Stage West Presents Regional Premiere Of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' EVERYBODY
By: A.A. Cristi Dec. 13, 2018
Morality and Mortality have never been such a perfect pair!
Everybody has come to the end of life and is being summoned by the one "upstairs," leading them on a journey toward the bittersweet truth that we all eventually must face. Oh...and did we mention that the roles are assigned via lottery? That's right - the cast's roles will be decided during each performance by lottery, so as is true in life, Everybody could be anybody. No pressure! Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' 2018 Pulitzer-Finalist play Everybody, a comedic and heartfelt riff on the 15th century morality play Everyman, will begin its 5-week regional premiere run on Thursday, December 27 at Fort Worth's Stage West.
It's sure not your dusty, ancient old morality play. The sensibility is very modern, with plenty of snark. But like its ancestor, it begins with the Almighty calling upon Death to summon Everybody to the ultimate reckoning. After their initial shock, and a failed attempt to wriggle out of judgment, Everybody asks if they can bring someone with them on this unexpected journey. Turns out they can-if they can get someone to agree to go, that is. So they start their search. Can they succeed, or are they, ultimately, alone? And are we? It's a unique and thought-provoking theatrical journey which is not to be missed!
The New Yorker called it "Lovely. Fills the heart in a new and unexpected way."
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' plays include Neighbors (Public Theater), Appropriate (Actors Theatre of Louisville, Victory Gardens Theater, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and Signature Theatre), An Octoroon (Soho Rep), Everybody, and War. He is a Residency Five playwright at Signature Theatre and a Lila Acheson Wallace Fellow at the Juilliard School. Additionally, his work has been seen at the Vineyard Theatre, the Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles, Company One in Boston, and the HighTide Festival in the United Kingdom. He has taught at New York University and Queens University of Charlotte, and his honors include the Paula Vogel Award in Playwriting, the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award, and the inaugural Tennessee Williams Award. He holds an MA in Performance Studies.
Everybody will be directed by Jake Nice, who most recently produced and directed Young Jean Lee's We're Gonna Die. The ensemble cast features several actors making their Stage West mainstage debuts: Jovane Caamaño, seen in Undermain's production of The Lady from the Sea, Bwalya Chisanga, who appeared in Dallas Children's Theater's Treasure Island, Olivia Cinquepalmi, seen in Peter and the Starcatcher at CityRep, Ryan Michael Friedman, whose credits include The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe at Florida Studio Theatre, Megan Haratine, who appeared in The Importance of Being Earnest at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, and Summer Stern, seen in The Innocents at Richardson Theatre Center. Rounding out the cast are Marcus M. Mauldin, last at Stage West in Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Amy Mills, most recently seen at Stage West in Mr. Burns, a post-electric play, and Mark Shum, seen in last summer's hit Don't Dress for Dinner.
Set design is by Inseung Park, with lighting design by Tristan Decker, costume design by Ryan D. Schaap, sound design by David Lanza, movement choreography by Danielle Georgiou, and props/set decor by Lynn Lovett.
Everybody will preview Thursday, December 27 at 7:30 and Friday, December 28 at 8:00, and will run through Sunday, January 27. Performance times will be Thursday evenings at 7:30, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00, with Sunday matinees at 3:00. Ticket prices range from $31 to $35, with discounts for the preview performance, and for students, seniors, and military. Food service is available 90 minutes prior to performances (reservations are advised). Reservations and information are available through the Box Office (817-784-9378), or on the website, www.stagewest.org.
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