Eclipsed (play)

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Eclipsed is a play by Danai Gurira set in Liberia in 2003. It follows five Liberian women and a young girl who are living in a one-room camp run by a rebel group near the end of the Second Liberian Civil War. The story focuses on survival, sisterhood, and finding hope in a harsh world. The play made Broadway history as the first to premiere with an all-black, all-female creative team and cast.

The plot centers on Helena and Bessie, who are abducted by a commanding officer and kept as his wives. A 15-year-old girl, called The Girl, has also been abducted and raped. Maima returns from fighting and tries to persuade The Girl to join the rebel side as a soldier. Rita, who works with a peace organization, visits to advocate for peace. The Girl struggles with limited choices—stay with the abusive C.O. or become a soldier—while the other women support each other and dream of a safer future. The names of the women in the play come from real people Gurira met; the fifth character is unnamed.

Eclipsed began at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, DC, premiering in September 2009, directed by Liesl Tommy. It then ran at other venues, including the Center Theatre Group in California and Yale Repertory Theatre, with Tommy guiding the production. Gurira drew on interviews with more than 30 women who experienced rape and violence in Liberia, inspired by a photo of a Liberian freedom fighter known as Black Diamond. The play’s development continued at The Public Theater in New York, where an Off-Broadway version opened in October 2015 and featured Lupita Nyong’o as The Girl, along with Saycon Sengbloh, Akosua Busia, Zainab Jah, and Pascale Armand. The Off-Broadway run was extended due to strong demand.

Eclipsed moved to Broadway’s John Golden Theatre in 2016, with previews beginning in February and an official opening in March. It closed in June 2016 after a limited, 14-preview and 121-performance run. The show then announced plans for a West Coast engagement in San Francisco in 2017. The production received highly favorable reviews for its powerful performances, especially Nyong’o’s, and was widely praised for its emotion, realism, and insight into women’s experiences during war. The show earned a strong score on Show Score, reflecting its broad critical acclaim.