Every Brilliant Thing

by Duncan MacMiller

What makes life worth living? Perhaps it’s “1857: planning a declaration of love” or… “996: Really good oranges.” Or maybe just “1092: conversation.”

Every Brilliant Thing is a one-person play by Duncan MacMiller. The narrator, from the age of seven, strives to cope with his mother’s depression and suicide attempts by creating a list of everything that makes life worth living.

Filling the space with gratitude, hope, and joy, audiences will be invited to help the performer create and recite the list.

The format of the event will consist of:

65 minute performance of Every Brilliant Thing
3-4 community panelists will kick off the discussion with their gut responses to what resonated with them.
We will open the discussion to the audience, facilitated by a member of the production team. The event in total will last 2 hours.

PLEASE NOTE: Every Brilliant Thing includes references to in-depth discussions of mental health, depression, suicide, suicide attempts and prevention, death, and brief mentions of drug overdose, self-harm, needles, loss of a parent, loss of a pet, and hospitalization.

For all inquiries, please contact:

samantha.white@yale.edu