A Bright Room Called Day at Dramashop

Friday, Apr. 26

Dramashop continues their staged reading series with the production of A Bright Room Called Day by Tony Kushner. Kushner is also known for his epic two-part play Angels in America, which won both a Pulitzer Prize for drama and a Tony Award for best play.

A Bright Room Called Day is based on the 1938 work of Bertolt Brecht's, The Private Life of the Master Race. Two different timelines are examined throughout the play, looking at the fall of democracy in 1930s Germany and the rise of Reagan in the 1980s. Agnes Eggling, played by Sharyn Metzger, is at the center of the main story. She and her friends are first-hand witnesses to the rise of Adolf Hitler during his command in Germany during 1933-45.

The main story is periodically interrupted by scenes including a woman named Zillah who is played by Jessica Flock. Zillah's character is living on Long Island during the presidency of Ronald Reagan from 1981-89. She is angered by the rise of the Republican Party in America, which relates back to the plot in the 30s — with characters in each situation wishing to make a stand.

Kathleen Cahill is the director of this production and will be introducing four first-time performers out of the 11 in the complete cast. The play urges audience members to look inwardly and analyze who they are, what they stand for, as well as what they simply cannot tolerate in their daily lives. — Symoné Crockett

Fridays and Saturdays Apr. 26 - May 4, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. // 1001 State St., Suite 210 // Free admission, open to the public // dramashop.org