Eureka Day – Gate Theatre – Review

EUREKA DAY by Jonathan Spector
Directed by Roy Alexander Weise

NOW ON until 7 March, 2026

Eureka Day School in Oakland, California, is a progressive institution that believes that each child should be treasured and allowed to express themselves. The children’s parents are of a like mind, with many sending their kids there to learn a particular ethos. We meet the four members of the school committee, Meiko (Kae Alexander), Carina (Ayesha Antoine), Suzanne (Philippa Dunne) and Eli (Rowan Finken), along with the school principal, Don (Stephen Brennan). They meet and discuss issues as they come up, mainly smaller problems easily debated, while eating scones made by a delightful baker in their locality. It’s all very warm and friendly in this upper-class liberal idyll. That is, until an outbreak of mumps changes perspectives in the school and makes people take sides.

This is a play by Jonathan Spector and was first performed at Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley, California, in 2018. It explores the anti-vax movement and how it has moved into the liberal community, who are scared of Big Pharma. The play is a comedy and takes a light-hearted view of the problems at hand. If it were a drama, it might become quite heated, but the humour allows us to explore a lot more ground.

The set (by Loren Elstein) is a flexible, open-plan classroom for a progressive school, with posters on the walls discussing social activism and causes. It’s bright and spacious, with light pouring in. The majority of the action takes place in this one space, so only small set changes are required.

The comedy is mostly at the expense of this ‘woke’ community, as we see different views of the world explored. There is one wonderful scene where an online meeting takes place to discuss the topic. All hell breaks loose in the comments section, with the text projected onto the wall of the set. This allows some of the more extreme views to be aired!

The play is based on a particular topic, but also on the personalities of those involved, with the main arguments taking place between Carina and Suzanne. It’s fertile ground for comedy, as these people who agree on many issues have diametrically opposed views on one particular point. It’s rare enough to see a new comedy on stage in Dublin, and this is a highly entertaining piece.

CREDITS
MEIKO – Kae Alexander
CARINA – Ayesha Antoine
DON – Stephen Brennan
SUZANNE – Philippa Dunne
ELI – Rowan Finken
WINTER – Eva Hein West

Director – Roy Alexander Weise
Set Designer – Loren Elstein
Costume Designer – Joan O’Clery
Lighting Designer – Sinead McKenna
Sound Designer and Composer – Kevin Gleeson
AV Designer and Programmer – Michael Dunne
Voice and Dialect Coach – Cathal Quinn
Casting Director – Helena Palmer
Assistant Director – Emma Finegan
FULL COMPANY LISTING