Eureka Day

by Jonathan Spector

The Eureka Day School in Berkeley, California, is a bastion of progressive ideals. In weekly meetings Eureka Day’s five board members develop and update policy to preserve this culture of inclusivity, reaching decisions only by consensus. But when a mumps outbreak threatens the Eureka community, facts become subjective and every solution divisive, leaving the school’s leadership to confront the central question...

The Eureka Day School in Berkeley, California, is a bastion of progressive ideals. In weekly meetings Eureka Day’s five board members develop and update policy to preserve this culture of inclusivity, reaching decisions only by consensus. But when a mumps outbreak threatens the Eureka community, facts become subjective and every solution divisive, leaving the school’s leadership to confront the central question of our time: How do you build consensus when no one can agree on truth?

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Eureka Day

Recommended by

  • Kareem Fahmy: Eureka Day

    It's rare I read a play that hits me on so many levels. The comedy is spot on, the way the characters' inner lives are revealed through dialogue and body language, the emotional punch of the second act. And don't get me started on the bravura display of the online message thread. Wow.

    It's rare I read a play that hits me on so many levels. The comedy is spot on, the way the characters' inner lives are revealed through dialogue and body language, the emotional punch of the second act. And don't get me started on the bravura display of the online message thread. Wow.

  • Ian Thal: Eureka Day

    Jonathan Spector's Eureka Day is a brilliant satire of how the utopian dream of the welcoming community can be an invitation to conspiracy theories, anti-scientific thinking, medical quackery, and toxic wokeness, whether into the curriculum of a progressive school or in a social media discussion. The social media scene, in particular, comprises a wonderfully hilarious cacophonous comic crescendo –– but Spector is sure to remind audiences of potentially tragic consequences as well. (I saw the 2019 Mosaic Theater Company of DC production.)

    Jonathan Spector's Eureka Day is a brilliant satire of how the utopian dream of the welcoming community can be an invitation to conspiracy theories, anti-scientific thinking, medical quackery, and toxic wokeness, whether into the curriculum of a progressive school or in a social media discussion. The social media scene, in particular, comprises a wonderfully hilarious cacophonous comic crescendo –– but Spector is sure to remind audiences of potentially tragic consequences as well. (I saw the 2019 Mosaic Theater Company of DC production.)

  • Dominic Finocchiaro: Eureka Day

    Such a phenomenal play. Equally parts side-splittingly hilarious and emotionally resonant. Tackles an incredibly relevant topic and manages to investigate it in a way that reveals a ton about our contemporary moment and the way we interact with those we disagree with. Its use of Facebook Live is ingenious, and its characters are diverse and their motivations earned and believable. Produce it!

    Such a phenomenal play. Equally parts side-splittingly hilarious and emotionally resonant. Tackles an incredibly relevant topic and manages to investigate it in a way that reveals a ton about our contemporary moment and the way we interact with those we disagree with. Its use of Facebook Live is ingenious, and its characters are diverse and their motivations earned and believable. Produce it!

View all 11 recommendations

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Roundabout Underground, Year 2019
  • Type Reading, Organization South Coast Rep, Year 2018
  • Type Reading, Organization Lark Play Development Center, Year 2017

Production History

  • Type Professional, Organization Manhattan Theater Club (Broadway), Year 2024
  • Type Professional, Organization Burgtheater (National Theater of Austria), Vienna, Year 2023
  • Type Professional, Organization Asolo Theater, Year 2022
  • Type Professional, Organization Old Vic, London (starring Helen Hunt), Year 2022
  • Type Professional, Organization State Theater of South Australia, Year 2021
  • Type Professional, Organization Syracuse Stage, Year 2021
  • Type Professional, Organization Colt Coeur, NYC, Year 2019
  • Type Professional, Organization Mosaic Theatre, Washington DC, Year 2019
  • Type Professional, Organization Spreckles Theatre, Sonoma, Year 2019

Awards

  • Whats On Stage Award - Best New Play (London)
    What’s On Stage
    Finalist
    2022
  • New York Times "Critics' Pick"
    2019
  • Time Out New York "Top Ten Plays of 2019"
    Honorable Mention
  • Original Script
    San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle
    Winner
    2019
  • Will Glickman Award
    Winner
    2019
  • San Francisco Chronicle, 'Top Ten Shows of the Year'
    2018
  • TBA Award, Outstanding World Premiere Play
    Theatre Bay Area
    Winner
    2018
  • Rella Lossy Award
    Winner
    2018