2nd Play - Eureka Day by Jonathan Spector
Jürgen Hooper (Eli), Gabrielle Lott-Rogers (Carina), Rebekah Ward (Suzanne), PJ Powers (Don), Aurora Adachi-Winter (Meiko) in Timeline’s 2025 production in Chicago. Photo Credit: Brett Beiner
Another one that came highly recommended, and this one did not disappoint! Especially for those of us who live in liberal bubbles where we are trying to please (appease?) everyone, and frequently failing to please anyone, this play is hysterical and a little bit terrifying!
Summary: “The Eureka Day School in Berkeley, California, is a bastion of progressive ideals: representation, acceptance, social justice. When a mumps outbreak threatens the Eureka community, facts become subjective and every solution divisive.” Concord Theatricals
Laura’s thoughts in brief: Being on a committee, especially for a non-profit, while very worthwhile, can be PAINFUL. The whole first scene of this play takes us through an agonizingly detailed meeting where the executive commitee of the school is trying to come to consensus on what feels like a ridiculous administrative idea, that isn’t even revealed at first, but there are great lines like “I find the best way not to put words in someone’s mouth? is not to put words into their mouth,” and “look it’s possible because of my cousin’s kids I may have some Deeper Learning around this issue than you all do? so I just think why not err on the side of more inclusivity right?,” that get thrown into the discussion. There’s so much work by the characters to maintain what we used to call “political correctness”, that is now denigrated as “wokeness”, that it is sidesplitting and at the same time excruciating. Too much acceptance of everyone’s points of view almost paralyzes the group when trying to make this simple administrative decision. But it gets worse when mumps hits the school and a big decision looms: it’s the liberal anti-vaxxers versus the vaxxers trying to decide whether to close the school for everyone or allow only vaccinated children back. There is a hilarious scene where they hold a live stream to discuss this, and the comments, which are projected for the audience to read, are the stars of the show. At first people in the comments try to be polite and hold space for everyone, and then they evolve into down-and-dirty name calling and unapologetic insults. “Remember that time I got crippled from polio? Oh, no wait. I didn’t. Cause I got FUCKING VACCINATED.” “Have fun on your Pied Piper Death Marches. My kids are not joining the parade.” I had trouble following what was actually being said by the characters on stage during the scene (even reading it), but I don’t think that matters much. I imagine, visually, their reactions to the comments would be uproarious.
Each of the characters in this play is close to a stereotype, but not completely; Spector is a smarter writer than that. Is it wrong that Suzanne, the older super-liberal mom, is SO annoying, but I’m dying to play her? In her character description, which is glorious, it says, “Has a home worth four million dollars (though she’ll tell you it was much much much cheaper when they bought), but thinks of herself as ‘comfortable’ rather than ‘wealthy.’” Just the character descriptions are that good! (Somebody do this play in storefront Chicago!!) I didn’t like the character of Eli, the former tech bro and expert pickler (!!!), as much, but something happens (no spoilers in this one) that makes us empathize with him. I believe that’s intentional on the playwright’s part. Truly every character, with the exception of Carina, the only Black character, are a little … much, but Spector gives us moments for each where we see their humanity and can’t completely hate them.
Over-wokism (yeah, I think I made that one up too, whee!) is unapologetically skewered in this play, but, as it develops, we see the play definitely doesn’t lean anti-vaccine either, which I was a little concerned about at first. Overall, I really enjoyed the play. Clever and sharp, it hits a little too close to home, but it makes us laugh so we don’t cry about what’s happening with the vaccine situation in this country. It’s a great ensemble piece that I’d love to do or see.
READ MORE! Here’s what some of the critics had to say about productions:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/16/theater/eureka-day-review-broadway.html
https://artsfuse.org/329962/theater-review-eureka-day-groupthink-gone-viral/