In Jonathan Spector’s dramedy “Eureka Day,” everyone wants to be heard. The trouble begins when listening no longer gets anyone closer to agreeing.
The play is set at Eureka Day School, a progressive private school in Berkeley, California, where five board members prize representation, inclusion and consensus. Their carefully maintained harmony begins to fracture after a mumps outbreak forces the school community to confront vaccination policy. Suddenly even the facts themselves seem open to dispute.
The 2025 Tony winner for Best Revival of a Play, “Eureka Day” opened last weekend at Detroit Public Theatre (DPT) and should be seen by everyone.
The show is a wild ride, sending viewers through highs and lows, sniffle-inducing moments of tragedy and periods
of flat-out belly laughs; at the Sunday, Sept. 27 performance, the audience released waves and waves of screaming laughter during the play’s funniest and most maddening scene.
Tobin Hissong gives a warm, wonderfully natural performance as Don, who tries to keep order with a steady hand but repeatedly finds matters unraveling in front of him. Matt Hollerbach (great as the rather despicable Tom in Detroit Repertory Theatre’s “Spit in Your Face” last season) gets to show great range as Eli.
DPT Producing Artistic Director Sarah Winkler delivers a powerful performance as Suzanne, the immovable object to Carina’s (Halima Nurullah) irresistible force, culminating in a three-hanky monologue that flips the show on its head. Nurullah glows in her DPT debut, bringing lived-in, over-it gravity and very dry wit to Carina.
Mona Moriya, in another DPT debut, does beautifully modulated work as Meiko, a key character in the proceedings, and Jala Jackson delivers a pleasant performance as Winter.
Director Courtney Burkett hits it out of the park with organic-feeling movement and gentle – then rapid – escalation. The cast is particularly to be commended for being gracious enough to let some on-screen graphics steal an entire scene from them while the audience howls with laughter so loudly that the dialogue becomes inaudible while they continue to perform. Special praised is deserved for Monika Essen’s beautiful, cozy set.
This is a show that gives you your money’s worth and has something to say – multiple things to say, actually. One of the most relevant shows imaginable for the times we currently live in, “Eureka Day” sticks with you long after the curtain falls. See it.
“Eureka Day” runs through Oct. 25 at Detroit Public Theatre, 3960 3rd Ave., Detroit. Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased at detroitpublictheatre.org.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Review: ‘Eureka Day’ is funny, furious and unforgettable
