Theater J Adds Award Winning Eureka Day to 2025/26 Season

Theater J has announced that "Eureka Day," the 2025 Tony Award winner for Best Revival of a Play, will close out the company's 35th anniversary season from March 11 to April 5, 2026. The production marks a triumphant return to the nation's capital for playwright Jonathan Spector, whose previous Theater J work "This Much I Know" was a sold-out success.

Eureka Day at Theater J

"Eureka Day" centers on the board of directors at an elite progressive private school in Berkeley, California, where consensus decision-making and social justice ideals reign supreme-until a mumps outbreak forces the community to confront uncomfortable truths about vaccines, facts, and the limits of inclusive dialogue. What begins as well-intentioned meetings about school policy quickly devolves into explosive confrontation when the board realizes they must make a decision that won't please everyone.

The play, which made its Broadway debut at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in December 2024, has been praised by critics as "the perfect play for our age of disagreement." The New York Times called it "not only one of the funniest plays to open this year, it is one of the saddest," highlighting Spector's remarkable ability to balance razor-sharp comedy with genuine pathos.

Spector, an Oakland-based playwright, originally developed "Eureka Day" as what he called "the most Berkeley play" he could write, premiering it at Aurora Theatre Company in 2018. The play's prescient exploration of vaccine politics and community discourse has only grown more relevant in the years since, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing public health debates.

The Broadway production featured an ensemble cast including Jessica Hecht (who earned a Tony nomination), Amber Gray, Bill Irwin, Thomas Middleditch, Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz, and Ebony Flowers. The play's success has led to productions worldwide, with theaters recognizing its uncanny ability to capture the zeitgeist of contemporary American discourse.

The selection of "Eureka Day" for Theater J's season finale reflects the company's commitment to presenting works that examine pressing ethical questions of our time. As the nation's largest and most prominent Jewish theater, Theater J has built its reputation on thought-provoking productions that explore both Jewish experiences and universal human conditions.

Artistic Director Hayley Finn will direct this new production, bringing fresh perspective to Spector's incisive script. "This season's plays traverse theatrical styles and modes of storytelling," Finn has noted, "yet each play poses questions relevant to our current moment. What is our responsibility to the truth?"

While audiences can expect plenty of laughter from "Eureka Day"-particularly during a hilariously chaotic scene where the school board attempts a livestreamed town hall that quickly spirals out of control-the play's deeper examination of how communities fracture under pressure gives it lasting impact.

The character of Suzanne, an anti-vaccine parent, exemplifies Spector's nuanced approach to controversial subjects. Rather than creating a strawman antagonist, he presents a character who is "so sympathetic and so smart and engaging that we start thinking well maybe she does have a point," according to critics.

Spector's Tony win represents a remarkable journey for a play that began as a regional theater piece exploring local Berkeley politics. The production's arrival at Theater J continues the company's tradition of bringing significant contemporary works to Washington audiences, particularly those that challenge viewers to examine their own assumptions about community, truth, and civic responsibility.

For a theater company celebrating 35 years of bold, innovative programming, "Eureka Day" represents both a culmination of Theater J's mission and a perfect launching point for future seasons that will undoubtedly continue to challenge, entertain, and illuminate the complexities of contemporary life.