The Hangar Theatre's next production, Jonathan Spector's acclaimed satire Eureka Day, takes audiences into the boardroom of a progressive private elementary school, where a mumps outbreak exposes deep disagreements over vaccine policy and community responsibility. Producing Artistic Director Shirley Serotsky says the play's greatest strength is that it finds conflict among people who otherwise share many of the same values.
"What makes this play unique is that everybody would probably say, on some level, they agree politically," Serotsky said. "It's set in Berkeley, California, a very left-leaning community, and yet they still can't agree on things. They still get pretty vocal and pretty clear in their disagreement."
The story centers on the members of a progressive school board who must decide how to respond after a case of mumps is discovered at their school. Although the play deals with vaccine policy, Serotsky notes that it is set in 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the public conversation surrounding vaccines and public health.
Playwright Jonathan Spector first developed Eureka Day before the pandemic, a fact Serotsky finds remarkable.
"He had no idea he was writing one of the most timely plays in the American theater," she said. "I've watched the play evolve since then, and while he's made revisions to reflect what we know now, he was very specific about keeping the setting in 2018."
Serotsky has a personal connection to the play, having served as dramaturg for an early Washington, D.C., production in late 2019, just months before the pandemic began. That experience gave her an unusual perspective on how dramatically public attitudes shifted in the years that followed.
Despite its serious themes, Serotsky emphasizes that Eureka Day is first and foremost a comedy.
"It is a very, very funny play," she said. "There's a satire and a wit about it. Jonathan Spector is able to look around at his own community and poke fun at it."
She also believes the play succeeds because it refuses to caricature its characters.
"He humanizes every character in this play," Serotsky said. "We empathize with them, even if we disagree with them. That feels very timely right now. We're such a politically divided country, and sometimes it can seem impossible to have conversations with people who disagree. This play reminds us that if we can't recognize the humanity of the person on the other side, we'll never be able to have a reasonable conversation or make decisions for the greater good."
The production features a blend of regional performers and guest artists. Michelle Courtney Berry, well known to Ithaca audiences, stars as Corina, while longtime Hangar favorite Greg Bostwick plays Don. Joining them are New York City actors Craig Wesley Divino and Kate MacCluggage, along with Syracuse University professor Erica Murphy and Lara Castro.
"We really try to mix actors who make their homes here in the region with folks joining us from New York City or other parts of the country," Serotsky said. "That's a great opportunity for everybody to work together and present the most exceptional production we can."
Eureka Day runs July 25 through August 2 at the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca. Most performances begin at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on Sunday, July 26; Saturday, August 1; and Sunday, August 2 at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, August 1 also includes a 7:30 p.m. evening performance. For tickets and more information, visit https://hangartheatre.org.