PCPA Presents Every Brilliant Thing

By Duncan Macmillan, with Jonny Donahoe

Heartache, resilience, and the joys that make life worth living

PCPA invites audiences to experience the tender, hilarious, and life-affirming story of Every Brilliant Thing, OCT 9 - 26, 2025 at the Severson Theatre.

1. Ice cream. 2. Kung Fu movies. 3. The color yellow. 4. Laughing so hard you shoot milk out your nose. That’s how you start the list of every brilliant thing that makes life worth living when you’re six and your Mom finds it hard to be happy. But what begins as a child’s attempt to make sense of adult sadness grows into a life-affirming journey through love, loss, and the profound joy found in life’s smallest moments.

Director Don Stewart notes, “Every Brilliant Thing is a play that leans into the best of humanity even as it acknowledges the hardest parts of being human.  It is a play that cultivates joy without ignoring pain. It asks us to consider two crucial questions: one, how do we summon the strength to face the challenging things thrown our way? And two, how do we lighten the load of others when they face their obstacles?  We do that by remembering, as our Narrator reminds us, that 'things get better.  They might not always get brilliant. But they get better.'

I believe that plays, when they are at their best, make us feel as though we are leaving the theatre having gained something unexpected: a new insight, an answer to an old question, even a call to action. It is my hope that you will leave here with a stronger sense of connection and community. And that you will be inspired to have meaningful conversations especially around mental illness.” - Don Stewart

Every Brilliant Thing is generously sponsored by Linda Stafford Burrows

The cast includes Associate Artistic Director Emily Trask* as the Performer.

Directed by Don Stewart, with scenic design by Kevin Dudley, costume design by Klara Wilson, lighting design by Michael Palumbo, sound design by Jon Zielke, production stage management by Jack D. Myles*, and stage management by Rebekah Carriere.

In connection with Every Brilliant Thing, PCPA will be hosting a Prologue on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. Prologues provide a glimpse into the artistic process of the show and last approximately 15 minutes. Admission is free and held in the lobby before the performance.

PCPA will host a talkback on Sunday, October 12th, 19th, and 26th, following the 1:30 pm performance. Talkbacks are about 20 minutes long and provide audience members with insights into the artistic elements of the play.

PCPA’s production of Every Brilliant Thing is presented in partnership with:

Allan Hancock College - Student Health Services

Provides students with medical services, health counseling, crisis and mental health counseling, and appropriate referrals to community resources free of charge to currently registered AHC students.

Transitions Mental Health Association – TMHA

A non-profit organization serving San Luis Obispo and North Santa Barbara Counties, dedicated to eliminating stigma and promoting recovery and wellness for people with mental illness through work, housing, community, and family support services.