Every Brilliant Thing Holds on to Hope

Stone Soup Theatre Company's Dec. 6-14 presentation of Every Brilliant Thing brings the show's hurt and hope when we need it most. Every Brilliant Thing is an interactive one-act production, originally written by Duncan Macmillan, with Jonny Donahoe, and directed for Stone Soup by Lavour Addison. The show features a combination of incredible writing, improvisation, and audience participation. The ground-level seats are highly recommended.

Every Brilliant Thing follows the life of a child as she tries to understand how her parents are hurting, then as she grows up, falls in love, and experiences those hurts on her own. As she goes along, she makes a list of all the wonderful things in life, first to try and help her mother, then to supplement her own life. A Cautionary Note: Every Brilliant Thing addresses heavy topics, namely depression and suicide. The show is about dealing with those topics, which it does with the utmost authenticity and empathy.

Every Brilliant Thing features a fairly simple set and stage, using the Mettlesome Theater of Durham's black-box area and suiting the space well. The audience sits on all sides of the stage and contributes to the show, whether that means taking part in certain scenes or reading from notecards the cast passes around beforehand.

The interactive nature of the play is interesting and engaging, but it carries a deeper significance than simple enjoyment. The interactions invite us to think about what we would add to the list of good things, but more so by placing random audience members in certain roles, we get a sense of our proximity to these issues. Simply witnessing a story of someone else's struggle is one thing, but Every Brilliant Thing generates a more empathetic space, through its narrative and structure.

Every Brilliant Thing, directed by Lavour Addison, stars Brittni Shambaugh Addison

Every Brilliant Thing only has one cast member -- not including audience volunteers -- and she is incredible. Brittni Shambaugh Addison plays the Narrator, describing scenes and diving into the characters thoughts and feelings while directing the improvisation. Addison gives a deeply moving performance, shifting between childlike confusion, hurt, wonder, manic joy, and everything in between.

Addison brings an amazing energy to the character, playing out each enormous feeling and capturing the sense of a vulnerable child perfectly. There are so many moments when Addison reads the audience well and pulls back or shifts, especially when the Narrator runs out of things to add to the list.

The rest of the production is simple, but very effective. Lightning, designed by Caden Yao, accents the Narrator's shifts in tone and mood, moving from stage lights to a single spotlight when the Narrator becomes isolated or stuck in her head. The set also features some shifts in color and intensity, which complement Addison's performance without being overwhelming. Sound, run by Jos Purvis', mostly features the songs and vinyl records that the Narrator listens to.

Every Brilliant Thing is a heartfelt, uplifting show about holding on to hope, even in our darkest moments. The improvisation and audience participation are fun and meaningful, and Addison's performance is well worth seeing. For a genuine and engaging experience, check out Stone Soup Theater Company's Every Brilliant Thing.

EVERY BRILLIANT THING (In Person at 5 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, 13, and 14, plus 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10th), written by Duncan Macmillan, with creative consultant Jonny Donahoe, directed by Lavour Addison, and performed by Brittni Shambaugh Addison (Stone Soup Theatre Company in the Mettlesome Theater in Durham). PRESENTER: https://www.stonesouptheatreco.com/, https://www.facebook.com/StoneSoupTheatreCo/, https://www.instagram.com/stonesouptheatreco/, and https://www.tiktok.com/@stonesouptheatre. 2025-26 SEASON: https://www.stonesouptheatreco.com/current-season/. VENUE: https://thisismettlesome.com/, https://linktr.ee/hellomettlesome, https://www.facebook.com/thisismettlesome, and https://www.instagram.com/thisismettlesome. DIRECTIONS: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ToMAJDS26MJiRdCk9. EVERY BRILLIANT THING (2014 Off-Broadway and 2026 Broadway solo show and interactive monologue): https://everybrilliantthing.com/, https://www.iobdb.com/Production/5918, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-show/every-brilliant-thing-544430, https://www.facebook.com/brilliantbway, https://www.instagram.com/brilliantbway, https://www.tiktok.com/@brilliantbway, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Macmillan_(playwright)#Every_Brilliant_Thing, and https://x.com/brilliantbway. THE SCRIPT (excerpts): https://books.google.com/books. STUDY GUIDE (Orlando Shakes): https://www.orlandoshakes.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Every-Brilliant-Thing-Study-Guide.pdf. DUNCAN MACMILLAN (English playwright, screenwriter, and theater director): https://www.casarotto.co.uk/clients/duncan-macmillan, https://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/45376, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-organization/duncan-macmillan-with-jonny-donahoe-544435, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7816594/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_Macmillan_(playwright). JONNY DONAHUE (Royal Tunbridge Wells, England-born comedian, playwright, and actor): https://www.jonnyandthebaptists.co.uk/, https://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/45377, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-organization/duncan-macmillan-with-jonny-donahoe-544435, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9315934/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Donahoe. CONTENT ADVISORY: Stone Soup Theatre Company cautions, "While this show is ultimately uplifting, it deals with the subjects of mental illness and attempted suicide, and relays a story of having to put down a family pet." TICKETS: $32.30 ($27.05 students), plus taxes, except a Pay-What-You-Can performance at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10th. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: info@stonesouptheatreco.com. PLEASE DONATE TO: Stone Soup Theatre Company. Kurt Benrud's Triangle Review Review Permalink. Cyndi Whisnant's Triangle Review Review Permalink.

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