‘Every Brilliant Thing’ I witnessed at the SMC Troubadours Show
Adela Cucu, Associate Arts Editor
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! (Go ahead and count how many times I say “brilliant” in this review…) I want to start by saying that Every Brilliant Thing is the first SMC Troubadours show I have attended! Let me just say, I witnessed something truly brilliant. This performance, a simple one-person show, was executed flawlessly, perfectly suited to its context and subject matter.
Written by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe, the story follows a young child grappling with the difficult news of their mother’s depression. In an effort to “cure” her, the child begins compiling a list of all the wonderful things the world has to offer. What starts as an innocent, thoughtful gesture quickly evolves into something much deeper as the list grows longer and more meaningful. What I loved most about this story is how it brought me back into the mindset of a seven-year-old, helping me rediscover the beauty in the “simple” things.
The first brilliant thing I have to say about the show is how interactive it was. As soon as I walked in, I was warmly greeted by director Alex Teschow and lead Golshan Alaei. After this welcome, I was handed two slips of paper and asked to read them aloud when the corresponding numbers were called during the show. I gladly accepted and received #315: “The smell of old books,” and #761: “Deciding you’re not too old to climb trees.” Each audience member was given a different number, with its own unique “brilliant thing” written on it. I thought this was—you guessed it!—so brilliant. It not only kept the audience engaged and alert, so they wouldn’t miss their number, but also made everyone feel like they had a small “role” to play in the performance. It was a fun way to involve us all in the experience.
Another brilliant aspect of this show is the fact that it’s a solo performance. Judy Wang and the audience played an important role in supporting, but Alaei’s ability to captivate the audience through storytelling, humour, and heartfelt moments made the experience truly an emotional rollercoaster—not to mention her incredibly impressive memory in recalling all those random numbers!
One final, brilliant thing, I witnessed in the closing moments; Without giving too much away, there’s a spectacular spill of notes and letters that scatter across the floor, each bearing a brilliant thing—ranging from “fancy soap” to “eating a whole pack of cookies in one sitting.” The sheer extravagance of this effect was powerful, leaving me in a grand state of awe and admiration.
In his director’s note, Teschow writes that Every Brilliant Thing is meant to create something “personal,” and I believe the show achieved exactly that. Many of the broader issues explored in the story are highly relevant to our world today. As he so beautifully puts it, the show touches on themes of “perception, perspective, and regaining empathy for ourselves and others.” I hope that each of you can take away at least one valuable lesson about yourselves and the world around you, just as I have, from this truly inspiring work of art.
Copyright note: EVERY BRILLIANT THING is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)
Photo Credit: JoJo Wu
