EVERYBODY Opens Alliance Theatre's Season Next Month

Rehearsals started this week for the Alliance Theatre's season opener, EVERYBODY, by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. EVERYBODY, which is co-directed by Susan V. Booth and Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, marks the final production of Booth's 21-year tenure as the Alliance Theatre's Jennings Hertz Artistic Director. Performances begin on the Coca-Cola Stage September 2, 2022. Opening night is Saturday, September 10.

Inspired by the 15th century play Everyman, EVERYBODY tells the story of Everybody - a happy person, a free person, a person who believes nothing but the best lies ahead. Then Death comes calling, and Everybody must go on a journey to find what has had lasting significance in his lifetime. Remixing the archetypal medieval morality play into an explosive experiment of wit and emotion, EVERYBODY is a "sunny, stunning journey from life to death" that "fills the heart in a new and unexpected way" (DC Theatre Scene & The New Yorker).

"Sounds odd to talk about joy when you're talking about mortality, but the tone and impact of this piece is so, so joyful," said Co-Director and Alliance Artistic Director, Susan V. Booth. "And in a time of ever multiplying senses of division, a piece that reminds us of the most basic of human connections seems so very necessary."

Since its premiere at Signature Theatre in 2017, EVERYBODY has captivated audiences with its cutting wit, hard-hitting questions, and, most notably, its unique storytelling device. The play begins with five of the actors being assigned their roles by lottery, live before the audience, meaning these cast members have learned each of the five possible lottery roles. This also means that there are 120 possible role combinations, making it unlikely that any performance will include the same actors in the same role combinations twice.

"The thrill of the unknown is super delicious," said Co-Director and Alliance Associate Artistic Director Kajese-Bolden. "No show will ever be the same because every night the roles are cast by lottery. This play [feels] like a fresh start and proposes a reset while also giving us some landscape to reflect on how we got to where we are today."

The cast members of the Alliance's production are Andrew Benator as Death, Shakirah DeMesier as Love, Skylar Ebron as Girl/Time, Deidrie Henry as Usher/God/Understanding; and Brandon Burditt, Chris Kayser, Courtney Patterson, Bethany Anne Lind, and Joseph J. Pendergrast as the Somebodies. Production understudies include Soleia Howington, Parris Sarter, and Dellan Short.

In addition to the co-directors, the creative team includes Scenic and Costume Designer Lex Liang, Projection Designer Milton Cordero, Lighting Designer Thom Weaver, Sound Designer Melanie Chen Cole, and Fight Coach Connor Hammond; as well as Associate Set Designer Seamus Bourne and Associate Costume Designer Laury Conley.

The production support team includes Stage Manager Anna Baranski, Assistant Stage Manager Barbara O'Haley, Assistant Stage Manager Kacie Pimentel, Stage Management Production Assistant Samantha Honeycutt, Young Performer Supervisor Amanda Perez, Line Producer Jody Feldman, and COVID Coordinator Haylee Scott.

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