Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Everybody Opens This June

Cadence Theatre Company in partnership with Virginia Repertory Theatre presents Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins this June

by Liv Wilson

Richmond, VA–It’s time for Everybody to greet Death, but nobody wants to make the journey alone. Everybody seeks out Stuff, Kinship, Friendship, Cousinship, and Love as company on this treacherous trip, along the way discovering what is truly important in life. 

Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, is based on the 15th century morality play, Everyman, written to encourage people to behave well, morally, in order to go to heaven. Morality plays often featured a protagonist representing a generic layperson guided toward good or evil and the personification of concepts such as virtues and vices. Jacobs-Jenkins’ version is inclusive and humorous in its tale of Everybody’s journey through existential crisis before entering the grave. 

Cadence and Virginia Rep’s production of Everybody, directed by Rusty Wilson, will open as the second show in the 2021/22 season, a brilliant return to live theatre. Wilson states that this piece is “about the journey all of us must make into the unknown.” He comments on the relevance of this revamped morality play, remarking, “I believe this play speaks to our present day in profound and specific ways including our politics, our belief systems, our divided nation and world, racial, religious and gender

bias and intolerance, the violence we inflict on each other, and our inability to love expansively. This is a perfect play for this moment.” 

Keeley Maddux, current TRAIN student at Cadence and Virginia Rep playing the roles of Girl and Time, notes the impact of this show amidst a global pandemic, when we are unfortunately forced to face our mortality with more frequency. Keeley observes, “It's a play that's giving you suggestions, and you decide whether to take them or not, or make them your own.” In the TRAIN program, students worked on analyzing this play, enacting all the different roles themselves. Now, Maddux is able to experience it with a full cast, bringing the background knowledge and analysis developed through the TRAIN program. 

Debra Wagoner, a seasoned actor at Cadence, is taking on the roles of Usher, God, and Understanding. Wagoner states that death is a hard, permanent, and scary subject, but questions, “Why shouldn't we examine it, laugh about it, cry about it, and think about how we would like to LIVE?” 

The modern reprisal features an uncertain and stimulating element rarely seen in live theatre: a lottery. Each night the lottery is performed in front of the audience, selecting who in the cast will be playing the protagonist, Everybody (and the subsequent roles) for that night’s performance. Keeley Maddux notes the impact of everyone switching around roles constantly, describing, “a different take of the show at each performance.” Director Rusty Wilson focuses mainly on celebrating the unique personalities of each talented actor and telling the story. Debra Wagoner, the actor performing the lottery, giving out the roles to actors each night, just hopes everyone will still be speaking to her when all is said and done. 

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Everybody brings humor and truth to an existential question, making it more palatable, thought-provoking, and comedic as much of life truly is. The piece takes us on a journey as we watch Everybody discover the meaning of life through the conclusion of it. It causes us to question what we hope we can say we have done with our life, how we want to live our lives while we are still here. Wilson beautifully observes, “This play reminds us to be a better version of ourselves.” 

Everybody will be playing at Theatre Gym from June 2–19 2022. A post-show talkback will take place on Sunday, June 12, 2022. To purchase tickets, call (804) 282-2620 or visit https://tickets.va-rep.org/events. Use promo code EVERY5 on orders placed through May 31, and receive $5 off each ticket to any date in the run. Click here for more information on the current season at  Cadence Theatre.

Our COVID Safety Policy

To provide the highest level of safety, all patrons attending a show at the theatre are required to show proof of vaccination, or proof that they have received a negative COVID test by a professional technician within 48 hours of the performance date/time.

In accordance with current city, state, and CDC guidance, face masks are REQUIRED at all times while you are in the building, regardless of vaccination status. At this time, no food or drink is allowed in the theatre.

Cast

Debra Wagoner… Usher/God/Understanding
Jacqueline Jones… Death
Katrinah Carol Lewis… Somebody
Maggie Roop… Somebody
Audra Honaker… Somebody
Jamar Jones… Somebody
Tatjana Shields… Somebody
Tyler Stevens… Somebody
Keeley Maddux… Girl/Time
Charlotte Hall… Girl/Time
Desiree Dabney… Love

Production Team

Director - Rusty Wilson
Directing Assistant - Maggie Higginbotham
Directing Assistant / House Manager - Tim Glover
Stage Manager - Maggie Higginbotham
Production Manager / Lighting Designer / Master Electrician - Alleigh Scantling
Scenic Designer / Scenic Charge - Emily Hake Massie
Master Carpenter - Chris Foote
Costume Designer - Sarah Grady
Sound Designer - Joey Luck
Choreographer of Skeleton Dance - Laine Satterfield
Puppet Designer - Kylie Clark
Properties Master - Ellie Wilder
House Manager - Kristen Woolridge
Sound Engineer - Grace Brown
Audio Technician - Grace Phipps
Backstage Crew - Courtney Holmes