Danai Gurira – författare

 “[Eclipsed is] a surprisingly vivacious portrait of helplessness, of the entirely human impulse to adapt, to get by even when there''s little hope life will get better.”—Washington Post

“Eclipsed depicts the harsh realities of women’s lives in a strife-torn African country with both a clear eye and a palpable empathy.”—New York Times

Four women in Liberia struggle to survive conditions on a rebel army base. Held as the concubines of a warlord, each “wife” must find her own means of coping amidst a situation that appears hopeless. With frail, fractured identities born from an ongoing, senseless civil war, the women build their own contained world to guard against the chaos outside. This enthralling work from award-winning playwright and actress Gurira demonstrates the human capacity to endure, even in the most desolate of circumstances.

Danai Gurira’s other plays include Familiar and In the Continuum, written for World AIDS Day in December 2011, which she co-wrote and co-starred in with Nikkole Salter. For In the Continuum, she was awarded an Obie Award, Outer Critics'' Circle Award, and a Helen Hayes Award for her performance. She received a Whiting Writer’s Award in 2012. She is best known for her role as Michonne in the hit television series, The Walking Dead.

“Soul-searing...Eclipsed shines with a compassion that makes us see beyond the suffering to the indomitable humanity of its characters.” Charles Isherwood, New York Times

“A major achievement...Eclipsed is shattering in part because, while the Liberian Civil War finally ended, the struggle continues in a ravished human landscape. We can do little more than bear witness—something this miraculous play helps boldly to accomplish.” Jeremy Gerard, Deadline

“Danai Gurira’s remarkable play is an epic of war and suffering... painted with warmth, humor and rage...A considerable work of art.” Stewart Pringle, Time Out London

“It’s a common lament that there are no good roles for women. But Danai Gurira has packed this harrowing drama with five of them.” Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News

Amid the chaos of the Liberian Civil War, the captive wives of a rebel officer band together to form a fragile community—until the balance of their lives is upset by the arrival of a new girl. Drawing on reserves of wit and compassion, Eclipsed reveals distinct women who must discover their own means of survival in this chilling and humanizing story of transformation and renewal in a hostile world of horrors not of their own making.

Danai Gurira is an award-winning Zimbabwean American actor and playwright. Her plays include In the Continuum, The Convert, Familiar and Eclipsed. As an actor, she is best known for her role as Michonne on AMC’s The Walking Dead. She is the co-founder of Almasi Collaborative Arts, and founder LOVE OUR GIRLS: a campaign bringing awareness to injustices faced by women and girls throughout the world. (Visit: logpledge.org)