When Jonathan Spector wrote Eureka Day for the 2018 New Play Development at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley, he didn’t set out to write a Tony Award-winning script that has become more timely (and hilarious) as the years passed.
He was just following the old writing adage: Write what you know.
“Every critic in London said the same thing,” Spector says. “The characters are clearly exaggerated. But I was just writing my neighbors.”
“I grew up in Berkeley,” says Josh Costello, artistic director of the Aurora Theatre and the director of both the 2018 premiere there and the upcoming revival at Marin Theatre. “My kids went to Berkeley schools. Jonathan’s kids were in Berkeley schools. Our costumer just brought in pictures of the other parents. These are real people that we all know.”
Berkeley’s classic kookiness became a Tony Award-winning hit. Returning cast member Charisse Loriaux had an inkling, recalling, “The first preview performance (in 2018) with a live audience was a huge indicator of just how special this script was.” Loriaux adds that during one scene, “The laughter was so loud, the actors could barely hear each other. I had never experienced anything like it before.”
The play centers on a mumps outbreak at a private Berkeley elementary school, causing the school board to rethink their loose vaccine policy. The school’s utopian, policy-by-committee board quickly descends into a woke vaccine war zone. The premise in 2018 may have seemed an odd fringe argument, but today, post-Covid, it’s one that hits home.
“The stakes are higher now,” Costello says. “We’ve seen the results of false information.”
What else has changed?
“There are a few edits and language additions that allow the story to move forward and that enhance character development, but overall, it is the same beautiful show that made audiences laugh, cry, think and reflect in 2018,” Loriaux says.
Earlier this year, Eureka Day had its planned performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. cut due to financial decisions. Though it was never made clear what those decisions were, it set a precedent for other cuts that were soon to ripple throughout the nation.
The prevailing discussion about what is deserving of funds has made for a bittersweet homecoming for Eureka Day. Aurora Theatre has become the latest Bay Area theater to announce that it will cease operations due to budget cuts, loss of federal grants and falling attendance. The recently closed The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe was its final show.
“There could still be a Hail Mary,” Costello says. “But either way, it’s great that we are doing this partnership with Marin Theatre that allows us this homecoming.” Costello continues, “Despite all the challenges, it’s worth it. Theater is really important. It brings us together.”
Loriaux agrees, saying, “To truly connect, we need to listen with a genuine curiosity and a non-judgmental attitude. Our beliefs and facts shape us, but empathy and understanding foster authentic conversations and human connection, which is needed now more than ever. Theater is where human interconnectedness is a priority.”
“Plus,” Spector adds, “it’s a very funny play.”
‘Eureka Day’ runs Aug. 28 through Sept. 21, Marin Theatre, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. Weds–Sat, 7:30pm; Sat & Sun, 2pm. $15-$89. 415.388.5208. marintheatre.org.
