Review: EVERY BRILLIANT THING at Burbage Theatre Company

Burbage Theatre Company begins its new season on the highest of notes with a tender, heartwarming, profound production of “Every Brilliant Thing” by Duncan MacMillan (with Jonny Donahoe), an engaging, uplifting one-person memoir-like play that reminds audiences of life’s concurrent simplicity and complexity.

Stage veteran Stephen Thorne delivers a master class in acting as the unnamed narrator who begins his story at the age of seven, when his mother first attempts suicide. As a young boy desperate to understand her behavior, he seeks guidance from his father, whose only explanation is, “your mother did a stupid thing.”

From that point forward, he creates a list of things he believes make life worth living, like ice cream, hedgehogs, chocolate, and sunlight. Thorne assigns audience members with numbered items in advance with instructions to say them aloud when called upon, which helps lighten the mood, considering the grave underlying subject matter.

As the boy grows, so does the list, following him throughout life and resurfacing on momentous occasions (when he falls in love with his future wife; during a therapy session for his own mental health), eventually achieving one million entries. The specificity and solidity of each brilliant thing evokes a variety of reactions from both the audience and the narrator, including introspection, amusement, and above all, understanding.

Angela Brazil’s sensitive direction places Thorne in the physical center, surrounded by onlookers hanging on his every word, much like a gathering of family members or friends listening intently to a loved one’s stories. The character’s unwavering enthusiasm for music and select artists (Ray Charles, Curtis Mayfield) heavily influence his narration and help to demonstrate his vitality and, in some cases, pinpoint his fragility.

Thorne singles out individuals to play his father, a guidance counselor, a college professor, and his wife, Sam. The actor’s rapport with these random audience members is immediate, almost magical, and a further testament to his commanding stage presence. His transformation from boy to man, and the challenges and triumphs throughout, make for an endearing, unforgettable experience.

There is arguably no better time than the present to remind us how much life has to offer and to remember to appreciate “Every Brilliant Thing.” This marvelous production does just that—brilliantly.

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