"EVERYBODY" Fall Theatre Production Press Release
The Saint Mary's College Theatre Program welcomes the return to in-person performances with a production of EVERYBODY, by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. A finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize, EVERYBODY is a wise and joyful riff on the fifteenth-century morality play Everyman. Guest Artist Daniel Larlham directs the production, which will be performed outdoors in a lovely natural setting, from Wednesday, Nov. 3 - Saturday, Nov. 6 (at 5pm); and on Sunday, Nov. 7 at 4pm.
The action follows an ordinary human, Everybody, on their final journey to life’s greatest mystery—mortality itself. When Death comes calling, Everybody begs to be allowed companions for the trip: but Friendship, Kinship, Cousin, and Stuff each rebuff Everybody’s invitation; Beauty, Strength, Senses, and Mind also decline. Only Love remains by Everybody’s side to the end. MacArthur “genius” Branden Jacobs-Jenkins transforms this timeless tale about mortality with comic energy and a satirical edge. In his hands, EVERYBODY playfully satirizes contemporary culture even as it refreshes our gratitude for the gift of life.
To bring EVERYBODY to Saint Mary’s audiences, Daniel Larlham has assembled a cast reflecting the diversity of Saint Mary’s student body and showcasing the talents of its award-winning theatre program. In a twist on theatrical convention, the lead character (called “Everybody”) will be played by three different actors: Aero England, Naomi Kalter, and Xavier Romero. Which of them will play “Everybody” on any given night will be determined by lottery at the start of each performance. Sixteen protean actors, some newcomers, some audience favorites, personify the allegorical characters Everybody encounters:
Chloë Parmelee-Laporte (God), Connor McGilvray (Evil) and Skyelar Clouse (Death) balance grandeur and irreverent comedy in their outsized roles. As Senses (Elaina Carleton), Friendship (Sara Guillen), Kinship (Weston Wheatley), Stuff (Jay Urzanqui) and Cousin (Gabriella Thomas), the actors playfully poke at human foibles like self-interest, superficiality, escapism, and denial. Mind (Ka’Nayah Landers-Daniels), Beauty (Emma Ledesma), Time (Kale Manibusan), and Strength (Cheyenne Torres) also prove unreliable. Only Understanding and Love (played with gentle dignity by Will Thompson and Ryanne Biernat) remain by Everybody’s side as the end draws near. A chorus of seven Psychopomps serve as divine guides for the soul after death; to create these fantastical beings, Ka’Nayah Landers-Daniels, Emma Ledesma, Kale Manibusan, Connor McGilvray, Will Thompson and Cheyenne Torres each devised their own backstory and drew from a different cultural tradition. Two ensemble members, Avery Monson and Sarah Shaughnessy, are the cheeky Ushers, blurring the line between college campus and the world of the play.
Director Daniel Larlham is an innovative performance-maker, teaching artist and scholar whose previous Saint Mary’s productions include Dance Nation, Lysistrata, Twelfth Night, The Good Person of Setzuan and The School for Lies. This fall Larlham also spearheads the College’s Climate Change Theatre Action, part of a worldwide series of readings and performances timed to coincide with the United Nations’ COP conferences on the climate crisis. (http://www.climatechangetheatreaction.com/)
In an ingenious move, Larlham and his creative team have staged EVERYBODY in Saint Mary’s Redwood Grove – a pristine outdoor setting a short walk from central campus. Against a backdrop of stunning natural beauty, Bay Area theatre professional Brooke Jennings (costumes), Stephanie Johnson (lights) and Deanna Zibello (scenic effects) elevate the production with well-chosen design elements. Also featured are dance sequences and live music, devised and performed by the cast under the leadership of student choreographer Skyelar Clouse, Assistant Choreographers Chloë Parmelee and Elaina Carleton; and student Music Director Sarah Shaughnessy, with Assistant Music Directors Elaina Carleton and Connor McGilvray.
See promo video at bottom of page.
In-person performance dates:
Wednesday, November 3 (5 pm)
Thursday, November 4 (5 pm)
Friday, November 5 (5 pm)
Saturday, November 6 (5 pm)
Sunday, November 7 (4 pm)
Pre-recorded streaming option:
Sunday, November 14 (12:01 am to 11:59 pm)
Tickets limited – reserve early
E-tickets: $8 SMC students: $12 SMC faculty and staff, non-SMC students; $15 general.
Purchase tickets online at www.stmarys-ca.edu/everybody at least 24-hours prior to performance. Information: 925-631-4670 or tms8@stmarys-ca.edu