Tracee Ellis Ross is making her Broadway debut in the play “Every Brilliant Thing,” a production that emphasizes the simple pleasures that make life worth living. The actor and producer shared that the role, which began Tuesday, allows her to notice and appreciate small details, a practice she finds fulfilling.
“Every Brilliant Thing” tells the story of a narrator who compiles a list of life's joys to help combat depression. Items on this list include things like ducklings, spaghetti Bolognese, and peeling wallpaper in one piece. Ross stated that performing the play has shifted her perspective, making her more aware of the "brilliant things" around her.
The play is a solo performance, but it incorporates the audience, with some members asked to read parts of the list or act as characters. Ross engages with the audience before the show, selecting participants and looking for specific qualities like kindness and a touch of reluctance for the roles.
Written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe, the play is adaptable. While Daniel Radcliffe and Mariska Hargitay originated and performed previous versions, Ross's performance will incorporate elements personal to her background. The script allows for improvisation and adjustments, such as changing specific items on the list to reflect the performer's age, experiences, or personal connections.
“The list has to feel authentic to them,” said Macmillan. “What they would have found brilliant at different stages of their life, that’s changed from person to person.”
The 70-minute production requires Ross to memorize a lengthy monologue and engage directly with the crowd. She described the rehearsal process as intense, likening it to "swallowing a whale and learning how to digest it through my fingers and through my body and through my voice and through my heart."
Ross, known for her roles in television shows like “black-ish” and “Girlfriends,” studied acting after graduating from Brown University. She noted that performing on Broadway has long been a goal, and starring in a play that connects with audiences in a hopeful manner aligns with her aspirations.
“It's a story that is about something real that so much of us are struggling with, but yet it is told through the lens of the lifeline of what makes life worth living — just everything that could be on a bucket list for me,” Ross said.
She chose not to watch previous performances by Radcliffe or Hargitay to maintain her own interpretation of the role. When asked to name a personal "brilliant thing," Ross, one of five siblings, cited the shared, unspoken understanding that can occur between siblings.