CRWN Takes Broadway: Eclipsed Ten Thousand Girls

Last weekend, the CRWN Team — along with about 30 young women and their mentors — were invited to witness Eclipsed on Broadway, the brainchild of playwright Danai Gurira and Director Liesl Tommy. Set in the midst of the male-dominated Liberian Civil War and featuring an all-Black, female cast, Eclipsed shines a spotlight on the battle that the women of Liberia were fighting. The plot follows the lives of a Liberian army officer's four wives, and their journey to discovering themselves among the chaos.

In keeping with the play's theme of empowering young girls and transforming their lives, the Eclipsed team created a movement called Eclipsed Ten Thousand Girls. The movement's mission is to bring 10,000 underserved girls, ages 16 to 24, to Broadway (for free!) when they otherwise would not have had the opportunity. CRWN co-founder and all four of CRWN's interns were able to attend — two of whom had never before attended a Broadway show!

CRWN first learned about the opportunity from #theAgenda, a new Slack community created by Her Agenda, "dedicated to building a diverse community of women and connecting them with the right opportunities." Huge thanks to Rhonesha Byng and the Her Agenda team for the beautiful evening! 

Below, the CRWN team gives their insights about the experience:

Photography: BEAlliance

"I think what I enjoyed most about Eclipsed was that it was so complex. Many times, theater shows can be unrealistic with clearly-cut protagonists and antagonists. The lives of women in the cast were complicated: sometimes we loved them, sometimes we didn't, sometimes we laughed with them, and others we disagreed with them. For me, it really humanized an issue that so many often forget." —Sierra, Editorial Intern

"Eclipsed was a complex and amazing play that caused me not only to think about the girls who were taken by Boko Haram, but also the effect that war has on women and children. What was so great and impactful about this play is that it did not just portray these women simply as sad suffering victims. It allowed them to have human emotions, like happiness and laughter, and show the complexity of the situation. In addition, I also loved the acting and the diversity of experience within the play. Seeing all these beautiful and talented Black women just help remind me about how amazing and powerful we are. 10/10 would recommend." —Gabi, Editorial Intern

"Eclipsed is definitely part of a dialogue that needs to happen. It touched on an important issue that doesn't stir up as much attention and outrage as it should. I also appreciated the way [the screenwriter] Danai Gurira created full, complex lives for the women. There were many times during the play that we were laughing for a good while. The women, who were obviously struggling, still tried to make the best out of a horrible situation. Nicely done." —Adia, Editorial Intern

"Eclipsed on Broadway is a powerful piece . For two hours, I existed in Liberia and witnessed women fight for their identity and sense of purpose. I laughed, I cried, and left with knowledge outside of myself. Today, women and young girls across the world are still being taken away from their families and being stripped of their identities." —Destiny, Editorial Intern