Everybody

The new world premiere by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

A world premiere production by the winner of the 2016 MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Everybody is set to take Off-Broadway by storm when it arrives in late January for a limited two-month run at the Pershing Square Signature Center. The work follows hot on the heels of Jacobs-Jenkins' Pulitzer nominated Gloria, which was staged in 2015, and his acclaimed 2010 work Neighbours. Casting for his highly anticipated new play includes David Patrick Kelly of Therese Raquin, Marylouise Burke of Fish in the Dark and Brooke Bloom of Cloud Nine.

The premise of Everybody

Helmed by Lila Neugebauer, this all-star cast present a modern-day version of the 15th century play Everyman, a morality play that follows a lottery selected character as they travel down life's road, seeking ultimate salvation. An exploration of good and evil as illustrated by the elected "Everybody" and his or her interactions with other characters, no two performances will ever be identical.

Life's journey is taken alone - or is it?

Following the age-old belief that your eternity is decided by the number of good or evil deeds achieved in life, each Everybody sets out on a pilgrimage to their salvation or doom, meeting characters on the way that represent real people or allegorical representations of virtue or sin such as Knowledge, Material Wealth and Fellowship. What marks out the chosen Everybody of that performance from everybody else is that they are effectively alone on their journey, facing God's judgement based on their actions and beliefs, and nobody else's.