Every Brilliant Thing
American Players Theatre company member David Daniel.
American Players Theatre core company member David Daniel helms this critically acclaimed one-man show that asks the audience to help come up with a list of “brilliant things” that make life worth living. The narrator makes a similar list as a young boy, after his mother attempts suicide. He continues adding to the collection as he grows up. Forward Theater rearranges the Playhouse and puts seating onstage for this intimate, funny, compelling look at combating depression.
press release: You’re six years old. Mum’s in hospital. Dad says she’s ‘done something stupid’. She finds it hard to be happy. So you start to make a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. Everything that’s worth living for.
#1. Ice cream.
#2. Water fights.
#3. Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV.
You leave it on her pillow, hoping. And you add to the list throughout your life.
An immersive storytelling experience blends comedy, improv, and audience interaction to tell the story of a boy growing up in the shadow of mental illness, and learning to grapple with his own adult experiences with love, loss and depression. Every Brilliant Thing provides a life-affirming jolt of humanism, reminding us that hope comes from the miracles of life’s minutiae.
“[A] heart-wrenching, hilarious play…One of the funniest plays you’ll ever see about depression—and possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, full stop…”
– The Guardian (UK)
Post-show talkbacks follow every performance. Pre-show lectures on the following dates:
- THU, JAN 23, at 6:30 PM
- SUN, JAN 26, at 1 PM
- THU, JAN 30, at 6:30 PM
- SUN, FEB 2, at 1 PM
- THU, FEB 6, at 6:30 PM
- SUN, FEB 9, at 1 PM
The production features Wisconsin actor and American Players Theatre company member David Daniel, who appeared in the FTC produc3on of Outside Mullingar in 2017. Directed by Tyler Marchant. Scenic design by Christopher Dunham, lighting design by Noele Stollmack, costume design by Kristina Sneshkoff, sound designer and composer is Joe Cerqua, props master is Pam Miles. Stage manager is Sarah Deming-Henes.
Adults: $39-$49
Seniors (62+): $34-$46
Students: $27-$35