TX United States
OCT 08, 2015 - OCT 11, 2015
The Kavinoky Theater
Buffalo, NY United States
The Kavinoky TheaterBuffalo, NY United States
SEP 11, 2015 - OCT 04, 2015
The Kavinoky Theater
Buffalo, NY United States
The Kavinoky TheaterBuffalo, NY United States
FEB 22, 2013 - MAR 17, 2013
Hippodrome Theatre
Gainesville, FL United States
Hippodrome TheatreGainesville, FL United States
JUN 20, 2011 - JUL 24, 2011
Willows Theatre Company
Martinez, CA United States
Willows Theatre CompanyMartinez, CA United States
APR 13, 2011 - MAY 08, 2011
North Coast Rep
Solana Beach, CA United States
North Coast RepSolana Beach, CA United States
APR 05, 2011 - APR 24, 2011
Florida Repertory Theatre
Fort Myers, FL United States
Florida Repertory TheatreFort Myers, FL United States
SEP 09, 2007 - SEP 10, 2007
Circle Theatre
Fort Worth, TX United States
Circle TheatreFort Worth, TX United States

Archival Video License

Playscripts is pleased to offer an Archival Video License to add to your order for an additional $150 for full-length plays and $75 for one-act plays.

This allows you to record one of your live performances for your internal archives only. This cannot be streamed.

For more information, please reach out to playscriptsinfo@broadwaylicensing.com