Technically speaking, "Every Brilliant Thing" is a solo show. But actor Jonny Donahoe spends a lot of time chatting with various people — his character's parents, teacher and partner.
You might end up playing one of them, since the entire supporting cast is pulled from the audience.
That's not the only way theatergoers participate in Duncan Macmillan's charming, partly autobiographical play, swiftly staged in the round by George Perrin. As we take our seats, Donahoe prowls the aisles, distributing numbered pieces of paper. When he says your number at some point during the show, you read what's on the paper.
Not only does this ensure you'll pay close attention — don't want to miss that cue! — but it also creates a communal feeling. We're all in this together, Macmillan seems to say, and that's not a bad way to sum up the show.
The title alludes to a list the unnamed protagonist started making after his mother tried to commit suicide. He was only 7 then, and thought a good way to tell her that life is worth living would be to catalog everything that's great — or "brilliant," in Brit-speak — about it, like ice cream, water fights and roller coasters. He wrote down the entries on pieces of paper he'd hide for her to find.
As our narrator grows up, he keeps adding to his inventory: piglets, gifts that you actually want and didn't ask for, old people holding hands.
Donahoe has a sure sense for casting — he picks audience members who look appropriate for their respective parts — and he's a terrific improviser, swiftly and often hilariously reacting to his new co-stars' quirks.
Indeed, "Every Brilliant Thing" may be the funniest show about depression you've ever seen. And it's not just that the personal interactions — sometimes fumbling, sometimes surprisingly heartfelt — are so entertaining to watch, or that Donahoe is a warmly engaging presence.
In fact, the play itself is about finding reasons to live rather than reasons to die. And those reasons can be as minute as wearing a cape and as big as falling in love.
One that's not mentioned, but should be: a good evening at the theater.
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