‘Eureka Day’ plays final extension through 2-16-25

NEW YORK—Manhattan Theatre Club—Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director and Chris Jennings, Executive Director—announce that the Broadway premiere of Eureka Day, a play by Jonathan Spector, directed by Tony Award winner Anna D. Shapiro (Broadway: August: Osage County), has extended for the second time. After opening December 16, 2024 to rave reviews, Eureka Day will now run through February 16, 2025 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street).

“Critic’s Pick! Laughter is making a big comeback on Broadway,” raved The New York Times. “Gaspingly funny,” cheered New York Magazine. “A wild new comedy!” raved The Wrap. “One of the best productions Broadway has offered this season!” exclaimed Deadline.

‘EUREKA DAY’: Thomas Middleditch, Amber Gray, Bill Irwin, Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz & Jessica Hecht. Photo: Jeremy Daniel.

Eureka Day stars Tony Award nominee Amber Gray (Broadway: Hadestown; Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812) as Carina, two-time Tony Award nominee Jessica Hecht (Broadway: Summer, 1976 at MTC; A View from the Bridge) as Suzanne, Tony Award winner Bill Irwin (Broadway: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Largely New York) as Don, Emmy Award nominee Thomas Middleditch (Television: “Silicon Valley”) as Eli, and Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz (Television: “Scandal,” “The Resident”) as Meiko. Eboni Flowers (Broadway: Macbeth, Slave Play) will assume the role of Carina starting Saturday, February 1.

Jonathan Spector’s explosive and timely comedy had its world premiere at Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley, CA., and has been seen Off-Broadway at Colt Coeur and in London at The Old Vic. The New York Times, in their Critic’s Pick review of the Off-Broadway production, praised Eureka Day as “the perfect play for our age of disagreement.”

Vaccine chaos at private California school

Eureka Day is a private California elementary school with a Board of Directors that values inclusion above all else—that is until an outbreak of the mumps forces everyone in the community to reconsider the school’s liberal vaccine policy. As cases rise, the board realizes with horror that they’ve got to do what they swore they never would: make a choice that won’t please absolutely everybody.

The production features: scenic design by Tony Award winner Todd Rosenthal; costume design by Tony Award winner Clint Ramos; lighting design by two-time Tony Award nominee Jen Schriever; original music and sound design by Drama Desk Award nominees Rob Milburn & Michael Bodeen; projection design by Tony Award nominee David Bengali; intimacy & sensitivity coordinator Ann C. James; vocal coach Gigi Buffington; casting by Caparelliotis Casting & Kelly Gillespie; Production Stage Manager is Charles M. Turner III.

Eureka Day is presented by special arrangement with Sonia Friedman Productions, Wagner Johnson Productions, and Seaview Productions.

Major support for Eureka Day is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation as part of The Sloan Initiative: Setting the Stage for Science and Technology. Additional support is provided by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.

MTC’s Beyond the Stage Series

Manhattan Theatre Club’s Beyond the Stage series enriches and expands the impact of MTC’s productions and theatrical storytelling by offering audiences events that connect to our plays’ cultural and historical contexts. These community-building conversations and experiences provide fresh insights and novel perspectives, leading to a deepened understanding and celebration of our shared humanity.

Beyond the Stage Series throughout January

Sunday, January 12

Purchase a ticket and join us after the 2:00 pm performance on Sunday, January 12 for an intimate conversation moderated by ABC Audio’s Start Here podcast host Brad Mielke, featuring guest speakers Alann Seales and Dr. Nicole Naggar.

Tickets are on sale at Telecharge.com. Subscriptions for MTC’s 2024-25 season are available by visiting www.manhattantheatreclub.com/join, or by calling the MTC Clubline at 212-399-3050.

Wednesday, January 15
Purchase a ticket and join us after the performance for a conversation with Eureka Day playwright Jonathan Spector for TCG’s OFFSCRIPT podcast. Offscript is American Theatre’s monthly podcast about all things theatrical.

Thursday, January 16
January 16 is Entertainment Community Fund Night at The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre! Purchase a ticket and join us following the performance join for a talkback featuring Dr. Ram Koppaka and Dr. Jason Kindt from the Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts as they discuss Eureka Day, the growth of public health, how it influences our lives and the communities the Friedman Health Center serves and supports.

Additionally, Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) and Harlem Arts Alliance (HAA) are joining forces to host a Book Drive to benefit Harlem Hospital and its surrounding community. Inspired by Eureka Day, our goal is to collect at least 2,000 new books for children and young adult readers, with a special emphasis on social justice content. Audience and community members are welcome to donate new books at the Samuel J. Friedman box office during operating hours through January 19, 2025.

ABOUT MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Director Chris Jennings, Manhattan Theatre Club produces seasons of new work for the theatre both on and Off-Broadway. In the 2023-24 season, all three of its Broadway shows were nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play, representing three of the five nominees in the category. MTC’s not-for-profit mission, which Meadow created in 1972 and has implemented over five decades of award-winning productions, is to develop and present new work in a dynamic, supportive environment; to identify and collaborate with the most promising new as well as accomplished artists; and to produce a diverse repertoire of innovative, entertaining, and thought-provoking plays and musicals by American and international playwrights.

Since 1989, MTC Learning and Community Engagement, which uses the power of live theatre and playwriting to awaken minds, ignite imaginations, open hearts, and change lives, has also been an important corollary to MTC’s work. MTC’s over 600 world, American, New York and Broadway premieres have earned 7 Pulitzer Prizes, 30 Tony Awards, 51 Drama Desk Awards and 49 Obie Awards amongst many other honors. MTC has homes on Broadway at its Samuel J. Friedman Theatre and Off-Broadway at New York City Center. MTC is an anti-racist organization that respects and honors all voices and upholds the values of community and equity. For more information, please visit www.manhattantheatreclub.com.