The conversation around Every Brilliant Thing just got a little louder and a little closer to home.
A recent episode of The Daily, from The New York Times, shines a spotlight on the global impact of this deeply personal, life-affirming play. The episode features Daniel Radcliffe, currently performing the show on Broadway, and Mariska Hargitay, who is set to take over the role later this spring.
Join us for Every Brilliant Thing: The Tour at The Elizabeth River Trail at Pagoda Ice Cream
Bring a lawn chair and meet us on the “Green Space” adjacent to Pagoda Ice Cream
This unforgettable one-person show invites the audience into a heartwarming story about finding joy in life’s smallest moments.
Free to attend – click the ticket link to reserve your spot!
Thanks to our partners at Sentara for helping bring this powerful performance to our community.
Every Brilliant Thing is an immersive storytelling experience that blends comedy, improv, and audience interaction. It tells the story of someone growing up in the shadow of their mother's struggle with suicidal depression while learning to grapple with their own journey.
Every Brilliant Thing provides a life-affirming jolt of humanism, reminding us that hope comes from the miracles of life’s minutiae. Seating is performed on the NSU Theatre stage for an up-close and intimate evening.
This performance is free, though we do recommend you RSVP to ensure your seat.
Candunn Jennette (Candunn) is elated to embark on another journey with the Virginia Stage Company. Between touring the country with the World-Famous Harlem Globetrotters, she has nestled into several creative ventures such as writing, but most importantly, being immersed in performance as a true lover of the arts. Some of her works include Regional: Comedy of Errors (Duke/Adriana/Kim Karcourtesan), Beneath the Surface (Dr. Alexander), (Virginia Stage Company) Miss Understood (Nia), Zeiders American Dream Theatre University: Funny House of a Negro (Sarah), The Colored Museum (Lala Lamazing Grace), The Wiz (Church Lady/Ensemble), The Amen Corner (Margret/Odessa), Black Nativity (Ensemble), The Color Purple (Ensemble), Fences (Rose), For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide (Lady in Green), Anna Alone (Anna) (Norfolk State University) Other Credits: Spread Game World Tour (Gran’Mama/Dr. Broke Ankles) (Harlem Globetrotters Inc.) Education: Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Performance from Norfolk State University.
Every Brilliant Thing is directed by Tom Quaintance. Lighting Design by Joseph (Joey) Muller.
By Jerome Langston
“Every Brilliant Thing is a play that I have seen more often than any other play that I’ve directed,” says Tom Quaintance, the Producing Artistic Director of Virginia Stage Company, during a recent phone chat earlier this week. It’s quite the striking statement from this long-time AD and theatre director, who has obviously seen a whole lot of shows during his decades long career. Tom led VSC’s 2022 production of Every Brilliant Thing, which closed out season 43. Now it’s bringing season 46 to a fitting close, with a short run production on stage at the Wells, that also celebrates its successful touring production — a show that has impacted thousands of people with its over 70 performances.
Returning to The Wells by Popular Demand!
This powerful story is told from the perspective of a single performer. An immersive storytelling experience performed in the round that blends comedy, improv, and audience interaction to tell the story of someone growing up in the shadow of their mother's struggle with suicidal depression while learning to grapple with their own journey. Every Brilliant Thing provides a life-affirming jolt of humanism, reminding us that hope comes from the miracles of life’s minutiae.
This transformative production has been touring across Hampton Roads, and throughout the East Coast, faciliating this impactful story for military, navy, assisted living, colleges, and other communities. Through Sentara Health Plans’ generous support, this touring production has touched lives of thousands with more than 70+ performances.
Enjoy this uniquely innovative and inspired experience ON THE WELLS STAGE
Jeffrey Meanza and Kathryn Hunter-Williams in VSC’s Spring 2022 mainstage production of Every Brilliant Thing.
Editor’s Note: This story contains mentions of mental health and suicide that may be triggering for some readers. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health in any way, please visit the American Psychological Association’s website or call 988.
“Every Brilliant Thing” follows main character Anna, played by Anna Sosa, and her struggles growing up with a mother with suicidal depression. (Landon Shakelford | The Breeze)
As audience members took their seats in preparation for a performance about mental health, they were handed a slip of paper with a seemingly random phrase and a number ranging from one to one million.
Little did they know they would soon be as important to this production as the main character.
Norfolk-based Virginia Stage Company (VSC) brought its one-man play, “Every Brilliant Thing,” to JMU on Tuesday as part of its Sentara Health-sponsored tour across the state. Taking place on the third floor of D-Hall in the Hall of Presidents, the play’s layout took a unique approach with the audience sitting in a large circular formation surrounding all four sides of the actor and her props.
The comedy-drama play follows main character Anna, played by VSC actor Anna Sosa, and her struggles growing up with a mother who has suicidal depression. Beginning at 7 years old, Anna creates a numbered, handwritten list of things worth living for in order to cheer up her mother, who’s been hospitalized multiple times due to suicide attempts. As Anna grows up and hits milestones, the list grows with her.
“A lot of us that are part of this project have [experienced] suicide some way in our lives,” Sosa said. “Whether it’s friends or family or our own personal struggle, I’m not alone in that, which is part of the reason why this show is so important.”
As the show progressed, audience participation became a crucial part of the production. When Sosa said the number on someone’s paper they were handed as they entered, they had to yell out what it read.
“Number 1,” Sosa yelled during a scene. Across the room, someone shouted, “Ice cream!” This occurred throughout the entire one-hour duration until the list was complete.
The audience participation went further than just shout-outs. Certain spectators were called to the floor to play significant roles in Anna’s life, such as her father, a veterinarian, a professor, a sock puppet and her love interest. Audience members had to improvise their way through their scene with help from Sosa.
One audience member, who played a teacher with a sock puppet, was given a microphone and a sock and was tasked with cheering up a 7-year-old Anna.
“I can’t imagine this show without the participation,” Sosa said. “It allows everyone to see themselves in the various components of the show.”
Sophomore economics major Zach Marks attended the play to earn a wellness passport credit for his Health 100 class. He left with an acting credit.
Marks was chosen to play Sam, Anna’s future husband she met in college. He acted through their meet-cute, proposal and eventual divorce without any preparation. Sam is an important character to the story, being the one who helped Anna continue and finish her list — after it was forgotten after high school — and encouraged her to talk with a therapist.
“I thought it was really sweet, everything [Sam] did, reaching out and continuing the list and trying to help her be better,” Marks said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I learned there’s a lot of good things in the world.”
The play focused on various relationships in Anna’s life and how they impacted her, with Sam helping her realize she buried a lot of her familial trauma without realizing.
“If you lived your whole life without feeling crushingly depressed,” Anna said during the play, “then you probably haven’t been paying attention.”
In addition to the heavy topics and lessons taught throughout the show, the University Counseling Center was present to answer any questions and provide information about JMU’s mental health resources.
Psychoeducation outreach specialist Karla Kale thought “Every Brilliant Thing” was important to show on campus to “bring awareness” and “destigmatize” discussions about suicide and mental health, especially as this week is National Suicide Prevention Week, she said.
“We want to make sure folks are aware of the resources and that help is available,” Kale said. “The JMU Counseling Center is a fantastic resource. We are free and confidential to students if they’re looking for support.”
One of the play’s final scenes sees Anna attend a support group to talk about her mother’s passing. She recalls finding her list again. Anna goes home and finishes the list up to one million items, with the last bullet point saying, “playing vinyl records,” something she and her dad bonded over.
“If anyone here has had thoughts of suicide, do not do it,” Sosa said during a monologue. “[Life] may not be brilliant, but things get better.”
Contact Ashlee Thompson at thomp6ab@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X and Instagram @BreezeJMU.
A play to be performed at James Madison University on Tuesday hopes to inspire conversations on topics like depression and suicide. In partnership with Sentara, the Norfolk-based Virginia Stage Company will perform the one-man play “Every Brilliant Thing” at 5:30 p.m. in the Hall of Presidents on the third floor of D-Hall as part of its traveling tour.
Every Brilliant Thing tour performed at Eastern Virginia Medical School on November 29, 2023 to a great turnout!
Photos courtesy of EVMS.
Watch our segment featured on WAVY TV here!
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The conversation around Every Brilliant Thing just got a little louder and a little closer to home.
A recent episode of The Daily, from The New York Times, shines a spotlight on the global impact of this deeply personal, life-affirming play. The episode features Daniel Radcliffe, currently performing the show on Broadway, and Mariska Hargitay, who is set to take over the role later this spring.