One cannot begin a review of Dezart’s Performs’ 2026 season-opening full production without mentioning their beautiful new home.
The Dezart Playhouse is located on Riverside Drive in Palm Springs, in a beautifully renovated building that was once a church. Procuring a permanent home is something artistic director Michael Shaw and his staff have been striving for since the company began 18 years ago. It’s the result of hard work, sweat and, of course, a lot of fundraising.
The result is stunning. With a large stage, eventual seating for nearly 150, an expansive front patio for pre-show refreshments, and a baby grand piano in the lobby to provide lovely background music, Dezart Playhouse offers a complete, sophisticated theater experience. And their opening full production, Jonathan Spector’s Eureka Day, does not disappoint.
The play debuted in 2018, and after its themes resonated during the COVID-19 pandemic, it won the 2025 Tony Award for Best Revival. The plot revolves around the board of Eureka Day School in Berkeley, Calif. As the play opens, board members are discussing whether or not to amend the school’s admission form. The word “consensus” is bandied about often, and it’s clear that keeping the peace is a top priority for this group.
But avoiding conflict becomes impossible when a child at the school contracts mumps, and it seems that requiring vaccinations for all students may be necessary. Many parents at the school—and some board members—adamantly oppose the move.
Tensions rise, and things get out of hand pretty quickly. It all culminates in a hilarious scene involving a remote Zoom-call town hall with parents. The board members attempt to stay on topic: Should the school remain shut down for everyone until the mumps outbreak passes? Meanwhile, online input from the parents devolves into a heated, insult-laden brawl.
I won’t divulge more of the plot here. We do learn tidbits about each board member’s personal life along the way—including bad marriages, child-development issues and a possible affair.
Shaw, who directs the show, deserves enormous credit for assembling a superb cast of highly skilled actors and bringing out the best in them. He keeps things moving and perfectly balances the play’s comedic and dramatic moments. In a production in which the characters spend most of their time seated in chairs, the fact that things never feel static is quite impressive.
Richard Perloff is terrific as Don, the board chair, who tries his best to keep things on track, even when squabbling mars the meetings with his cohorts. Kind and long-suffering, Don just wants everyone to get along. Perloff has some very funny moments and nails the character.
The pivotal role of Suzanne requires a seasoned actress who can handle nuance, and Michelle Miller-Day does just that. A privileged white woman used to getting what she wants, Suzanne is firmly in the anti-vax camp. She comes across as a bit snobby and difficult, yet later on reveals an unexpected tender side.
Tamarra Graham gives an excellent performance as Carina, the only African American in the group. Being new to the school board, she’s occasionally tentative, yet she really wants to have her voice heard. One of the signs of a really good actor is staying engaged onstage by listening and reacting when another character is speaking. Graham’s facial reactions throughout the show are priceless. When Suzanne throws veiled personal insults Carina’s way, the tension between the two women is palpable.
Skylar Gaines is perfectly cast as the jovial Eli, who is dealing with some personal issues underneath his nice-guy persona. We feel for him as he’s juggling a sick son, a fragile marriage and romantic feelings for a fellow board member.
The role of Meiko, the object of Eli’s affections, is complex, and Joslynn Cortes rises to the occasion. Meiko spends a lot of time sitting in board meetings quietly knitting, and listening intently to the conversations of others. When she does speak, she has a lot to say; Cortes has some fabulous dramatic moments on stage.
Kudra Wagner does a nice job in a very brief cameo at the end of the play. Jason Reale’s colorful elementary school classroom set is perfect, and Christopher Metzger’s costumes work well here.
Shaw once again exhibits his knack for choosing timely material. We made it through COVID-19, but the vaccination debate is raging once again with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the secretary of Health and Human Services.
Dezart’s production of Eureka Day is poignant, occasionally intense, thought-provoking and very funny. Go see it.
Dezart Performs’ production of Eureka Day is performed at 7 p.m., Thursday through Sunday; and 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, through Sunday, Jan. 25, at the Dezart Playhouse, at 605 S. Riverside Drive, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $69 including fees, and the show runs two hours, with one intermission. For more information, call 760-322-0179, or visit www.dezartperforms.com.