Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan, with Jonny Donahoe
December 5-28 at the Dairy Arts Center, Boulder (Grace Gamm Theater)
*Please note: Our evening performances will now begin at 7:00 pm.*
BOULDER
Friday, December 5, 7:00 pm – Preview
Saturday, December 6, 7:00 pm – Opening
Sunday, December 7, 2:00 pm
Friday, December 12, 7:00 pm
Saturday, December 13, 7:00 pm
Sunday, December 14, 2:00 pm
Friday, December 19, 7:00 pm
Saturday, December 20, 7:00 pm
Sunday, December 21, 2:00 pm
Friday, December 26, 7:00 pm
Saturday, December 27, 7:00 pm
Sunday, December 28, 2:00 pm
“…gloriously funny and exceptionally warm…”
About the Play
Why is life worth living? Can you count the ways?
Ice cream? Lazy afternoons in the park? Laughing so hard you shoot milk out your nose?
Every Brilliant Thing is a deeply funny and life-affirming play that begins with a child grappling with his mother’s attempted suicide. The child makes a list of brilliant, joy-giving things and leaves it on Mom’s hospital pillow. Number six on the list? “Me.”
This award-winning delight of a show lifts up the good in all of us.
Run Time
Every Brilliant Thing is expected to run approximately 80 minutes, with no intermission.
Content Considerations
Every Brilliant Thing is best suited for audiences aged 14 and above. BETC does not offer more specific advisories about the subject matter, as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have any questions about content or age-appropriateness, please call the BETC Office at 303-351-2382.
Resources
You can call or text 988 (or go to 988lifeline.org) to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (afsp.org) offers valuable resources, too.
Locally, Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group is a free, in-person support group in Boulder, and it’s available to adults 18+ who have lost a loved one to suicide. For more information or to register for this group, people should contact Lea Abdnor: 303-547-8153 ljabdnor128@gmail.com
Support specifically for LGBTQ+ Youth can be found at thetrevorproject.org
Support specifically for trans people can be found at translifeline.org/hotline
Support specifically for veterans can be found at veteranscrisisline.net
Tickets & Discounts
Subscriptions
Every Brilliant Thing is part of the 2025-2026 Season Subscription package. Using the code provided to them, subscribers will receive 10% off of additional single tickets beyond their subscriptions.
Single Tickets
Single tickets are on sale now through the Dairy Arts Center.
Single tickets for the Friday-Sunday performances are $42.00. Tickets for the Preview on December 5 are $25.00.
Students can get $15.00 tickets and must show a valid student ID at the theatre.
Purchased tickets will be emailed to you from the Dairy Arts Center and copies can be found on your Dairy Arts Center account.
Arts and Cultural Industries
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Sign up for our mailing list to get exclusive discounts for arts and cultural workers.
Group Sales
Looking to purchase tickets to a show for a group of 10 or more? BETC offers generous discounts for groups of 10+. If you are seeking special group arrangements, please call us at 303-351-2382.
CAST
Matt Zambrano (AEA) (NARRATOR) is thrilled to be returning to BETC, having most recently appeared in Hope & Gravity last spring. Credits with BETC include: Holly, Alaska!, The Santaland Diaries, The Play You Want (virtual reading). Other credits are: The Tempest, Richard II, Dr. Faustus (Colorado Shakes); The River Bride, Our Town, The Book Club Play (Arvada Center); Native Gardens, Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Boomtown! (Creede Rep); The Santaland Diaries, The Liar, As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, A Christmas Carol, Little Red, Elephant and Piggie: We’re in a Play! (DCPA Theatre Company); Man of La Mancha (Orlando Repertory Theatre); Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare Theater of D.C.); The Foreigner, Our Town (Milwaukee Repertory Theater); Peter and the Starcatcher, Richard II, Love’s Labour's Lost, The Merry Wives of Windsor (Utah Shakespeare). The King Penny Radio Show (Chalk & Fire Productions); Broken Box Mime Theater (Ensemble); Recent Cutbacks (Ensemble); The Story Pirates!, The Get Up Show (podcasts). Training: National Theatre Conservatory. www.MattZambrano.com
ARTISTIC TEAM
Jessica Robblee (BETC) (she/her, DIRECTOR) has directed for BETC, Buntport Theater for All Ages, the Arvada Center Black Box Rep, UpstART Theatre, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, and the DCPA's Off-Center. She has co-developed and directed projects with the Denver Art Museum, Warm Cookies of the Revolution, the Arts Students League, and East High School. Her artistic work has received True West, Colorado Theatre Guild, Onstage Colorado, Westword and Denver Post honors, and feedback from a kindergartener with a drawn-on moustache who said the play he'd just seen her in “sure was a long movie.” She is excited to continue serving as BETC's Producing Artistic Director.
Duncan Macmillan (PLAYWRIGHT) Plays include: People, Places and Things PEOPLE (2015-2017, National Theatre/Wyndham’s Theatre, West End); 1984, adapted from George Orwell (2013-2017, Headlong/Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company, West End, Broadway, international tours, co-adapted/co-directed with Rob Icke); Every Brilliant Thing (2013-2017, Paines Plough/Pentabus Theatre, Edinburgh Festival, UK and international tours, HBO); City of Glass, adapted from Paul Auster (2017, 59 Productions, HOME, and Lyric Hammersmith); 2071, co-written with Chris Rapley (2014-2015, The Royal Court/Hamburg Schauspielhaus); The Forbidden Zone (2014-2016, Salzburg Festival and Schaubühne Berlin); Wunschloses Unglück, adapted from Peter Handke (2014, Burgtheater Vienna); Reise Durch Die Nacht, adapted from Friederike Mayröcker (2012-2014, Schauspiel Köln, Festival d’Avignon, Theatertreffen); Lungs (2011-2016, Paines Plough and Sheffield Theatres/Studio Theatre, Washington, DC); and Monster (2006, Royal Exchange Theatre).
Jonny Donahoe (CO-CREATOR) The co-creator and original performer of Every Brilliant Thing. He created the show alongside Duncan Macmillan and performed the show over 400 times across four continents. The show and his performance at Barrow Street Theatre in New York was made into a film for HBO. Other work includes Thirty Christmases, Jonny and the Baptists (a comedy act created with Paddy Gervers), and podcasts Josie and Jonny Are Having a Baby With You and Making Paddy Happy. Jonny Donahoe is a Drama Desk award nominated actor; a Lucille Lortel award nominated writer; and a Chortle award nominated comedian.
Adara Baltazar (STAGE MANAGER/SOUND DESIGN) is delighted to be returning to BETC for both sound design and stage management. She made her BETC debut as a sound designer with The White Chip. Recent stage management and assistant stage management credits include The Diva Royale, Assassins, Morning After Grace (MAPAC), The Ballot of Paola Aguilar, Holly, Alaska! (BETC), and Shakespeare in the Parking Lot (DCPA). She is a graduate of the University of Denver with a distinction in stage management and recently graduated from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology with her Masters in forensic psychology.
Erin Thibodaux (BETC) (LIGHTING DESIGN) is a lighting designer, director, and writer whose work has been seen across the country. Last season, she joined the BETC team as an Associate Producer. Recent lighting design credits include: The Thin Place, Cry It Out, The White Chip, Enemy of the People, Coal Country (BETC); Sweeney Todd (The Arts HUB); Waitress, Shakespeare in Love, Matilda, Rent (Quincy Community Theatre); Alice by Heart, Annie, Little Women, SPACE, The Prom, Lost Girl, The Play that Goes Wrong (Ghostlight Theater Camp). She also recently directed the staged reading of Spain as part of BETC's Plays with Fire series. Erin is excited to continue her work with BETC.
Branden Smith (BETC) (Associate Producer) is thrilled to be joining the BETC year-round staff. Branden has worked as a director, producer, set builder and actor in Colorado over the last 7 years at the Breckenridge Backstage Theatre. Branden served as Creative Producer for the organization. Some favorite directing work includes Inventing Van Gogh (3 Henry Awards), The Understudy, Every Christmas Story Ever Told, and The Importance of Being Earnest. After running the social media channels for Keystone and Copper ski resorts for years as well, he is thrilled to thaw out amongst this wonderful team.
Katie Hopwood McCleaf (BETC) (PROPS DESIGN) is excited to be working with BETC again! Her prop work was most recently featured in BETC performances Cry It Out, White Chip, Hope & Gravity, Enemy of the People, Holly, Alaska!, The Children, The Royale, Eden Prairie, 1971, and the touring truck shows- Amelia’s Big Idea and Dorothy’s Dictionary. Her prop work has also been featured in Curious Theatre Company shows Exhibit and Downstate. She graduated from Salisbury University with a degree in Theatre Production. She looks forward to working on more productions in the community!
