An Endless Shift
Created from verbatim accounts of the early days in the COVID-19 pandemic, AN ENDLESS SHIFT is a tribute to the everyday heroes who were confronted with what would become the longest shift of their lives. The play combines storytelling and documentary theatre to give five healthcare professionals from around the United States a platform to share their wisdom as those who cared for their communities in one of the most vulnerable moments in human history. At a time when the division of our nation was at an all time high, these people fulfilled their vows to care for ALL. How did they do that? How did they survive? These are the questions AN ENDLESS SHIFT seeks to answer. Seattle theater artist Gloria Alcalá, in a solo tour de force performance, embodies the multitude of perspectives on this harrowing journey of challenge, hope, and deep recognition of our common humanity, told in the firsthand words of the humans who were there.
Artswest Playhouse and Gallery world premiere
An Endless Shift - devised by Alma Davenport, Mathew Wright, and Gloria Alcalá - premiered January 26, 2023 at ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery in West Seattle, with direction by Mathew Wright, lighting design by Chih-Hung Shau, sound and original music by Max Sarkowsky, costume design by Jae-Hee Kim, and scenic design by Parmida Ziaei. Original stage manager: Alexei Cifrese.
““It would feel like such a disservice to these people who risked their lives and risked their family’s lives to keep our loved ones alive, to continue moving forward without acknowledging they’re still seeing COVID deaths,” Alcalá said. “A couple of them asked, ‘Is it even over?’ To a lot of health care professionals, it isn’t over.””
United Solo Festival - Spring 2023
Very shortly after the world premiere, An Endless Shift debuted Off-Braodway at the United Solo Festival. The production was produced and stage managed by Erin Bednarz with additional support from Hannah Morin.
“It’s that pure selflessness that told us, these people need a platform,” Alcalá said. “We can’t move on from this pandemic before we represent these experiences. Because if we don’t represent them, we decide to erase them.
“These aren’t just the people in scrubs on ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ These are our family members; they’re our community members. We can’t just let their experience be washed away with the urgency to go back to normal life.”
THE SEATTLE TIMES
from L to R Erin Bednarz, Gloria Alcalá, Hannah Morin