Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

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2026

Illinois Theatre

Everybody is a comedic and contemporary adaptation of the 15th-century morality play Everyman, one of the first recorded plays in the English language. The show features a lottery system where five characters playing "somebodies" participate in a lottery during the show to decide which one of five tracks they will perform that night. The show features an ethereal ambiance, customized music, and sound effects for each "somebody," as well as nostalgic music. Due to the lottery and voice-over sections of the show, over 400 voice-overs were featured throughout the performances, with script cues in the QLab file indicating which actor was on which track for each performance. The danse macabre that the show calls for was customized to each cast member, who could play "Everybody" using tracks from their own personal lives. 

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