Shea-Mikal Green. Photo by David Spence Photography.
What would you put on a list of every brilliant thing worth living for? “Every Brilliant Thing” is a play that answers this question for one person and invites the audience to consider what they might add to the list. Within the play itself those answers might be curated, but everyone certainly has their own items they would add if given the chance. This is a big part of what makes “Every Brilliant Thing” such a powerful play. It was written by Duncan Macmillan and Johnny Donahoe and first premiered in 2013 at the Ludlow Fringe Festival. The play made its Broadway debut in 2026 and currently has nominations for two Tony Awards. Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s production is directed by Tad Janes, with three different cast members featured as the unnamed, main character throughout the run—Jeremy Myers, Shea-Mikal Green, and Nadia Palacios. This review features Shea-Maikal Green who covered a wide range of emotions in a short one-act span with the acuity and grace that the subject matter requires.
Shea-Maikal Green.…covered a wide range of emotions in a short one-act span with the acuity and grace that the subject matter requires…an emotional whirlwind in the best possible way.
“Every Brilliant Thing” follows an unnamed narrator (Green) who grapples with trying to understand what it means for their mother to be suicidal and severely depressed, and follows the impact that it has over the course of their life. The list is the direct result of this, surfacing and resurfacing at various key points in the narrator’s life, allowing Green and the audience to understand what it means over time. It takes skill to navigate the topics of this play and the emotions within with ease and Green delivers.
There is some light audience participation and the stagehands do a good job of explaining the dynamic and allowing you to say no if you do not wish to do so. The majority of the audience participation comes down to saying a single word or sentence, cued by the lead mentioning numbers on a list. A handful of audience members were brought to the stage to play a few chosen parts as Green tells the story.
The production shines on a technical level, even with the simplicity of the show itself. The lighting was very deliberately designed by Shayden Jamison. The lights stayed on almost entirely throughout the show. This was practical, allowing Green to have eye contact with the audience members as they shouted out their receptive items on the list, and created more ease of movement around the tiny theatre. However, in a few key moments, the lighting matched the scene perfectly—for example, with the audience dance party and at the very end, highlighting just Green. Sound design by Kevin Lloyd was brilliantly coordinated as well. In moments mentioning music, the songs would be playing overhead but at a perfect level of immersion without being overwhelming.
When audience members received brilliant things on their list, some of them were written directly on the objects (a red solo cup, a beer can, a Superman doll, and a sea shell). This was a very fun touch coordinated by Props Designer Lori Boyd but probably only noticed by audience members holding the items in question. The small detail was likely missed entirely by audience members if they only received a sheet of paper and were not paying attention. The object element tied to the list is addressed in the play, but there is a missed opportunity to highlight the props given to the audience associated with it.
At some point you will see yourself or someone you know reflected in the list. To quote “Every Brilliant Thing” directly, “If you live a long life and get to the end of it without ever once feeling crushingly depressed, then you probably haven’t been paying attention.” This acknowledgement is what makes this play so human. At the same time, the reminder to look for those brilliant things is what sticks with you as you leave the performance. Despite the heaviness of the show’s topics, there is a hopefulness that stubbornly stays. “Every Brilliant Thing” is an emotional whirlwind in the best possible way. Under the direction of Ted Janes, Maryland Ensemble Theatre does a brilliant job of finding the emotional balance of this play and bringing the audience along for the ride.
Running Time: One hour and 30 minutes with no intermission.
Advisory: Mentions of suicide and extreme depression.
“Every Brilliant Thing” runs through June 14, 2026 at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s Robin Drummond MainStage, 31 West Patrick Street, Frederick, MD, 21701. For more information and to purchase tickets, call the Box Office at 301.694.4744 Tuesday-Thursday: 12 pm-6 pm and Friday: 12 pm-4 pm, one hour before the show, or go online.
