Cast

NARRATOR - Mo Andres '24

Student Team Members

Facilitator - Mo Andres '24

Stage Manager - Jerry Persaud Jr. '26

Co-director - Lincoln Turner '25

Co-director - CJ Joseph '25

Dramaturg: - Chiara Kaufman '24

Sound Designer - Claire Edwards '24

Props Designer - Adri Bollinger '24

Publicity Manager - Lila Popell '24

Run Crew - Cheyenne McLaskey '26

Production Assistant - Senica Slaton '26

Faculty Team Members

Project Advisor - Marcela Oteíza, Associate Professor of Theater

Interim Production Manager/Costume Shop Manager - Robin Mazzola

Theater Dept. Administrative Assistant - Dawn Alger

APT Technical Director/Master Electrician - Suzanne Sadler

Directors' Notes

This is my first time as a director and I could not have asked for a better production to start with. This work of theater has been very heavy, tragic, beautiful, and hopeful to bring to life! This rendition of Every Brilliant Thing is one that centers on community care and I hope you feel every ounce of that community and love that we held in this space! Much love to my blood and chosen family in Dallas and Connecticut, our incredible stage manager Jerry, rockstar stage crew member Cheyenne, iconic social media publicist Lila, my genius co director CJ Joseph, and the incomparably brilliant Mo Andres! I hope you take in this show for everything it is and leave changed for the better and more insightful!

Thank you for your patience!

Stay healthy, happy, and safe!

-Lincoln Turner

This produciton resonates deeply with me, underscoring the pervasive tendency to internalize struggles with mental health and endure them in solitude. It displays the isolation experienced by those grappling with depression, who often perceive a lack of communal support.

Every Brilliant Thing illuminates the power of reclaiming agency over our narratives, emphasizing the uniqueness of each individual's journey towards happiness. Yet, it also highlights the indispensable role of external support in this process. Even during my moments of personal turmoil, the act of cataloging "brilliant things" within the theater building proved to be a solace when I needed it.

Gratitude is owed to Lincoln for steadfast assistance, Jerry for juggling multiple roles, and Mo for orchestrating this poignant odyssey. Crafting this production, especially as a thesis, demanded remarkable courage and vulnerability. Mo's embodiment of these qualities serves as a poignant reminder that brilliance is waiting to be discovered amidst life's challenges--we need only persevere and care to seek it out.

-CJ Joseph

Special Thanks

Dawn Alger

William Bisese

Jess Burks

Heather Cassell

Solea Feister

Monica and Eddie Howard

September Johnson

Jeanne McNeff

Marcela Oteíza

Laura Patey

Kay Perkins

Mark Sabo

Vinnie (the cat)

My sister Nicci

SHADES Theater Collective

WesWell

CAPS

Everyone I've ever loved (you know who you are)

Every brilliant human who added something to the list - this show would be impossible without you

This production is dedicated to Maria Asunción Legaspi Andres, and to all those we have lost.

EVERY BRILLIANT THING was first produced by Paines Plough and Pentabus Theatre, on 28 June 2013 at Ludlow Fringe Festival. The play had its North American premiere at Barrow Street Theatre, New York, on 6 December 2014, where it was presented by Barrow Street Theatre and Jean Doumanian Productions.