Eureka Day
Eureka Day
About The Show
May 13 - June 4, 2022 I Previews May 11-12, 2022
By Jonathan Spector
Directed by Bianca LaVerne Jones
In the Cook Theatre
An illness is spreading through the progressive and painstakingly accepting Eureka Day School–and it’s more than the mumps. When the outbreak threatens to become an epidemic, it’s a race to see what will destroy this community first: the disease or each other. Despite the safe-space mentality, gluten-free scones from the local bakery, and open marriages that have moved beyond monogamy, secrets and lies still run rampant and childhood vaccinations ignite fury. An explosive comedy that skewers sanctimony and the nature of our politics, Eureka Day asks, "when does us become them?"
Contains mature themes and language. Recommended for age 16+.
Join the classroom!
Special side-stage seating is available for all performances.
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In the News
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- Asolo Rep’s ‘Eureka Day’ pokes fun at divisive school politics and facts (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
- New College alumnus takes center stage with launch of play at Sarasota's Asolo Rep (WUSF)
- New College grad anticipated pandemic battles in comical drama at Asolo Rep (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
- A funny thing happened on the way to the safe space (The Observer)
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Cast
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CHRIS AMOS*, he/him
FIRST SEASON (Eli) is delighted to make his Asolo Rep debut. Based in Chicago, credits include Remy Bumppo, Northlight, BoHo, American Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare, Redtwist, and Broadway in Chicago. Regional credits include Twelve Angry Men at Indiana Repertory Theatre; Peter and the Starcatcher, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest at Illinois Shakespeare Festival; and The Comedy of Errors, Scapin, and Peter and the Starcatcher at Utah Shakespeare Festival. Television appearances include Chicago PD, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Empire, and The Chi. Chris trained in the graduate program at Roosevelt University in Chicago. All the everything to Pamela. chrisamos.net
ANNE BOWLES*, she/her
FIRST SEASON (Suzanne) Broadway: Collected Stories, reasons to be pretty, Inherit the Wind. Off-Broadway: Make Believe (Second Stage). Regional: Shear Madness (Kennedy Center), Love Factually and Twist Your Dickens (Second City/Kennedy Center), Steel Magnolias, The Heiress (Pioneer Theatre), Picnic (Centerstage), Of Mice and Men (Cincinnati Playhouse/St. Louis Rep), The Wolves, Fat Pig, This is How It Goes (Studio Theatre), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Shakespeare Theatre of NJ), The Matchmaker (Ford’s Theatre), Elizabeth the Queen (Folger Theatre), columbinus (Roundhouse Theatre), Hero’s Welcome, The Phlebotomist (1st Stage), The Last Schwartz (Theatre J). Television: The Good Wife, House of Cards, Turn.
JASMINE BRACEY*, she/her
FIRST SEASON (Carina) is thrilled to be making her Asolo Rep debut. Currently based in New York City, when she's not teaching at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, she's telling stories all around the country. Some theatres of note on her resume are: The Utah Shakespeare Festival, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Alley Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Resident Ensemble Players, and The Acting Company. She also has a few independent films, voice over projects, and television credits to her name. She is a proud graduate of FSU and the University of Delaware.
TREZURE COLES, she/her
FIRST YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (Winter, u/s Carina) is a first-year FSU/Asolo Conservatory student from Newport News, Virginia. Since attending the Conservatory, she’s had the privilege of working on the show Our Town as the understudy of Constable Warren and Joe Stoddard while also working hands-on behind the scenes as ASM for the shows Belleville and Twelfth Night. She is looking forward to future works that she will be a part of at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory.
JESSICA ECKENROD, she/her
FIRST SEASON (u/s Winter) is excited for her Asolo Rep debut! A transplant from Greenville, SC, she is thrilled to be working alongside the administrative team at Asolo Rep by day. She moonlights as a singer/songwriter/actor with original works, such as Letters from the Public and Herstory. Her most recent onstage credits include Cry It Out (Lena) and Mister and Mischief’s Objectivity (Mary Del Campo) at The Warehouse Theatre.
ZOË KIM, she/her
FIRST SEASON (u/s Meiko, Winter) is thrilled to be working with Asolo Repertory Theatre for the first time. Her recent credits include Motherf**ker with the Hat, The Winter’s Tale (Shakespeare’s Globe in London), 4000 Miles, The King’s Language (world premiere at Hollywood Fringe), and No Returns (AFI Film). thezoekim.com
SHARON PEARLMAN, she/her
FIRST YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (u/s Suzanne) is a first-year FSU/Asolo Conservatory student and is so excited to be understudying at Asolo Rep this year! Previous credits include Rudolph in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: the Musical (National Tour), Amber in Hairspray, and Crissy in Hair. Sharon also was part of the opening cast of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Osaka, Japan. sharonpearlman.com
JORDAN RICH, he/him
FIRST YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (u/s Eli) hails from Atlanta, Georgia. Jordan graduated from The University of Michigan’s BFA Acting program. Professionally, Jordan appeared in the Pete the Cat national tour and No Villain by Arthur Miller at the Public Theatre starring Judith Light. Regionally, Jordan appeared in three shows at Santa Rosa Repertory Theatre and has worked in many capacities at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center. For Mom, Dad, Z, Bub, Nan.
MIKHAIL ROBERTS, he/him
FIRST YEAR STUDENT, FIRST SEASON (u/s Don) understudied Grand Horizons and Our Town at Asolo Rep, and made his FSU/Asolo Conservatory debut in The Learned Ladies. Professional credits include the Equity tours of Stuart Little, By the Great Horn Spoon, and the opening cast of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Osaka, Japan. On film, he has starred in The Monster's Mind, Saki the Killer, and the upcoming feature film And I Feel Fine.
CELIA MEI RUBIN*, she/her
FIRST SEASON (Meiko) is thrilled to be making her Asolo Rep debut. She has worked on Broadway in Matilda; Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812; A Christmas Carol. Her work on national tours includes Chicago, West Side Story, Guys and Dolls. She is a dual citizen of the US and UK and worked on London’s West End in Parade, Candide, Joseph...Dreamcoat. Her favorite regional work was playing Val in A Chorus Line at TUTS Houston. She can be heard on multiple original Broadway cast recordings and seen on multiple morning TV shows, Thanksgiving parade performances, and the Tony Awards. IG: @celia_mei
PAUL SLADE SMITH*, he/him
FIRST SEASON (Don) is making his Asolo Rep debut. His credits include the original Broadway casts of Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Lincoln Center’s revival of My Fair Lady, as well as national tours of Wicked (Doctor Dillamond) and The Phantom of the Opera. Paul was nominated for a 2019 Helpmann Award for his performance as Willy Wonka in the Australian premiere of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His regional credits include The Goodman, Steppenwolf, American Repertory Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Paul is also a playwright; his plays The Outsider and Unnecessary Farce have received over 400 productions worldwide.
*Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
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Creative Team
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PAUL DEZIEL, he/him
SECOND SEASON (Projection Designer) is a New York & Chicago based projection designer. Selected Credits: The Great Leap (Asolo Rep), I Hate It Here (Goodman Theatre), Photograph 51 (Court Theatre), The Color Purple (Drury Lane Theatre), P.Y.G. or the Mis-Edumacation of Dorian Belle (Jackalope Theatre), Tilikum (Sideshow Theatre), The Vagrant Trilogy (Mosaic Theatre Company), United Flight 232 (The House Theatre), Beauty’s Daughter (American Blues Theater), and Churchill (SoloChicago). Paul is the recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards, holds an MFA in Projection and Multimedia Design from the University of Maryland, and is an artistic affiliate with American Blues Theater. pauldeziel.com
MICHELLE HART, she/her
TWENTIETH SEASON (Resident Hair/Wig & Make-up Designer) designs for Asolo Repertory Theatre and FSU/Asolo Conservatory. Other credits: Sarasota Ballet, Palm Beach Drama Works, freeFall Theatre, Urbanite Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Banyan Theatre, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Venice Theatre, Dorset Theatre, Barrington Stage, and Open Stage Theatre. She has also done hair and/or make-up for Joan Rivers, Doris Roberts, Martin Short, Jane Russell, Arlene Dahl, Soledad Villamil, Jane Pauley, Richard Dreyfuss, Castille Langdon, Christopher Higgins, Mary Mara, Heather Robb, Lauren Sweetser, Justin Long, Paul Downs, Douglas Sills, and Nia Hills. Music videos: “Second Chance” by Shinedown, “Reverse Cowgirl” by T-Pain. Film and television: Lady of the Manor; Paradise, FL; and The Real Stephen Blatt.
LAUREN ERICA JACKSON, she/her
FIRST SEASON (Directing Fellow) Multi-hyphenate artist Lauren Erica Jackson is above all, a storyteller. Currently based out of Baltimore, MD, she began laying roots in the city’s vibrant theatre scene while still a student at Towson University, where she earned a BFA in Acting and a BS in English. She is an ensemble member at Single Carrot Theatre, where she has been an actor, playwright, and director.
BIANCA LAVERNE JONES
SECOND SEASON (Director) was previously seen at Asolo Repertory Theatre as Jory in Disgraced by Ayad Aktar in 2016. Broadway (Associate Director): Chicken & Biscuits. Associate/Assistant Director: Thoughts of a Colored Man (Syracuse Stages, Baltimore Center Stage), A Small Oak Tree Runs Red (Billie Holiday Theater/Brooklyn), BLKS (MCC/NYC), The First Noel (Classical Theater of Harlem, Apollo Theater/NYC). Regional: Glorious World of Crowns, Kinks and Curls (Baltimore Center Stage); The Gift of Mad Guys (Pittsburgh Public Theater/Pittsburgh); Othello (Opera); 5 Aspects for Bass and Chamber Orchestra (Newark Veterans Park/Newark, NJ). Film: The Gaze (a film quilt) Episodes 108 & 109 (Tell Me a Story Productions/Los Angeles), Mother’s Milk (Powell of Love Productions/NYC), Undercover Sidechick (Afro Goddess Productions/NYC), Storkers (Script Supervisor/London). Training: NCSA, SUNY Purchase, Yale, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (MA-Directing). Awards: DC Black Theater Festival for Best One Act Play 2013, Broadway World 2019 Best Actress, AUDELCO for Best Ensemble 2018. biancalavernejones.com
JAMES E. LAWLOR III, he/him
FIRST SEASON (Lighting Designer) is thrilled to make his Asolo debut! Jimmy is a Scorpio, new father, cat owner, and a music enthusiast, who enjoys scotch and bourbon. He only runs when chased. Jimmy designs lighting for opera, theatre, dance, corporate clients, architecture, interiors, and more. New York work includes Broadway, off-Broadway, and beyond. Regional work includes opera, theatre, and dance. Jimmy’s work has been seen internationally in Abu Dhabi, Sydney, London, Mexico, Canada, Austria, and Germany. MFA from NYU Tisch. Member USA 829. lawlordesign.com
KRISTIN LOUGHRY*, she/her
THIRD SEASON (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be returning to sunny Sarasota! Previous Asolo Rep credits include Grand Horizons, The Cake, and the unopened 2020 production of The Great Leap. Additional credits include shows with Baltimore Center Stage, Hangar Theatre Company, Infinity Theatre Company, Lyric Stage Company of Boston, NewArts, Primary Stages, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Soho Playhouse, Virginia Stage Company, and 11 seasons with NYU Grad Acting. Proud AEA member and Ithaca College alum.
MATTHEW PARKER, he/him
TWENTY-NINTH SEASON (Sound Designer) received his BFA in Theatre Production Design and Technology from Ohio University. He was the resident sound designer at Monomoy Theatre in 1990. He has worked sound and special effects at Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina on such shows as I Hate Hamlet, the world premiere of Gilligan’s Island: The Musical and others in the 1992 season. Since 1993, Matt has designed sound for most of Asolo Rep’s productions. In addition, he wrote and performed the musical scores for The Count of Monte Cristo and Nicholas Nickleby. Outside the theatre world he has designed and programed the show control system for Livingston's Amusements Bazooka Ball arena and produced Livestream expositions for the National Watercolor Society.
RIW RAKKULCHON, he/they
FIRST SEASON (Scenic Designer) is a set & costume designer, animator, and chef from Bangkok, Thailand. Selected Credits: Associate Set Designer (Pass Over on Broadway). He/They has worked at Yale Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Drury Lane Theatre, The Acting Company, 59E59, Edinburgh Fringe, Primary Stages, The Public Theatre, and others. He/They also works with designers Wilson Chin, Riccardo Hernandez, Jason Ardizzone-West, Donyale Werle, Santo Loquasto, Rachel Hauck, Clint Ramos, and Walt Spangler. Board member of WithAll, a non-profit organization on a fight to end eating disorders. BFA Ithaca College, MFA Yale School of Drama. Member of United Scenic Artists 829. IG: @riwrdesign
CELINE ROSENTHAL, she/they
SIXTH SEASON (Associate Artistic Director) is a Tony-nominated producer and "Key" member of The Ring Of Keys. Celine has developed new work with Musical Theatre Factory, NYMF, Kidoons, Tamasha, and National Queer Theatre, as well as creating Asolo Rep’s premiere new work series, Asolo Rep: Ground Floor. At Asolo Rep, Celine directed Grand Horizons, Camelot, We Need A Little Christmas, The Lifespan of a Fact, Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Tempest. Other Recent Projects: Trayf (New Rep); Drowning in Cairo (N.Q.T); A Doll’s House (Studio Theatre); Motherf***er with the Hat (FSU/Asolo Conservatory); the award-winning indie short film Wildflower. Celine is a New Georges affiliated artist, member of the 2018/19 MTC Directing Fellowship class, and was awarded an SDC Observership and Asolo Rep Directing Fellowship. Alumnus of CTI, BMI Lehman Engel Workshop, NYU Tisch (BFA), and The New School for Drama (MFA). celinerosenthal.nyc
NIA SCIARRETTA*, she/her
TENTH SEASON (Production Stage Manager) Favorite Asolo Rep credits include stage manager for last year’s Terrace Stage season as well as for The Sound of Music, Into the Breeches, The Music Man, Sweeney Todd, Sweat, Shakespeare in Love, Roe, and assistant stage manager for Rhinoceros, Guys and Dolls, All the Way, South Pacific, and Hero: The Musical. Previous off-Broadway credits include work on Jesus Hopped the A Train, In the Blood, and The Wayside Motor Inn at the Signature Theatre. Nia has also worked with Creede Repertory Theatre, the Hangar Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, the Flea Theatre, and Penguin Rep.
DEVARIO D. SIMMONS, he/him
FIRST SEASON (Costume Designer) Broadway: Thoughts of a Colored Man; off-Broadway: Tumacho, Between the Bars, Emergency, and P.S. Additionally, Devario has had the pleasure of working regionally at The Long Wharf Theatre, Jean’s Playhouse, Syracuse Stage, and Baltimore Center Stage. Other credits include Rustin (Netflix), three seasons of AMC’s television show Turn, the 2nd National Touring production of In the Heights, and two seasons of the PBS television series Mercy Street. Member of United Scenic Artists 829. devariosimmons.com IG: @devariosimmons
JONATHAN SPECTOR, he/him
(Playwright) is a playwright based in Oakland, California. His plays include Eureka Day (NY Times Critic’s Pick, Glickman Award, Theater Bay Area Award, Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award, Rella Lossy Award), This Much I Know (Edgerton New Play Award), Best Available (Elizabeth George Commission), In From The Cold (Global Age Prize), Siesta Key, and Good. Better. Best. Bested. His work has been produced at theatres including Colt Coeur, Aurora Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Mosaic Theater, InterAct Theatre, The State Theatre of South Australia, Custom Made Theatre, and Just Theater. He has developed work with Manhattan Theater Club, Roundabout Underground, South Coast Rep, Portland Stage, Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, New Harmony Project, PlayPenn, SF Playhouse, and Crowded Fire, among others. Jonathan is a Core Writer at the Playwrights’ Center, a MacDowell Fellow, and a former Resident Playwright at Playwrights Foundation. He is currently under commission from La Jolla Playhouse, Roundabout Theatre Company, and Manhattan Theatre Club. He is an alumnus of New College of Florida and delighted to be back in Sarasota.
CSA TARA RUBIN/CLAIRE BURKE, CSA
(Casting) Asolo Rep: Evita, Guys and Dolls, Beatsville, Living on Love (New York Casting), Luck Be A Lady, HERO: The Musical. Selected Broadway: King Kong, Ain't Too Proud, The Band’s Visit, Miss Saigon, A Bronx Tale, Dear Evan Hansen, Cats, Prince of Broadway, Bandstand, Falsettos, Sunset Boulevard, Disaster!, School of Rock, It Shoulda Been You, Bullets Over Broadway, Aladdin, Les Misérables, Mothers and Sons, Big Fish, The Heiress, How to Succeed.., A Little Night Music, Billy Elliot, Shrek, Guys and Dolls, Young Frankenstein, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, Spamalot, …Spelling Bee, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, The Phantom of the Opera. Off-Broadway: Here Lies Love; Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Regional: Yale Repertory Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, La Jolla Playhouse, Bucks County Playhouse, Westport Country Playhouse, The Old Globe.
SIMON CASTING
(Chicago Casting) Regional credits include working with the Clarence Brown Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Guthrie Theatre, Indiana Rep, Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Lyric Opera in Chicago, New Theatre, Kansas City Rep, Madison Rep, Milwaukee Rep, Paramount Theatre, Syracuse Stage, and Writers’ Theatre. Chicago theater credits: Broadway in Chicago’s Working; critically acclaimed The Doyle & Debbie Show; the Tony Award-winning Million Dollar Quartet; Show Boat, Carousel, and The King and I for the Lyric Opera; Old Jews Telling Jokes. TV: Empire, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Sense 8, Crisis, Betrayal, Detroit 1-8-7, Boss, Mob Doctor, Chicago Code. Recent film credits: Divergent, Contagion, Jupiter Ascending, Unexpected. Won the Artios Award for casting season one of Fox’s Prison Break.
*Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
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Events | Offerings
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The Scoop
This popular program is going digital! Ticket holders will be sent a video link via email prior to their performance to get the inside scoop on the ideas that inspired the production.Tuesday Talkbacks
May 17, 24, and 31 | Enhance your experience with this post-show discussion following select Tuesday performances.*All activities are subject to change or modification based on CDC recommendations.
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