Ether Dome Dental Industry Performance

A new treatment promising to end pain pits a doctor and his student in an epic battle between altruism and ambition. Based on the true story of the discovery of ether as an anesthetic in 1846 and set in Boston's own Massachusetts General Hospital, this fascinating new play explores the ecstasy of pain, the sweetness of relief, and the hysteria that erupts when healthcare becomes big business.

Produced in association with Alley Theatre, Hartford Stage, and La Jolla Playhouse.

Approximate run time: two hours and forty minutes including two ten-minute intermissions

Purchase pre-paid valet parking at the Calderwood
Pavilion at the BCA — buy early and save

"Elizabeth Egloff's thrilling new exploration of a revolution in modern medicine unfolds in our own back yard, and our collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital will illuminate a lesser-known chapter of our city's rich history. As our nation grapples with a healthcare overhaul, now is the perfect time for Elizabeth and gifted director Michael Wilson to connect the ramifications of this fascinating event to the world we live in."— Peter DuBois

"I an excited to return to the Huntington with Elizabeth Egloff's exhilarating play about America's greatest medical discovery — anesthesia — and the lives destroyed in the wake of creating a new world without pain. Liz is a fiercely intelligent and deeply human writer who has woven a captivating narrative from true events. Ether Dome holds an unflinching mirror up to our ambitious American character and the ways in which class, greed, and prejudice form a twisted path to innovation."— Michael Wilson

Funded in part by The Ensemble Studio Theatre /
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Science & Technology Project