Middlebury Actors Workshop Presents EVERY BRILLIANT THING

Middlebury Actors Workshop is thrilled to present the Vermont premiere of the extraordinary one-person show, Every Brilliant Thing. A long running hit in both London's East End and New York City's Off-Broadway, this show handily won the New York Times Critics' Pick of 2015.

Ice cream. Things with stripes. Water fights. Thus begins a list the play's narrator makes as a child to help her chronically depressed mother see the beauty of life and, well, to keep her alive.

What's brilliant? Things worth living for. At seven years old, determined to expand this list as long as necessary to remind her Mom of the reasons to live, she makes the reasons hard to ignore. She puts them between pages of her Mother's book, beneath her pillow, on the bathroom mirror... Chocolate. Peeing in the sea and nobody knows. Piglets. Laughing so hard you shoot milk out of your nose.

The girl grows up, falls in love, begins her adult life, and as she faces her own struggles, the list grows into the thousands, taking on a life of its own. Having dessert as a main course. Really good oranges. Dreams of flying. Nina Simone's voice. And then what happens? For this, you'll have to come see!

Guest Director Robin Fawcett, who recently directed the Vermont Stage Company hit Fun Home, says, "Every Brilliant Thing is a pearl spun from the grit of life. It offers a timeless indulgence in the pleasure of live storytelling. Our storyteller, Aly Perry, is a wonder; she has the beguiling ability to set an audience at ease and draw us into this intimate tale in a way that makes it more of an immersive experience than a show."

"Every Brilliant Thing is a heart-wrenching, hilarious play... One of the funniest plays you'll ever see about depression. There is something tough being confronted here - the guilt of not being able to make those we love happy - and it is explored with unflinching honesty." - The Guardian

"We've chosen to bring Every Brilliant Thing to the Vermont Coffee Company Playhouse because of the warmth and intimacy of the space," says Producer Melissa Lourie. "Aly will be performing the show in the round, which allows us to create a unique experience for our audience."

Although we are 'Off-Broadway' at the Playhouse, tickets can still be purchased though the Town Hall Theater's Box Office at: 802-382-9222 or online at www.townhalltheater.org
. The show runs June 20 - 22 at 7:30pm and June 23 at 2pm. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students. Every Brilliant Thing will be touring to The Phantom Theater in Warren in July, and to The FlynnSpace in September. See www.middleburyactors for more information.

Please join us on Sunday, June 23 after the 2pm matinee for a post-show talk back with Mark Nash, former artistic director of Vermont Stage and currently a licensed psychotherapist in private practice in Burlington.