2016 Tony-Award Nominated Best Play ECLIPSED Will Have West Coast Premiere Engagement at The Curran Next Spring

Playwright Danai Gurira and director Liesl Tommy joined the cast of Broadway's Eclipsed tonight where she surprised the audience during the curtain call and announced plans for Carole Shorenstein Hays to bring the Tony Award-nominated play to the Curran for a limited engagement next spring. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, the most iconic leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, along with Wally Hays (Deputy Director of the Curran) were there for the announcement and dedicated the evening's performance to two of the abducted and still missing 218 schoolgirls of Chikbok, Northern Nigeria, and abducted girls all around the world, as part of the show's ongoing series of dedications that was launched by U2 lead singer Bono and Ms. Gurira last month.

Danai Gurira said, "It has been a blessing to have this narrative told on Broadway and it truly thrills me that these voices will continue to be heard through this production. I am excited to be part of the re-opening of the iconic Curran and to share this story with Bay Area audiences next spring

Carole Shorenstein Hays has a history of bringing great plays to Broadway and San Francisco, many of which have won the Theatre's highest honor - The Tony Award - including, among others, Fences, Doubt and Proof.

"My goal has always been to create a new kind of artistic hub in San Francisco that engages new and existing audiences by presenting bold and daring work," Shorenstein Hays said. "Eclipsed is emblematic of that mission. Through this historic play we bear witness to a cultural moment that speaks not only to audiences, but also to the world."

It was also announced that the Curran will help bring 10,000 girls to Eclipsed as part of the show's initiative to bring under-served young women (who may have never experienced a professional live theatrical production), to see Eclipsed. Now on Broadway, and soon in the Bay Area, girls from ages 16 to 24 will be given tickets to see this empowering and important play. More information on the 10,000 girl campaign can be found here: http://www.tenthousandgirls.com/

Leader Nancy Pelosi added, "I am proud that San Francisco will be participating in, and be the beneficiary of, this unique 10,000 Girl campaign. I know it will be a transformative opportunity for our youth."

Written by playwright Danai Gurira (star of AMC's "The Walking Dead") and directed by Liesl Tommy (who's critically acclaimed Bay Area productions include Ruined, Party People and Hamlet), Eclipsed had a sold-out run at The Public Theater and then transferred to Broadway where it was nominated this year for six Tony Awards including Best Play. Eclipsed will be the second event at the Curran in 2017, opening first with the groundbreaking Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home in January.

Eclipsed is the story of five extraordinary women brought together by upheaval in their homeland of Liberia. They forge a close-knit community... one that inspires them to feats of increasingly greater strength. Eclipsed marks a historic moment on Broadway: the first time the cast, director, and playwright are composed entirely of female artists, fitting for a production that so stunningly chronicles the experiences of a group of very resilient women.

Eclipsed also recently received five Outer Critics Circle Award nominations including Outstanding New Broadway Play, Outstanding Actress in a Play (Lupita Nyong'o), and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play (Pascale Armand, Zainab Jah, Saycon Sengbloh); a special Drama Desk Award for playwright Danai Gurira (Sam Norkin Award) and a nomination for Featured Actress in a Play (Saycon Sengbloh); plus three Lucille Lortel Award nominations for its celebrated Off-Broadway run in the following categories: Outstanding Play, Outstanding Director and Outstanding Costume Design.

Ticket on-sale date, casting and more will be announced at a later date. For advance access to tickets, and to be the first to hear about exciting happenings at the Curran, sign-up at SFCURRAN.COM.

Built in 1922, the Curran has housed some of the most important productions in history and has maintained a reputation over the course of its life as one of the greatest venues in North America. Now, nearly 100 years after it welcomed its first Bay Area audiences, the Curran is in the midst of a major restoration and renovation. Under the curation of eight-time Tony Award winner Carole Shorenstein Hays, the Curran will reopen as a 1,600 seat venue in early 2017 with a new mission, being a home for the most exciting stage works being conceived and created anywhere in the world.

For information, visit SFCURRAN.COM.