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    Theater Review: Available Light’s Hilarious and Provocative ‘Everybody’

    Over the years, Available Light has shown a particular affinity for the work of playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, with their productions of An Octoroon and Appropriate being among my favorite theatrical performances in their respective years and leaving such an impression I still cite both. They continue that stellar streak with Everybody, directed by David Glover.

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    This adaptation of the 15th-century morality play Everyman starts with an acid parody of theatrical instructions about turning off our phones, unwrapping candy, etc., by two Ushers (Alexa Clint and Duncan McKennie) who turn out to be God. As they drift into the evolution of the play, questioning if any story is original and how far back we can trace their antecedents, we meet Death (Nancy Skaggs).

    Using a rotary bingo cage, they assign roles to the main cast, representative of sections of life, randomly at each performance. On opening night, I saw Jabari Ikenna Johnson as Somebody, our viewpoint character; Elena Perantoni as Friendship; Drew Eberly as Kinship; Robbie Davidson as Cousin; and Acacia Duncan as Stuff.

    Through interactions with these four, Somebody grapples with an assigned trip to accompany Death into whatever’s next and make a presentation, explaining the worth of their life. Which of us could do that convincingly? More than that, which of us thinks we could? And where do these line up? Interspersed with these scenes are just-off-stage conversations of Everybody’s friends comforting them on their deathbed but turning into a backbiting argument about racism and appearances by the God/Ushers. As heavy as that subject matter is – and seeing this with one friend in the ICU for weeks, it periodically hit me like a brick in the chest – it also made me laugh the hardest and the most often I have in years.

    Nancy Skaggs’ hilarious, exasperated Death, refers to herself as God’s assistant but gives the impression – like every good assistant or consigliere we’ve ever seen – she’s really the one in charge. This wickedly sly performance and writing underscore that immutable truth: deities and an afterlife are only understood in one direction, but we all know death personally sooner or later, but it does that with an eyebrow raise and some classic one-liners, not by hammering it over our heads.

    Available Light Theatre's 'Everybody' - Photo by Natalie Curtis
    Available Light Theatre’s ‘Everybody’ – Photo by Natalie Curtis

    Among the twists thrown are the introduction of Evil (a terrific Grace Kim), reminding Somebody of the wrong they’ve done before going. Love (a marvelous Gregory Mallios), a charismatic and domineering presence who reinforces that we die alone and naked. Mallios’ interaction with Johnson is a jolt of fire as the elements of life shift into more primal, core feelings (Strength, Beauty, Senses, and Mind) to be stripped away. Girl (a very fine Marla Tubuo) stands in for the rest of the world – or the audience – with a hilarious, unimpressed unwillingness to be brought into the action; the same kind of dagger-sharp parody as the early Ushers sequence but twisting the knife on unwanted audience participation.

    The core five cast members are each so strong that I frequently forgot they don’t play these roles every night, which made me want to sneak in another night and see how the performances change. They each puncture solipsism in certain ways: the night I saw this, Duncan’s physical comedy was given a brilliant showcase as Stuff; Eberly’s biting, dry wit and ready assists, volleying back and forth with Davidson as Kinship and Cousin, reminded me of family relationships I’ve had and tried to extricate myself from; Perantoni’s electric Friendship has maybe the best line in the play, “Yes, I said I’d follow you to hell and back. And back.” and highlights the shifting volatility, the danger of using our friends as a mirror of ourselves, but the absolute necessity of friends.

    They stamp these roles and must be ready to do it on different roles every night. Clint and McKennie not only provide narrative glue for the piece, their vibrant comedic chemistry is that perfect blend of anarchy and control, feeling extremely off-the-cuff and in-the-moment but with timing that feels like it’s cut by a razor.

    A pulse-pounding, circular dance – choreographed by Whitney Thomas Eads – that puts an exclamation point on the stark, stunning images Glover and the cast throw at the audience without driving the point into the ground. The slides breaking the action up into episodes, some of the pre-Arthurian language from the Ushers, and the pacing all, as my partner said, in some way recall the Eddas but without sacrificing the modern neurosis boiling in the heart of Everybody.

    Everybody has what has to be one of the trickiest tones to execute I’ve ever seen on a stage, but Glover and his cast soar above any expectations. It’s the kind of play I have a hard time imagining another company in town doing, and a riotous, thrilling reminder of what I go to the theater for, I raved about to at least half a dozen people at the show I stopped in on the way home.

    Everybody runs through February 25 at the Riffe Center Studio Two Theater. For dates, times, tickets, and more information visit avltheatre.com.

    Available Light Theatre's 'Everybody' - Photo by Natalie Curtis
    Available Light Theatre’s ‘Everybody’ – Photo by Natalie Curtis
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    Richard Sanford
    Richard Sanfordhttp://sanfordspeaks.blogspot.com/
    Richard Sanford is a freelance contributor to Columbus Underground covering the city's vibrant theatre scene. You can find him seeking inspiration at a variety of bars, concert halls, performance spaces, museums and galleries.
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