University of Idaho to present ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ in honor of suicide awareness

MOSCOW, Idaho — In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week, University of Idaho will host two performances of “Every Brilliant Thing” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, at the Forge Theater, 404 Sweet Ave., Moscow.

The play, which includes discussions of suicide and depression, is sponsored by Idaho Repertory Theatre, the Dean of Students Office and Vandal Health Education.

The script, written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donohoe, explores themes of mental health awareness in a play the Guardian describes as “one of the funniest plays you'll ever see about depression — and possibly one of the funniest plays you'll ever see, full stop.”

Life is full of momentous events, highs and lows, triumphs and losses, but rarely has such a broad range of universal emotions been captured so lovingly and humorously in such a brilliant, tiny package.

This life-affirming play will make you grin from ear to ear, move you to laughter and at times bring you to tears. By the end, you will want to hug your neighbors, call your loved ones and then put on your favorite piece of music and recount all your blessings.

Craig A. Miller from the U of I Department of Theatre stars in this one-actor show.

“The most important takeaway from the play is the gentle reminder of just how prevalent mental health issues are in the lives of every single person who comes to the theater and hears this story,” Miller said. “Let’s face it, no one in today’s world is untouched by mental health challenges, whether they’re our own or those of someone we know and love. This play’s power is in how it uses laughter and tears to dismantle the stigma around mental health struggles and empower the audience with the knowledge that help is available — in Moscow and on our campus — for anyone and everyone who finds themselves in the midst of those struggles.”

This is the fourth consecutive year that “Every Brilliant Thing” is being produced at U of I in connection with suicide awareness.

The shows are free for U of I students or $10 for general admission. Proceeds benefit suicide awareness on campus. Tickets can be reserved online at uitickets.com.

For information about other upcoming events from the Department of Theatre Arts, visit uidaho.edu/theatre.

Media contact

Alisa Volz
Communications specialist
Department of Theatre Arts and Lionel Hampton School of Music
208-885-5627
avolz@uidaho.edu