Interview: Teddy Bergman of EUREKA DAY at Pasadena Playhouse
The director of this 'spiky, delicious' comedy talks about topical subject matter and working for the first time at Pasadena Playhouse
The plot of Eureka Day by Jonathan Spector which opens tonight at Pasadena Playhouse seems completely ripped from the headlines of 2020. The comedy follows a group of parents and administrators at a prestigious school debating vaccination requirements after an outbreak of the mumps. Audiences may be surprised to know, then, that although there have been a few rewrites, this play premiered in 2018— back when Corona was still just a beer and the idea of a pandemic was unthinkable to most. “Because of how long it takes to write and develop a play,” reasons director Teddy Bergman, “you need a writer who is a bit ahead of the curve. This debate was kind of arising early in more crunchy, progressive circles and it was something (Spector) was able to sniff out early.”
Bergman feels that Spector’s keen eye for interpreting human behavior fuses Eureka Day with something “spiky and delicious”. He continues, “The whole gestalt of the play— this vaccine debate— has come more into common consciousness since the pandemic, but the world (Spector) paints on stage feels so much like the world we live in. I promise this show feels as funny, as contemporary, as plugged into the world you live in as anything you watch on HBO Max at home.” Apart from its topical subject matter, Bergman predicts continued interest in this piece. "I don’t know that this debate is going anywhere anytime soon. We’re seeing a full scale assault on medical information.” Additionally, he feels the play is able to hit on universal, human themes: “When individual beliefs and responsibility come in conflict with each other, how far can someone stretch their potential in favor of the common good?”.
An actor and director usually based in Brooklyn, Bergman has enjoyed the dry summer weather while in Pasadena. He mentions being thrilled with the fruits he has been able to purchase at the farmer’s market, but beyond that, his dream of working at Pasadena Playhouse has been fulfilled in a deeply satisfying way. “I’ve always wanted to work at Pasadena. Everybody who works here comes away from it raving about it! As tremendous an organization as it is, it feels like such a vibrant home, and I really respect what they are putting out there. It’s a nurturing home. It’s like a little campus— rehearsing upstairs and popping downstairs to see the set in progress.”
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