As part of an effort to destigmatize mental health among community members, UNC is putting on 14 performances of "Every Brilliant Thing" across campus in the coming weeks.
"Every Brilliant Thing," originally written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe, is an interactive, one-actor play that seeks to reframe the narrative of mental health and suicide awareness through comedy and an appreciation for the small things in life.
Throughout the show, the unnamed main character creates a list of "every brilliant thing" about life as they struggle to maintain a sense of normalcy in the shadow of their mother's mental illness.
Creating the list is the driving force of the plot, and is ever-present throughout the snippets of their life that the audience is allowed to witness.
Tom Quaintance, the show's director, referenced a quote about a previous performance of the play, calling it the "funniest play you'll ever see about depression, and maybe the funniest play you'll ever see."
He said that the play takes care of its audience through humor.
"It is about community and taking care of people," Quaintance said.
The play features scripted comedy, a built-in soundtrack by a DJ and a number of scenes that rely on audience participation, which ranges from calling out lines to playing the parts of major characters, sometimes in multiple instances.
“The way it opens people up — and it sounds cliche, but it makes you feel a little less alone — is really kind of extraordinary,” Vivienne Benesch, PlayMakers Repertory Company's producing artistic director, said.
