Jonathan Spector’s Tony Award-winning satire “Eureka Day” begins preview performances tonight at the also-Tony-award-winning Pasadena Playhouse, marking both theatrical triumph and institutional milestone.
The production examines vaccine debates and community consensus at a progressive Berkeley private school through Oct. 5.
Tonight’s “Wine Wednesday” preview at 8 p.m. offers complimentary wine before the performance.
The milestone? This production launches Pasadena Playhouse’s first season after regaining ownership of their historic campus following more than 50 years of external control.
“Eureka Day” claimed the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play on June 8, defeating heavyweight nominees including “Romeo + Juliet,” “Our Town” and “Yellow Face.”
The Broadway run was twice-extended. (It’s that good.)
Set at the fictional Eureka Day School in Berkeley, the play follows five board members who make all decisions by consensus until a mumps outbreak forces them to reconsider their liberal vaccine policy.
The most-talked-about scene features a livestreamed town hall where online parent comments spiral into chaos.
Ben Brantley of The New York Times praised it as “the perfect play for our age of disagreement… not only one of the funniest plays to open this year, it is one of the saddest.”
Originally written in 2017, the play has gained eerie prescience.
Spector himself noted it feels “like stepping into an episode of The Twilight Zone” as vaccination has become “much more correlated to politics.”
Director Teddy Bergman leads a distinguished cast featuring Mia Barron, Cherise Boothe, Camille Chen, Nate Corddry and Rick Holmes.
The creative team includes scenic designer Wilson Chin, costume designer Denitsa Bliznakova, sound designer John Nobori and projection designer David Bengali.
The theater operates as an anchor institution in the Playhouse District, employing more than 100 local workers for major productions.
Cast member Cherise Boothe observed: “Everything has become incredibly divisive. I think it’s a metaphor for what’s happening. Disagreements don’t have to divide us.”
The production includes extensive community engagement programming, accessibility features and childcare services.
Originally scheduled for Kennedy Center’s season, the play was canceled after Trump took over as chairman, adding political significance to Pasadena Playhouse’s decision to produce it.
Pasadena Playhouse, 39 South El Molino Avenue, in Pasadena. For more call (626) 356-7529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org. Tickets: starting at $40.
