Rajiv Joseph first started writing Describe the Night in 2014, in what was a completely different time: before the 2016 election, before the isolation of a global pandemic, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As Rajiv likes to joke, he accidentally—and sadly—managed to write a remarkably relevant and prescient play.
In 2023, against the backdrop of Russia’s ruthless invasion, Describe the Night surely lands differently than it did nearly a decade ago. And then there’s our own country’s ongoing reckoning with truth and censorship; from the cognitive dissonance in our political arena, to the censorship in our nation’s schools, the terrors of Isaac Babel’s Russia feel all too close to home.
But what is also clear today is that Rajiv has written a timeless play, one whose ambition stretches far beyond the headlines of our time.
This is a story about the strength of love and the power of art.
It is a tribute to the creative impulse and a reflection on autocracy and surveillance. It is stuffed with disarming images, haunting moments, and brilliant ideas that we hope stay with you long after you leave this building.
If you have come for clear cut resolution, you have come to the wrong play. Describe the Night is an experience filled with twists, turns and unpredictable detours. Images and text echo throughout the play, ricocheting across time and place. The result is an impressionistic and occasionally disorienting experience, forcing us to ask: What is the truth? What is the lie?
Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis
Artistic Directors
Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis
Artistic Directors