The end of the regular school year at the University of Idaho doesn’t mean that the community can no longer come together and experience live theater. For the first time in several years, the Idaho Repertory Theater, or IRT, is performing shows for the Moscow community this summer.
To start, June 17 – 26 there will be showings of “Every Brilliant Thing”, starring UI professor Craig Miller and directed by recent UI graduate Princess Kannah. This long-awaited return of IRT is sure to be a treat for audiences, as it explores living with someone who struggles with depression and finding joy in the little things.
The Idaho Repertory Theater has been a part of the Moscow community for many decades, until recently in 2016 when funding issues and later COVID-19 forced the program into a hiatus. But it has been a priority of the Chair of Theatre Arts, Robert Caisley, to get the program back up and running to bring summer theater back to Moscow. IRT gives professional actors from across the Pacific Northwest a chance to showcase their talents, including U of I faculty like Craig Miller who is starring in this show.
With the help of the Ambrose Storytelling Foundation and the College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, IRT is back this summer with “Every Brilliant Thing”. This one-person show has been described as one of the funniest plays about depression, and it is a moving and heartwarming experience.
Department Chair Robert Caisley explained, “I really think this is a play that people will be disappointed if they miss, during this time it’s nice to have something positive to think about and enjoy.”
“Every Brilliant Thing” is a performance that follows one man as he grows up with a mother who has severe depression and decides to cheer her up by writing a list of all the wonderful things to live for in the world. He continues this list as he grows into adulthood, and the audience gets to witness how it changes his entire perspective on life and who he becomes.
“This show allows the audience to witness the evolution of a human life,” Miller said. “It will make you stop and think about the beautiful things in your own life.”
A unique aspect of this play is that it relies heavily on audience interaction and participation. Caisley said that audience members will be part of the play as the story progresses, becoming involuntary cast members.
This show is special in that it takes a serious issue and presents it in a way that audiences can connect with, and it rises above stereotypes to bring hope and joy.
“It teaches everyone in the audience a little bit about how to deal with depression, either in their own life or the life of someone they love, all through the lens of this one man’s experience,” Miller said.
With showings between June 17-26 at the Forge Theater, it gives an opportunity for the community to come watch the performance. Miller said that “Everything Brilliant Thing” is a gift for those that can come to experience it. There are plans in the works for another show this summer, most likely a musical sometime in mid to late July. So, theater lovers should be on the lookout for more exciting performances from the Idaho Repertory Theater, both this summer and those to come.
“I would love to see the community come out and support the relaunch of IRT this summer,” Caisley said.
Tickets can be purchased through UI Tickets.
Grace Giger can be reached at [email protected]