About the Play
EVERYBODY is a play written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. It is a modern adaptation of the play Everyman, which is one of the first recorded plays in the English language. With no existing records, there is some debate about when Everyman (original title: The Summoning of Everyman) was written or first performed, but its Middle English language suggests it comes from the Tudor period, or the late 15th century. EVERYBODY received its premier production on February 21, 2017, Off-Broadway at the Irene Diamond Stage at the Signature Theatre, New York City. Since this time, this play has received numerous productions and much praise, with one of its most notable achievements being its recognition as a finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for best Drama.
The cast of every performance is decided by a lottery system at the beginning of each performance, which randomizes who plays what role in every performance. This means each actor must memorize the entire script and be prepared to play any role. Jacobs-Jenkins deliberately created this structure of chance as a means of symbolizing and exploring the randomness of life and death. The play offers an examination of the life of Everybody, who represents all humanity, and how they handle an encounter with death. As Everybody prepares to die, they run through all the important relationships in their life, and try to convince other characters to accompany them in the hope of not dying alone. Friendship, Family, Stuff, and a handful of human characteristics, are all featured in this play, in its humorous and thought-provoking examination of subjects to which we can all relate: morality, life’s choices, and death.