Content warning: This article references mental health, suicide, suicide attempts, death, loss of a parent, and loss of a pet.
When I took my seat at the beginning of “Every Brilliant Thing” on Saturday, March 2, I didn’t know what to expect. Normally, I would do my research and try to understand the concept of the play beforehand, but with my busy schedule, I didn’t have the time. That being said, “Every Brilliant Thing” captivated my attention in a way that was impossible to replicate.
Written by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe and directed as a senior thesis by Mo Andres ’24, “Every Brilliant Thing” follows a storyteller trying to find the brilliant things in life after their mom’s suicide attempt. The play gets through to viewers with vulnerable dialogue and audience participation. At each show, new audience members were chosen to play several characters: the vet who put down the storyteller’s first dog; Ms. Patterson, a character the storyteller consults when feeling isolated and lonely; and Sam, the storyteller’s partner and eventual spouse who leaves them following their battle with mental health. Through every aspect of the play, viewers could fully immerse themselves in the idea of struggling with your own thoughts. Andres decided to plunge deep into the realities of the play after one of their housemates told them about it.
“I ended up reading the play and I was like, ‘Wow, this is really meaningful,’” Andres said. “I’ve lost multiple people to suicide and I know a lot of people who have had experience with mental illness.”
Every moment in the play was filled with purpose and integrity. The purpose of the storyteller was always known, but “Every Brilliant Thing” also asked the viewers what their purpose was, and how it connected to their own joy in life. Audience members began to truly feel connected with themselves after listening to the storyteller discuss their mental health struggles they and their loved ones. I was left wondering how the cast and crew took care of themselves when working on scenes with triggering moments, especially if those moments related to their own experiences. Co-director CJ Joseph ’25 answered this question beautifully.
“For me, it was just mainly learning how to communicate because I was going through a lot during the process,” Joseph said. “I had to talk to everyone and say, ‘Ok, we have to figure out how I can be as productive in the space as possible, while also acknowledging that I have to take care of myself at certain points.’”
Co-director Lincoln Turner ’25 also discussed the importance of creating a space where everyone could feel comfortable and welcome.
“I think the fact that we created an environment where one could be as open and as honest as one felt comfortable being really helped,” Turner said. “I was able to have conversations with CJ and Mo about where I was, and where they were, and what they felt comfortable with.”
Expanding on this sentiment, Andres talked about the importance of bringing people into an environment where they didn’t feel judged.
“From the beginning I really wanted to create and sustain an environment where people could come in as they are and not feel judged, or have to hide any negative energy that comes up, and where we could care for each other,” Andres said. “It was almost risky because I knew that to create that space, I would also have to be vulnerable.”
“Every Brilliant Thing” brought a sense of community and understanding to the stage and the audience. I especially appreciated the way that it compelled the audience to contemplate how we view the joy in our lives. Stage manager Jerry Persaud Jr. ’26 talked about what brought him joy during the process.
“The biggest thing that brought me joy was just watching,” Persaud said. “This crazy start to an intense personal thesis and watching [Andres] build the character, memorize the full script, and work out the storytelling and immersion that was so successful and was so impactful for so many people.”
In this review, I want to reflect on the joy that seeing “Every Brilliant Thing” brought me. As someone who grew up with mental health struggles and is still navigating the line between being vulnerable and keeping things to myself, I felt so much relief watching Andres humanize the experience of dealing with mental health-related issues, as well as the stigmatization of mental health needs.
I thank “Every Brilliant Thing” for giving me an understanding of happiness that I never thought would be fathomable. If you didn’t see it, you missed a spectacular performance filled with joy, heartbreak, and dialogues of intertwined sadness and excitement. But, so you don’t completely miss everything, I want to give you two pieces of advice that I took away from the performance: It’s okay to be in open communication with others about your mental health, and don’t forget to remember what made you happy today.
Oluchi Chukwuemeka can be reached at ochukwuemeka@wesleyan.edu.
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