A common feat for any quality theater production is to make the audience feel as though they are part of the act; a far rarer one is to actually incorporate untrained audience members as vital members of the performance. To do so for a one-person production on the heavy topics of depression and sui cide? It may seem unthinkable, yet it’s precisely why Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe’s Every Brilliant Thing works so well — and why no two performances will ever be exactly the same. Nationally, Every Brilliant Thing has been in the headlines because its Broadway production was nominated for two Tony awards: Best Revival of a Play and Best Actor for star Daniel Radcliffe. Locally, the Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) in Frederick, Maryland, has launched its own production, running through June 14. Directed by Tad Janes, the MET’s production will rotate through three actors: Shea-Mikal Green, Jeremy Myers, and Nadia Pallacios. (Myers headlined the performance I watched.) Part dramatic monologue, part improv show, Every Brilliant Thing opens the day the nameless narrator’s mother first attempts suicide, and then chronicles the ongoing impact it has on the narrator’s life and relationships well into adulthood. We witness the narrator in a childhood counseling session, as a college student diving into research on depression and suicide, as a young adult in love, as an older adult dealing with their own depression and self-isolation. Jeremy Myers as Narrator in ‘Every Brilliant Thing.’ Photo by David Spence. Uniting the story is the narrator’s goal to create a list of “every brilliant thing” for his mother — a list to remember why life is worth living. (Number one? Ice cream.) Items on the list grow in complexity as the character grows: “Wearing a cape.” “The way Ray Charles sings ‘you.’” “The even-numbered Star Trek films.” “Sex.”  This list is what enables Every Brilliant Thing’s uniquely powerful approach of incorporating the audience. As one would expect in a one-person show, each lead actor’s approach to the character onstage will transform the viewing experience. But since audience members are recruited to be part of the show each night, no two performances of the play will be exactly the same. Before the show starts, the actor and some other members of the MET’s team recruit willing audience members to participate in certain roles, while others are handed slips of paper or small props with items from the narrator’s list on them. (I got two pieces of paper and a piece of bubble wrap.) When in the course of his performance, Myers would call out a number, the audience member would call back the item in their hand. At other moments, Myers would borrow items or even a chair from audience members, or bring the previously recruited members to the stage for their portion of the show, guiding them with prompts or handing them small props that featured the lines they could read and continue the narrative along. This communal feature is precisely why Every Brilliant Thing can handle such heavy topics with such deftness, even lightness at moments when it should be particularly heavy. “When I first read this play I thought, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this’ which always intrigues me,” Janes shares in his director’s note. “It also handles some very difficult subjects with delicacy, honesty, and [a] great deal of joy.” Indeed, the improvisational nature of the production brought several moments of delighted laughter and tender moments. It gave Myers the chance to display his sheer deftness in balancing the emotional, physical, and mental demands of a monologue with the quick-wittedness needed to play off the energy and approach of the audience members he engaged. Shea-Mikal Green as Narrator in ‘Every Brilliant Thing.’ Photo by David Spence. The MET’s stage setup also helps greatly with the intimacy of this production. Props, lighting, and sound cues are sparse, making those moments when they appeared quite notable. Stage manager and lighting designer Shayden Jamison notably turned the lights dimmer at a key moment when the narrator struggled with his own depression; sound designer Kevin Lloyd used brief bits of music to help emphasize key moments, like when the narrator first glimpsed the person he later married, often with the achievement of getting another laugh from the audience. Props designer Lori Boyd needed only a handful of items throughout the production — a stool, a book, a keyboard, for example — but the timing of getting them through the crowd to where they were needed was smooth and excellent.  The stage itself is a simple elevated platform surrounded by the audience, which is small enough that the lead actor can reach or make eye contact with every member as needed throughout the performance. This again was a great advantage for an actor like Myers; his enthusiasm for the role was particularly contagious in such a small space, empowering the audience members to lean into the impromptu roles they were given. Ultimately, the strength of the MET’s production of Every Brilliant Thing lies in how it cultivates a level of trust that is required when engaging heavy topics. In everyday life, you don’t talk about the personal impacts of depression or suicide with just anyone, after all; you do so with trusted people in your community who are invested in their relationship with you and in seeing you succeed. By bringing the audience into the performance, every member has a level of investment in the narrator’s story they would not have otherwise, and they have the performer’s trust to read out their line — sometimes a pivotal one — when the moment comes. In an age of profound distrust, Every Brilliant Thing’s ability to bring a crowd of strangers together for such a communal, personal experience on an important topic is, in itself, a brilliant thing. Running Time: Approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. Every Brilliant Thing plays through June 14, 2026, at Maryland Ensemble Theatre‘s Robin Drummond Main Stage, 31 W Patrick Street, Frederick, MD. Tickets ($7–$36, fees included) can be purchased by phone at 301-694-4744, online, or in person at the MET box office, open Tuesday to Thursday, 12–6 p.m., Fridays 12–4 p.m., and one hour before performances. Pay-What-You-Will discounts are available to students, seniors, and military, starting at $7 per performance, while supplies last.  The Friday, May 22 performance features ASL interpretation.  Every Brilliant ThingBy Duncan Macmillan and Jonny DonahoeDirected by Tad Janes CAST PERFORMANCE DATESShea-Mikal Green performs on May 23, 29, June 6, 11, and 12Jeremy Myers performs on May 30, June 4, 5, and 14Nadia Palacios performs on May 22, 31, June 7, and 13 PRODUCTION TEAMStage Manager: Shayden JamisonSound Designer: Kevin LloydScenic Designer: Cody JamesLighting Designer: Shayden JamisonAssistant Stage Manager: Hellen Gutierrez DiazAssistant Stage Manager: Samantha BonProps Designer: Lori BoydTechnical Director: Cody JamesProduction Manager: Matt Harris ...read more read less