Review: EVERY BRILLIANT THING at ACT Theatre

EVERY BRILLIANT THING is a show about awareness - awareness of yourself, of others, of obstacles and challenges, of feelings and emotions, and the beauty of life right down to the smallest detail. While framed within the story of darkest depression, the show illuminates how much joy there still is even among the shadows. Outlook and perspective can change everything, and EVERY BRILLIANT THING is bound to change yours.

The show follows one man recounting the story of his life from childhood to middle age and how his mother's depression and suicide attempts shaped his world view. As a child he began a list of "brilliant things" hoping it would help make his mother happy and find joy in her life. The list became a practice and tool that he used to remind himself of all the good things there were to enjoy. The more he looked for "brilliant things" the more he found. From simple objects to furry critters, to satisfying experiences, the list grew and grew. The why of the list became as important as the items on it.

EVERY BRILLIANT THING is a one-man show with a good-sized dose of improv and audience participation. The show doesn't just break the fourth wall, it has no walls. There is only one character, but they don't even have a name. They are just a person talking about life, their life, and how making a list of "brilliant things" became a "brilliant thing" in and of itself. Ian Bell is the storyteller, and it's hard to imagine that this isn't his real story. He is so attuned to the story that he becomes inseparable from it. The highs and lows grace his countenance with equal authenticity. His management of the improv and audience participation combined complete command of what needed to happen with great flexibility on how to get there. His ability to use whatever was happening and weave it into the story provided a foundation of trust that allowed audience members to lean into the invitations to participate.

Lighting design by Lily McLeod, sound design by Maggie L. Rogers, and scenic design by Parmida Ziaei were simple and unencumbered yet enhanced the show at all the right moments. Director John Langs doesn't get in the way of this show as a living, breathing piece of art, but rather allows it and Bell to work together naturally. The framework that Langs provides is just enough to keep it on track while allowing it to move organically. The timing and cues (tip of the hat to stage manager Jeffrey K. Hanson) are amazingly solid and beautifully executed for a show with the possibility for such variation. When people say theater is magic, this is definitely one of the lesser mentioned parts that can seem like a bit of wizardry.

Life is full of hard things, terribly sad things, and amazingly brilliant things. Sometimes they are even all mixed up together in one thing. Listening to people's stories reminds us that no matter how different our lives are, the core principles are the same - we all want to find connection with others. How we choose to walk through life, to see the world can determine how much connection we find with others. There are so many brilliant things in the world, and this show is undoubtedly going on my list of brilliant things.