Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a morality play about what it means to live, what it means to die, and the journey in between. It is a modern adaptation of the fifteenth-century morality play, The Summoning of Everyman, one of the earliest known plays in the English language.

Unique to each production is the cast, through a lottery each night, five Somebodies are given roles throughout the play - one the titular Everybody, with the others playing roles such as Friendship, Kinship, Cousin, Stuff, Strength, Mind, Senses, Beauty, and Evil. Each staging is unique, with 120 different cast combinations that can occur over the course of a theatrical run.

This particular production focused on the liminality of life and death and the things that make up that experience. A kinetic sculpture in the air above the performance space created of recognizable objects was manipulated using shifts in lighting and projections to bring various pieces of life in and out of focus as the show moved through the experiences in life. The sculpture itself also pivoted and ascended and descended between scenes, creating unique play spaces for each environment required. The flooring created of a quilt of Midwestern flooring styles brought the more abstract structure above into more realistic focus below. 

Orchestral elements were placed in the grid above the playing space for a unique auditory experience, while dancers emerged from voms and the grave within the central space to create an all encompassing experience. 

Projection elements following a trend of seasons through the year were added to the moments typically in the dark to provide both visual interest along with a thought piece to underscore the moments where the character Everybody comes to the realization they are dying. 

Playwright: Branden Jacob-Jenkins

Venue: Flanagan Theatre, Grinnell College

Date: October 2023

Director: Karie Miller

Musical Director: Putu Hiranmayena

Choreographer: Dewa Ayu Eka Putri

Stage Manager: Nina Bigelow, Natalie Nardone, Tyler Quade

Scenic and Projection Design: Kaelen Novak 

Costume Design: Erin Howell-Gritsch

Light Design: Jackie Fox

Sound Design: Jon Murphy