If you have been feeling dark, Every Brilliant Thing, the show now up on Writers Theatre’s intimate Gillian stage in Glencoe, is just the connective tissue that builds a sense of community in a difficult world.
Be aware that this show faces the concepts of depression, mental illness and the actuality of suicide head on with the lights up, but it is a conversation some of us have been yearning to see, dealt with honestly and compassionately. The piece, which began as a monologue is created for one actor, in this case the sensitive and vulnerable Jessie Fisher who engages the audience in participating in and recounting the story of growing up with a suicidal mom, who first tries to take her life when she is 7. The child’s impulse to try to heal her mom manifests in an action to make a numbered list of everything worth living for. Audience members will stand in for various characters and will assist in moving through the child’s teen years, college experience, finding a partner and growing into adulthood as the character keeps compiling things worth living for. The 70 minutes is undeniably heartrending and creates a deep sense of connectedness with the other audience members seated about in Izumi Inaba’s sunny backyard set. This show cradles you in a journey into hard things, and nurtures a seedling of hope in your heart. Your fellow audience members contribute touching personal bits to the overall story.
Having had way too much experience in living with family members with crippling depression, the only quibble I had was with a line that says it always gets better. I know in our case for some it does not get so much better but they do find the resilience to get through, and perhaps being reminded of the small things that are beautiful will help us all muddle on in this messy endeavor we call life. The show provides a welcome counterpoint to over sweetened holiday fare with something authentic and not terribly easy but very worthy and poignant.
Go, and bring a friend to Every Brilliant Thing, Wednesdays through Sundays through January 5th 2025 at the Writers Theatre, 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe Illinois. For tickets and information go to https://www.writerstheatre.org/every-brilliant-thing
Phto by Michael Brosilow
For more reviews go to https://www.theatreinchicago.com
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