(Cover Photo: The CAST of Jonathan Spector's "EUREKA DAY" presented by Huntington Theatre Company at 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. through June 28, 2026. Photo Credit: Liza Voll)

By Kevin T. Baldwin

METRMAG Reviewer

# 774-242-6724

"A little known fact - the secret to consensus? Artisanal scones!”

                                                 - ("Meiko") / Jonathan Spector

Huntington Theatre Company

Presents Jonathan Spector's

"EUREKA DAY"

Written by Jonathan Spector 

Directed by Margot Bordelon

Cast Includes: Nancy Lemenager* as “Suzanne,” Ken Cheeseman* as “Don,” Japhet Balaban* as “Eli,” Sasha Diamond* as “Meiko,” Eunice Woods* as “Carina,” Ebonie Marie as “Winter.”  

Understudies: Ebonie Marie as “U/S Carina,” Dale Place* as “U/S Don,” Jeff Church* as “U/S Eli,” Christine Hamel* as “U/S Suzanne,” Jihan Haddad* as “U/S Meiko.” 

Additional Creative Team: 

Scenic Design - Luciana Stecconi; Costume Design - Zoë Sundra; Wig and Makeup Design - Rachel Padula-Shufelt; Lighting Design - Cha See; Sound Design - Daniela Hart, Noel Nichols, Bailey Trierweiler & UptownWorks; Projection Design - John Horzen & UptownWorks; Production Stage Manager - Ashley Pitchford; Stage Manager - Lauren J. Burke; Co-Dramaturgs: Charles Haugland, Sid Jepsen; Voice and Text Coach - Ashleigh Reade; Casting Director - Alldaffer & Donadio Casting; Local Casting - Brett Duffy; Emerging Artist Observer - Emma Cahoon.

* Member of Actor's Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Performances: 

May 29, 2026 through June 28, 2026 

(Contact Box Office for Exact Times) 

The Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. 02115

TICKETS:

Available online at huntingtontheatre.org, by phone at 617-266-0800 or in person at THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston. 

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COVID 19 PROTOCOLS

Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.

(Warning: The following review contains spoilers)

Huntington Theatre Company presents "EUREKA DAY" – a new comedy from Jonathan Spector where the laughter is simply infectious. 

Splendidly staged by director Margot Bordelon, the Huntington production is outstanding, combining a play riddled with an almost painfully conscious attempt at self-lampooning dialogue and a dynamic cast.

"EUREKA DAY" features one pivotal scene augmented by cleverly timed and amusing projected imagery as a “Livestream” conference call between the Executive Committee and the impacted families of the school quickly escalates with fiery exchanges between folks.

The above scene will seem all-too familiar to anyone well-acquainted with social media platforms but it is the impeccable timing between the actors' dialogue and the projected imagery that really makes the entire scene work. 

The set is nearly monumental in design - almost too good as the play seems a bit "small" in scope for the vast size of the venue in which it is being presented.

However, the laughs and emotions that ensue as the story unfolds soon expands the material to a more universal scale.

(Photo: Sasha Diamond as “Meiko” with Japhet Balaban as “Eli” in a scene from Jonathan Spector's "EUREKA DAY" presented by Huntington Theatre Company at 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. through June 28, 2026. Photo Credit: Liza Voll)

The extended one-act "EUREKA DAY" premiered in California in 2018 before making its Off-Off-Broadway debut in 2019. 

In 2025, the play won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, along with the Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play. 

Taking place in 2018 in a classroom at the "EUREKA DAY" School in Berkeley, California, the one hour, 40-minute Huntington play (reminder, no intermission) spans several meetings between parents and administrators at the school. 

Starting off as a mundane look at several equally mundane members of a parent/administrator “Executive Committee” meeting at the school, the exchanges soon become virulent as the committee must contend with a sudden outbreak of mumps. 

These characters celebrate openly their forward-thinking, sensitive and enlightened views but, due to the worsening epidemic, soon these folks discover themselves to be not as "enlightened" as they perceived.

(Photo: Nancy Lemenager as “Suzanne,” Sasha Diamond as “Meiko,” Ken Cheeseman as “Don” and Eunice Woods as “Carina” in a scene from Jonathan Spector's "EUREKA DAY" presented by Huntington Theatre Company at 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. through June 28, 2026. Photo Credit: Liza Voll)

Don (Ken Cheeseman), the head of the "EUREKA DAY" School and the committee, zealously tries to navigate the situation. 

However, in a nice, delicately balanced performance by Cheeseman, while trying to keep everything on an “even keel” Don soon navigates right into harsh waters as the outbreak soon quarantines the school and debates rage over concerns over when to reopen. 

The district requires students be vaccinated before they are allowed to return to the school, which inflames some conspiracy theorists and “anti-vax” parents, including some on the committee. 

While "EUREKA DAY" satirizes progressive (aka “woke”) culture, Spector’s text civilly manages the vaccination debate from the conflicting perspectives of parents, school administrative procedures, and directives by various public health organizations. 

(Photo: Eunice Woods as “Carina” talks with Nancy Lemenager as “Suzanne”  and Ken Cheeseman as “Don” in a scene from Jonathan Spector's "EUREKA DAY" presented by Huntington Theatre Company at 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. through June 28, 2026. Photo Credit: Liza Voll)

The story of "EUREKA DAY" quickly becomes personal for one Executive Committee member, Eli (Japhet Balaban), when his child contracts the disease through contact from the child of his girlfriend and fellow committee member, Meiko (Sasha Diamond). 

While Balaban and Diamond have solid chemistry at the outset, their relationship isn't explored any further as it soon hits a snag once the couple (“throuple?”) reaches an impasse due to the outbreak. 

Diamond in particular has some wonderfully timed outbursts because her frustration builds as the outbreak results in both temperatures and tempers flaring.

Everyone on the "EUREKA DAY" School committee attempts to find common ground when facts become “subjective,” especially between mothers, veteran member Suzanne (Nancy Lemanager) who sees vaccinations as a threat and newcomer Carina (Eunice Woods) who sees them as necessary. 

As exemplary of Spector's finely-honed dialogue, the exchanges between Lemanager and Woods are among the most riveting moments in the show.

Their discord is representative of the overwhelming personal conflict between parents. 

Both are good persons and loving, compassionate, concerned mothers - but soon this strife becomes more personal than either imagined. 

(Photo: The CAST of Jonathan Spector's "EUREKA DAY" presented by Huntington Theatre Company at 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. through June 28, 2026. Photo Credit: Liza Voll)

The struggles of those at "EUREKA DAY" reaches its apex as everyone attempts to reach a common understanding - one which will protect all the children, teachers, staff and families impacted by the outbreak.

"EUREKA DAY" continues at Huntington Theatre Company until June 28th, 2026 at the 264 Huntington Avenue location in Boston, MA. and the consensus is that, with or without "artisanal scones" being served, this is perhaps the only school committee meeting you don't want to miss. 

Kicking off the 2026-2027 season at Huntington Theatre Company will be Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' “PURPOSE” beginning September 10th and running through October 11th, 2026.

For tickets and more information, contact Huntington Theatre Company online at huntingtontheatre.org, by phone at # 617-266-0800 or in person at Huntington Theatre Company, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston.   

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Approximately one hour, 40 minutes with no intermission.

Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)

@MetrmagReviews

@Theatre_Critics

ABOUT THE SHOW

Hot from celebrated productions on Broadway and in London, "EUREKA DAY" is a new, wildly funny, on-the-pulse satire which asks if parents at a progressive, welcoming private school can uphold their harmonious shared values when "EUREKA DAY" faces an outbreak of the mumps. 

Jonathan Spector’s sharp comedy explores in surprising turns what happens when facts become subjective, when inclusivity turns performative, and a “community activated conversation” turns into an all-out brawl - with uproarious, fresh, thought-provoking results. 

Margot Bordelon returns to direct following her hit production of "John Proctor is the Villain."

ABOUT THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY

THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE COMPANY is Boston’s leading professional theatre and one of the region’s premier cultural assets since its founding in 1982. Recipient of the 2013 Regional Theatre Tony Award, THE HUNTINGTON brings together superb local and national talent and produces a mix of groundbreaking new works and classics made current to create award-winning productions. THE HUNTINGTON runs nationally renowned programs in education and new play development and serves the local theatre community through its operation of the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. THE HUNTINGTON has long been an anchor cultural institution of Huntington Avenue, the Avenue of the Arts, and will remain so on a permanent basis with plans to convert the Huntington Avenue Theatre into a first-rate, modern venue with expanded services to audiences, artists, and the community. THE HUNTINGTON cultivates, celebrates, and champions theatre as an art form.

huntingtontheatre.org