(WEST ORANGE, NJ) -- Luna Stage is thrilled to announce the World Premiere of Two Elizas, which will appear on Luna’s MainStage for a two-week run May 4-14. Written and performed by Jenny Mercein, Two Elizas explores the true story of Jenny’s ancestor, Eliza Mercein Barry, whose landmark 1847 U.S. Supreme Court case Barry v. Mercein established a woman's right to retain custody of her child. Jenny juxtaposes Eliza's story with her own complicated journey to motherhood, in a moving intergenerational reflection on resilience and women's rights.
“Discovering the lineage of resilient women in my family line has been an incredible experience for me,” says Mercein. “ Learning about, and embodying, Eliza Mercein Barry has enabled me to view my own experiences of joy and pain in a new context.”
“We are honored to be able to bring Jenny’s powerful story to our audiences,” says Luna Artistic Director Ari Laura Kreith. “Our 2023 season has explored the quest for bodily autonomy through multiple historical lenses, and this play provides a moving, honest glimpse into the challenges of motherhood across generations.”
Mercein describes the play as “an intimate, shared experience which, despite the heaviness of some of the topics, I hope will bring laughter, healing, and inspiration.”
“It has been a privilege to watch this work evolve from a reading at Luna last season to this full MainStage production,” added Kreith. “One of Jenny’s many gifts as a storyteller and performer is that she can find the ways humor and heartbreak intersect, and invite you to experience the truth of a painful moment in a way that is also hilarious and inspiring.”
The production is co-directed by Lori Elizabeth Parquet and Ryder Thornton.
Two Elizas runs Thursdays-Sundays May 4th through May 14th. As part of Luna’s commitment to equity and access, all tickets are offered on a sliding scale ($10-$80) and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Tickets are available for purchase online. Luna Stage is located at 555 Valley Road in West Orange, New Jersey.
Jenny Mercein is an actor, teacher, director, producer, and writer currently living in New Orleans, where she an Associate Professor at Tulane University. She is a proud co-creator and producer of Roleplay, a live theatre performance and documentary film project exploring student perspectives on love, sex, power, and consent. The script for Roleplay is published by Dramatic Publishing. Along with KJ Sanchez, Jenny co-created X’s and O’s, an acclaimed docudrama about football and traumatic brain injury. Acting credits include “Your Honor,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” "30 Rock," "Blue Bloods," "Unforgettable," "Law & Order" and extensive theater credits spanning the country. Member: AEA, SAG-AFTRA, National Alliance of Acting Teachers.
Luna Stage develops and produces vibrant plays about local and global experiences. They bring communities together for artistic events that spark conversations and create understanding and change. Firmly rooted in New Jersey's Valley Arts District - a crossroads of cultures - they celebrate the diverse voices that surround them. As producer, innovator, and educator, they are dedicated to eliminating barriers to participation, and nurturing the next generation of audiences and artists.
