每个人都

An Unconventional Play 探索s the Meaning of Life

Presented by the 365滚球官网 Department of Theatre 艺术, "每个人都" by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a morality play about what it means to live, what it means to die, and the journey in between.

Written by Branden Jacob-Jenkins, the play was a 2018 Pulitzer Prize finalist and is a modern adaptation of the fifteenth-century morality play, "The Summoning of Everyman," one of the earliest known plays in the English language.

Morality plays offered meaning in God’s world and by staging them outside of the church it reinforced the idea that God was not only found in hallowed halls, 但无处不在.

A Saucy Adaptation of Heaven, Hellfire and Humanity

While "每个人都" is based on an old play, its themes ring true to our current cultural zeitgeist with provocative moments and good old-fashioned debauchery. This is not a play for children, but at its heart, the message is positive.

“'每个人都' strives to remind audiences that humanity is the thread that links us all,特纳说。, a 美术硕士 候选人在 365滚球官网 and director of the play.

“We’re living in a time where we are so very divided. We’re scared and everything is a touch uncertain. This story reminds us of our humanity, 我们的力量, and of all the things that connect us,”她说。.

A Unique Show Every Performance

The play is unique in that it uses a lottery system to choose roles for every performance, so no two shows are ever alike. The character of “每个人都” is selected from a group of “Somebodies” by lottery at the beginning of the play. The other “Somebodies” are also selected by chance to take up other roles in the play. This lottery system symbolizes the randomness of life and death. As “每个人都” journeys through life's choices, the audience is brought along to decipher what it is to be human.

The cast includes Kalyssa Montoya, 汉娜威尔第, 路加福音McGreevy, 佩顿埃德蒙兹, Anthony Kirby and Emma Von Till, all students within the College of Letters, 艺术 and Social Sciences; Tanya Thompson, Carly McMinn and 月桂快乐, 美术硕士 candidates in the Department of Theatre 艺术; David Harlan, an alumni of U of I Theatre 艺术; and Chloe Forsberg, daughter of cast member, 月桂快乐.

Behind the scenes, an artistic team is creating the look of the world that the cast will inhabit. Even with "每个人都" being a livestream Zoom production, great thought and care are taken to tell the story visually through scenic design, 服装, 灯, 声音和道具. All work together to reinforce director Turner’s vision.

The design team includes Brindle Brundage, 米歇尔Dormaier, 里约热内卢施皮尔, 安德鲁•尤德, 佩顿埃德蒙兹, 哈德利Cabito, 艾米丽Romanoski, Ari烧伤, Cynthia Ball and Kevin Russell.

“This play is so important,” said Turner. “It’s about diversity and love and the journeys we take. It’s about digging deep and learning about ourselves. It’s about understanding that everyone else is on their own journey that is very similar to our own. Even though we don’t know what happens when we reach the destination, we’re all on our way.”

This production is intended for mature audiences and contains adult language and situations.

Article by Princess Kannah, BFA candidate in Performance
Department of Theatre 艺术
Published February 2021