New Stages Theatre Company: Every Brilliant Thing

Starring: Steve Ross

Directed by: Linda Kash

Trigger Warning : contains themes of mental health and suicide.

Recommended audience: 14+

Every Brilliant Thing is a life-affirming story of how hope can be maintained by focusing on the things in life that are profound in their simplicity.  The play avoids the familiar way plays and films depict depression and self-destruction by writing the story with humour that includes stand-up comedy and audience participation that keeps the play entertaining and fun yet moving and relatable.

Stratford actor Steve Ross plays an adult man whose family history of mental illness has affected him more deeply than he realizes.  Breaking the 4^th wall, the audience plays an important role in assisting the actor in telling the story.

Every Brilliant Thing is about the realities each of us face and reminds us to appreciate the joys of being alive and what it means to be human.  And that is what the best of theatre does.

Every Brilliant Thing is a life-affirming, wholesome and simple story of how existential hope is achieved by focusing on the miracles of life’s minutiae. – TORONTO STAR

“Every Brilliant Thing may be the funniest show about depression you’ve ever seen… about finding reasons to live rather than reasons to die. And those reasons can be as minute as wearing a cape and as big as falling in love.” – NEW YORK POST

“If you’ve finally had your fill of “It’s a Wonderful Life” but are still in search of seasonal catharsis, might I suggest a very charming alternative, one that offers sentimentality without shame? It’s called “Every Brilliant Thing,” and it’s pretty much guaranteed to keep your eyes brimming.” —NEW YORK TIMES

★★★★★ “heart-wrenching, hilarious…one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see about depression – and possibly one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, full stop” —THE GUARDIAN

★★★★ “Funny, clever and surprisingly uplifting.” —TELEGRAPH, UK

“Filled to the brim with joy…beautiful, heart-wrenching and very funny.” —TIME OUT LONDON

“A life-affirming gem…as profound a work as you are ever likely to experience…” —NY1

“Every Brilliant Thing is evidence, which we may need, that life matters, and that theatre matters.” —FUSE

Steve Ross:

Steve has just completed his 16^th season at The Stratford Festival.  His credits there include The Rocky Horror Show, Guys and Dolls, Shakespeare in Love, Hamlet, The Alchemist, Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof, Tommy, Kiss Me, Kate, Cyrano de Bergerac, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Comedy of Errors and Richard II.

Other credits include Shrek, A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story, A Little Night Music (Grand Theatre, London), Assassins (Talk Is Free Theatre, Barrie and Toronto/Manitoba Theatre Centre), The Full Monty (Rainbow Stage), Seussical (Theatre Aquarius), A Year with Frog and Toad )Manitoba Theatre for Young People/Citadel Theatre), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, West Side Story, A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre), The Producers (Mirvish/Neptune Theatre), Into the Woods, London Road, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Canadian Stage) and The Foursome, For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again (New Stages Theatre Company).

Linda Kash:

Linda Kash began her career at the Second City in Toronto where she performed, directed and conducted workshops.  She has appeared in and directed a number of plays, films and television shows throughout Canada, the United and Europe as well as Russia and New Zealand.  More recent directorial projects include The Year of the Suddenly, Colin Mochrie in Hyprov for Just for Laughs and the Edinburgh Festival, Beneath Springhill, a one-man show with Beau Dixon, Wreck Wee Em, and Thornton Wilder’s Our Town for New Stages.

Linda co-founded a Performing Arts School (Peterborough Academy of Performing Arts) with her late husband Paul O’Sullivan.  She  is best known as ‘The Philadelphia Cream Cheese Angel’ to many (a successful campaign which ran for 16 years) and was a guest star on Seinfeld.

How to get to the Theatre on King (with Meg Murphy):

Every Brilliant Thing Facebook Group: A place to write your own brilliant things

Every Brilliant Thing Media Release

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