A Reaction to the play ‘Everybody’ by Brandon Jacobs- Jenkins
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Introduction
The play ‘Everybody’ by Brandon Jacobs- Jenkins is a timeless play that focuses on human actions influenced by their decisions and how it affects an individual’s afterlife turn out. This play integrates reality and people’s religious beliefs to explain the journey and transition from this life to the next, the afterlife, through Death. According to the play, the journey of Death is loving, beautiful, and lively. Therefore, Death should not be feared. More often than not, human beings fear Death because they are uncertain of what lies in the afterlife. The play displays how human beings believe their failures and evil doings in this life are likely to influence their creator’s decision to subject them to physical and mental torture and suffering in the afterlife. The play also shows how creation, human immortality, and afterlife estrangement from the creator are beyond human comprehension. This paper will assess the theatrical arts, styles, and scenery incorporated in the play’s production that made it captivating and educative.
The playwright of ‘Everybody.’ Attempts to show that there is a higher power that is in control of all occurrences in life on earth, whether good or bad. God, who is the creator of the Universe, is all-knowing and is beyond human understanding. He takes all forms the human brain could ever imagine, which makes humans amazed by Him. We, as his creations, are supposed to obey our Maker to gain His favor and mercies. Life is about focusing on pleasing the Maker through good deeds. We are expected as human beings to act as by the laws of our Maker. It involves living right with people and fulfilling our responsibilities to the best of our abilities. According to the play, life is all about focusing on the things or actions that will put us right with God in this life and the afterlife. We are expected as human beings to spread the message of Love through loving others and being more forgiving.
The play portrays the themes of Love, friendship, and Death. The Playwright tries to show people how to live by displaying the importance of loving and making meaningful connections with other people. Friends are an essential part of our existence as human beings. In a way, it defines who we are, our identity, and what we align ourselves with in this life. I conclude like this because friends influence most of the decisions we make regarding our lives. It is important to have friends who are optimistic, focused, and ready to help whenever they are needed. Love within friendships and the community at large gives a sense of significance and belonging. The play displays Death as a friendly character, unlike the human perception of Death. Human beings have always feared Death because of the uncertainties and the pains that come with it. In this case, Death is shown as a loving thing that connects the righteous to a fulfilling afterlife, prepared for them by their Maker.
Everybody, who is the main actor in this play, tries to show the audience the journey of Death and why they should not fear it. The character is portrayed as blunt and comical in different play scenes to capture the audience’s attention and connect with them emotionally. Everybody showcases his vulnerability and uses provocative tones in the play to show the audience that Death is loving and should be ready if Death knocks at their doors. It has allowed me to value and appreciate my friends and their roles in my life. The play has affected my connection with my emotions. The dynamics and the switch of roles and emotions through different scenes really engaged my emotions. The sense of vulnerability and show of sentimental emotions was new to me. The play helped me discover that and not be embarrassed by it. I have always imagined that there is more to life than what we can see. Watching this play reinforced my thoughts and made me believe in the existence of a superior being and the likelihood of Death being loving and meaningful. Watching the play has enlightened me and allowed me to look at life from different perspectives. I learned that Everybody has a role to play while they are still alive.
The teamwork embraced by the actors and the craftsmen of this film helped me understand the play and its message much better. Most of the scenes were captivating and interesting to watch. Four characters stood out for me throughout the film. Nancy Robinette, who played the role of Death, made the play interesting to watch for me. She nailed every scene she acted in the play through her tone, body language, and coordination with the different emotions she acted out. Death uses a low tone to communicate to Everybody and convey the message from God to him. Her body language shows how she sympathizes with Everybody as he shows how he is not ready for the journey yet. She tells him that God wants him, and He sent Death to come and fetch him. In this scene, she connects with her role deeply, which makes her sound believable and real. Nancy’s loud and clear tone enables me to follow through the play without straining.
Ma’chel Martin, who acts as Everybody, also stood out for me in the play. He embraced the character and delivered an outstanding performance as Everybody. He controlled his tone in different scenes of the play and maintained a high level of consistency. For this reason, I was able to flow with the storyline and the theme portrayed by the play without getting confused. The expression on Everybody’s face is priceless when Death tells him,” You’re dying, Everybody! Starting Now!” He seemed unbothered and uninterested when Death was talking to him on why God needed him in heaven. The shift in the facial expression as soon as he learned that he was about to die was authentic. His calm and controlled tone enabled me to watch them play with ease as well. He was not shouting, and neither was his voice too low.
The performer Yonatan Gebeyehu also made the play interesting to watch. His role as God in the play was crucial as he was the core of the play. He portrayed himself as a powerful and commanding God through his body language, tone, and costumes. “Death! Death! Reveal Yourself!” God commanded. God sermon Death to send her to earth to collect people he thought were not living up to their full potential. In this scene, Yonatan’s tone was high and showed his control over every creature, including Satan. His body language also displayed superiority over the Universe. His acting skills drew my attention throughout the movie. His ability to switch his emotions seamlessly, to display Power and sympathy for his people in different scenes of the play helped me picture and relate to the real God. He embodied the role and was a true representation of God Himself in the play.
The final character whose acting skills impressed me was Ahmad Kamal. He played the role of Love in the play. His voice was loud enough, and it enabled me to flow with his character throughout the play. Kamal projected bigness in his tone, an aspect that integrated him into his character perfectly. His movements that emulated the heart gave a deeper meaning of Love to the audience. Kamal’s body language allowed me to understand the message of Love he was trying to put across. He empathized with Love’s character because I could relate to it directly. People in the Universe try to connect in Universe through Love and fulfill God’s will. Kamal’s unique skills singled him out as the best of the rest of the actors for me.
The director did a tremendous job putting together this team of actors and bringing this storyline to life. The director Will Davis managed to maintain a consistent flow from the beginning to the end of the play. The production was unified, in my opinion, because the different scenes of the play were in good order and allowed the audience to relate to the story and message it was trying to convey. The scenes also involved a rollercoaster of emotions acted out so well by the. It allowed the audience to connect with the story at a deeper level. The design elements incorporated by the production enhanced the quality of the play and made it a success. The dim lighting of the stage when God summoned Death showed how Death was dark, evil, and scary to many. The costumes of the actors also helped the production convey its message to the audience vividly. Death dressed in black costumes from head to toe to symbolize how evil, dark and scary she was. On the other hand, God dressed in white and gold costumes to show how pure and free of sin he was. God has a crown as part of his costume to symbolize his power over all creatures and the whole Universe. The perfect coordination of the costumes, stage lighting, scenery, and sound made the play a success.
