Review: Laughter is the Best Medicine: EUREKA DAY at Capital Stage

Tackling controversial subjects is nothing new to theatre, and Capital Stage does it with grace in this timely and thought-provoking piece by Jonathan Spector. The Tony Award-winning Eureka Day was commissioned for Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley in 2018, and it has not stopped delighting audiences since.

Enter the cozy space of Eureka Day School (invitingly designed by Eric Broadwater), a welcoming community of woke individuals who share the mantra of live and let live…or so they think. The school board members face a challenge when some students contract the mumps and tensions arise over competing beliefs. The de facto leader of the group, Don, is a consummate people-pleaser. Kurt Johnson is perfect in the role, and his timidity hides a surprisingly decisive character when money is on the table. Shannon Mahoney plays his counterpart, Suzanne, in a passionate, heartrending, and relatable portrait of a mother who would do anything to protect her children. It’s a thrill to find Johnson and Mahoney on stage together, as they’re two of my favorite local actors I don’t see nearly enough of. They’re joined by three fantastic board members: Atim Udoffia as Carina, the newcomer who shakes up the status quo; Chris Sharpe as Eli, the slightly slimy and smarmy wildcard who yields surprising power; and Mayette McDonald as Meiko, an endearing character whose lack of resoluteness is a little disappointing. Regardless of which side of the fence you’re on, Mahoney’s character possesses admirable chutzpah, and director Amy Resnick’s guidance delivers Spector’s message that real life can’t be pigeonholed into neat compartments. Life is messy and comes in multiple shades of gray.

The biggest laughs in the show come from the projections highlighting the parents of Eureka Day students. Thanks to Ethan Hollinger’s brilliant design, I felt like I was right in the middle of a live Facebook argument. Spector has taken a hot-button issue and infused it with humor, absurdity, and some empathy. Capital Stage has taken it a step further and made Eureka Day unforgettable.

Eureka Day plays at Capital Stage through November 16th. More information and tickets may be found online at Capstage.org, by telephone at (916) 995-5464, or in person at the Box Office at 2215 J Street in Sacramento.

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