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CEDAR CITY — The Utah Shakespeare Festival production of “Every Brilliant Thing” debuted in July to rave reviews, giving audiences an intimate, uplifting and life-affirming take on a heavy subject — depression and suicide.
On Friday, the festival announced that the play is hitting the road when its run concludes in October, traveling to high schools throughout the state to bring its message of hope to the young Utahns who may need it the most.
According to a news release, the festival is offering free productions of “Every Brilliant Thing” to every public high school and university in the state. With more than 150 school showings and 10 public performances anticipated, the release says the play will reach over 75,000 students during the tour.
Donn Jersey, Utah Shakespeare Festival’s director of development and communications, said in the release he hopes the tour “starts a conversation and removes the secrets that can cause suffering so healing can be a real possibility for those affected by depression and suicidal thoughts.”
“Brian Vaughn, our artistic director, really fell in love with the script,” Jersey explained Friday. “This play is talking about a topic that, unfortunately, is a problem in the state of Utah.
“This play is a public service. We want to take it out, we want to give the great message of hope that this play has.”
Jersey said the tour has begun its scheduling process. It is slated to tour the state through February, and information about the show and its 10 public performances can be found at www.bard.org/brillianttour-info and the festival’s social media pages.
“Every Brilliant Thing” is a one-actor show, by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe, that follows its narrator as he or she compiles an ever-growing list of reasons to live, starting with item No. 1: ice cream. “This inventive, beautifully rendered theatrical experience is unique in the way the audience becomes a support community for the narrator and gains rich insights along the way about the things hiding in plain sight that make life worthwhile,” the release says.
Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox praises the show in the release as well, saying he believes the performances will “save lives.”
“Many youth today do not have adequate support structures and demand our attention and the encouragement from efforts like this,” Cox says.
Michael Doherty stars in the play’s Cedar City performances; he will direct the touring production, which will involve two separate companies featuring actors Samae Allred, Cordell Cole, Kat Lee and Jeremy Thompson.
The tour will include resources and information for struggling students. It is sponsored by the State of Utah, the Department of Heritage and Arts, the Utah Department of Arts and Museums, the Rural Health Division of Southern Utah, Southern Utah University, the Ashton Family Foundation and the Hemingway Foundation.
“The support from the state and the schools has been incredible,” Jersey said. “It’s been amazing. … It’s the first time in our 58-year history we’ve done anything like this. We’ve done Shakespeare in schools, but nothing like this. We’re proud of the effort and grateful for the support.”
The play runs through Oct. 12 in Cedar City on the Southern Utah University campus.
