Review: In EVERY BRILLIANT THING, Jonny Donahoe Charms Spectators into Playing Key Roles in his Life

When we entered The Edye at The Broad Stage to see Jonny Donahoe's solo show EVERY BRIILIANT THING, we were handed pieces of paper with a number and a phrase after being asked if we would be willing to participate when called upon to read the contents when our number was called. Of course, we agreed and so the stage was set for a very fun evening of audience participation theatre in this new play about depression and the lengths we will go to for those we love. In this acclaimed show based on true and untrue stories, a young boy attempts to cure his mother's depression by creating a list of the best things in the world.

During the hour-long show, Jonny Donahoe tells an episodic life story spanning nearly three decades containing several life-changing events. Starting with a young boy's eye-opening first brush with death (his childhood dog Sherlock Bones), Donahoe charms spectators into acting opposite him in various roles - a veterinarian, his father, his college lecturer, his fiancée - fostering an intimate sense of community with the audience.

So be prepared to be called upon to play a part when asked, either through improvisation or with prompting from Donahoe, to assist in telling his story as he grows from a 7-year old boy creating a list of every brilliant thing in his life to cheer up his suicidal mother into remembering how wonderful ice cream or rollercoasters are, to a married man dealing with deep depression remedied by speaking with a sock puppet played by a lucky audience member.

Donahoe, a Drama Desk Award and Lucille Lortel Award nominee for this role, has performed it all around the world to great acclaim. The Broad Stage engagement, written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe, starring Jonny Donahoe and directed by George Perrin, comes on the heels of the HBO premiere of its filmed version on December 26, 2016. The current ten- performance engagement gives Broad Stage patrons a unique opportunity to have the live stage experience with the show and its original star in the intimate Edye space, with the audience seated on all four sides of the central stage area where the story is told.

Donahoe manages to play to all four sides equally, even asking two selected audience members acting as his keyboard stand to rotate with him as he plays so each audience member will fully experience the scene. Several times, the audience members playing important roles were called onto the stage with Donahoe and each incredibly seemed to have been perfectly selected to play their roles, even when totally improvised. In fact, after the performance I asked one of the lucky participants if his role had been pre-planned, but was told it was a complete surprise when he realized Donahoe was describing his clothing just before turning to him in the audience and assigning him a character. Luckily for all, this particular audience member was an actor in his own right and excelled when asked to read passages from a book during a library scene during which Donahoe meets the love of his life.

So be prepared when Donahoe hands you that slip of paper when you walk in as no doubt he is deciding then and there as to which of us he will select to play the parts needed in his play. No one turned down his requests at the opening night performance I attended, and I cannot imagine anyone will, given how much fun the evening turned out to be as his story unfolded. And Donahoe's energy level never faltered as he moved around the playing area or through audience members, keeping us all on alert so we would be prepared when called upon to read our slip of paper or play a role in his life. It was true audience participation from start to finish, brilliantly manipulated by an incredible storyteller.

And in case you are wondering, my number and phrase was 996: Really Good Oranges. And when the time arose, it was a perfect fit for the story being told.

EVERY BRIILIANT THING continues at The Edye at The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St. Santa Monica CA 90401, through February 12 on Thursday-Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 5 pm and 8 pm; Sunday at 2 pm. General admission tickets are $45 and may be purchased by calling 310.434.3200, at the box office starting three hours prior to each performance, or online at www.thebroadstage.com. Free parking on site.

Photo credit: Michaela Bodlovic

To post a comment, you must register and login.