Written by orange• November 4, 2024• 9:05 pm• Chapman, Review, Theater, Uncategorized

Everybody @ Chapman University – Review

photo credit: Alissa Roseborough

Written by Patrick Chavis

Everybody is playing now at Chapman University, Waltmar Theatre, November 1 – 9, 2024.

Chapman University’s Amanda McRaven-directed production of Everybody explores the concept of death through a fresh, modern retelling of an ancient piece called Everyman.

Everybody included a couple of fun, let’s call them, mechanisms that help tell the story. One I will mention is that in every show, the five actors chosen for a role for the night are selected through a lottery system, and they will play that part on the night, making every performance a little bit different. It’s a little like life, unpredictable! Because of this mechanism, the five actors must memorize all five script parts and be prepared to perform. The second mechanism I won’t mention.

Surprise is a spice of life.

Find out at the theater. On my night, Sasha Pevec played the main character, Everybody, who goes on a journey to his final resting place and learns deep insights about life, family, and society.

Story:

Because the show is unconventional, I could see how someone could perceive a play like this as gimmicky. But I think they would have to ignore the play’s central message, which is pretty straightforward and never obscured. As I mentioned earlier in the review, all of the mechanisms added to this play highlight an indisputable fact. This might sound a little dark, but we are all human, and one day, we will pass away, and that’s Everybody.

There’s nothing pretentious about it. It’s pretty clever, and while I don’t come from the camp of thinking that because it’s old, it’s wise. We did a lot of dump and terrible things in the past. I still believe ancient stories and wisdom hold true today as we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. At the very least, this is a good piece that you can go to, have a conversation with your girlfriend or boyfriend afterward, and ponder life, which could possibly go in a good direction. The piece has a good balance of comedy and tenderness as you mull through the challenging subject matter.

Design:

Destiny Manewal’s scenic design consisted of simple movable pillars accented with moving and moody, colorful lighting from designer Camille Roberts. The show is a beautiful example of what you can accomplish with the proper lighting. I think we can thank the good acoustics at Waltmar Theater. The use of microphones for certain performers and the effects on those microphones brought a bit of humor and clarity to important speaking moments. Excellent design work from this team, and it really helped bring this story to life. Hug the lighting person. They might save your show ya-never now.

Imagine learning one set of lines and how hard that is—and then having to learn five different parts and be ready every night. And this cast delivers. OMG! They were great at this.

Acting:

Sasha Pevec played the main character in the performance, showing a strong sense of foreboding and understandable sadness, considering the character’s position in the play.

While Matthew Layton (The Usher) does not play one of the Everybody characters in the play, he does play two different parts, the Usher and another character, Understanding, with great confidence and sensitivity.

Maddie Thomas (Love) brings to life one of the funnier moments in the play, and Thomas has excellent emotional range for the character.

This play might be about Everybody, but it might not be for everyone, in this reviewer’s opinion. It’s definitely worth a viewing.