Cape Rep’s 40th Season Opens With A ‘Brilliant’ Production

“Every Brilliant Thing,” Cape Rep’s first production of their 40th season, is simply brilliant. 

This poignant play is the story of a young boy growing up with a mother who attempted suicide when he was 7 years old. The boy’s coping mechanism is to make a list of everything worth living for, “every brilliant thing” he sees, feels and does, from eating ice cream to hearing Christopher Walken's voice. 

After seeing this show, one of the entries on my “Every Brilliant Thing” list should be experiencing this production. 

Playwright Duncan MacMillan (with Jonny Donahoe) based the play on true and untrue stories, much as any of us do when we look back at our life. The lead character uses music, sad times, glorious times and even everyday things to make his way through the world with his struggling mother, trying to instill the gift of hope in them both. I particularly loved how he introduced a song and described the sound of playing it on vinyl. Anyone who has laid a needle on the record on a turntable can relate to that sound.  The play is full of relatable things like that, on so many levels. You’ll find yourself watching with a wide grin and often then feel a tug at your heart.

The play is interactive. The audience is a part of the show. So every time you go it will be a little different. Actor Lewis D. Wheeler handled every little foible or mishap that the audience handed him with professionalism and never missed a beat. Wheeler is phenomenal. 

Literally being part of the show helps you connect deeply with it. It really is more than a play; it's an experience. This lovely theater in the woods always thinks outside the box, and just when you think you’ve seen all a theater can do they surprise you with something new. 

Wheeler may be the only person you see on stage, but there are so many people behind the scenes that contribute to each layer of the production. First, this new venue! “Every Brilliant Thing” is performed in the Crosby Barn on the Cape Rep campus. You’ve walked by the barn for years.  Fundraising for its rehabilitation began in earnest in 2017, and now it’s ready for prime time. Thanks to the generosity of donations from the art-appreciating public (there’s a matching fundraiser going on right now thanks to one couple) and the skills of talented folks at the Rep with construction know-how, the space is unique yet practical. I can’t wait to see what they do here next!  

The production crew on “Every Brilliant Thing” should all be recognized, too. Julie Allen Hamilton’s direction, Robin McLaughlin’s costume design, Susan Nicholson’s lighting design, Maura Hanlon’s sound design with stage manager Chelsey Jo Brown all had a part in this fabulous show. 

One quote from the play can resonate with all of us. “If you live a long life and get to the end of it without ever once having felt crushingly depressed, then you probably haven’t been paying attention.” I would also say that if you never felt like you just witnessed something incredible, you need to start going to see shows like this. Don’t miss it! 

 The play is about 90 minutes or so, and not recommended for children under 13.