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:
    14 Aug. 2020
    “ 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:
    17 Dec. 2019
    “ 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:
    30 Mar. 2019
    “ 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

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
(3f, 2m)
SUZANNE - female, 40s, white
CARINA - female, 30s-40s, african american
DON - male, 40s - 50s, white
MEIKO - female 30s - 40s, asian
ELI - male, 30s - 40s, white

Development History

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

Production History

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

Awards

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