PEP.

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REVIEW: Every Brilliant Thing

BYLINE: Mark Angelo Ching

BODY: There will be a moment while watching Every Brilliant Thing when you will
realize that you're actually having fun. And that's surprising, because the new
play by The Sandbox Collective deals with heavy stuff like suicide and depression.

Every Brilliant Thing tells the story of Angela, a girl who had to deal with a
mentally-disturbed mother all her life. To cope, Angela wrote down every brilliant
thing she could think of, hoping that her mother will see the value of life when
she reads her notes.

Much praise must be given to Teresa Herrera, who played Angela. The model and TV
host was magnificent, and she was able to capture the audience's attention for the
whole show's 1 hour and a half runtime.

Teresa's performance was no easy feat. First off, she was the only actor in the
show, so there is no excuse for her to fumble. She cannot forget her lines because
there is no other actor on stage that can help her remember what they are.

Moreover, Teresa had to make sure that the whole audience was engaged the whole way
through, because the success of the show depends on audience participation. All
throughout, she had to call on the audience to volunteer as extras. One had to act
as her father, for example, and another one acted as her suitor and eventual
husband.

Teresa has an outstanding sense for improv, so she was able to uplift every
interaction she had with the volunteers. Her way of flirting with a handsome guy in
the library, for example, was rapturously funny.

The rest of the audience also had to be on their toes, because before the show
started, each of them were handed a post it note with a number and a set of words.
When Teresa, called out the number, the audience member had to shout out the words,
which represented a brilliant thing.

In the press preview that PEP.ph went to, many were mortified when informed that
they had to speak out loud at one point in the play. But thanks to Teresa's
infectious enthusiasm, these audience members slowly became comfortable and forgot
any apprehension or embarassment. The words on paper were shouted out with gusto,
to earnestly share the brilliant thing that they were holding in their hands.

Every Brilliant Thing has many standout moments that bring joy, but that's not to
say that the play glosses over its serious subject with humor. It still manages to
convey to the audience that depression and suicide are serious matters to discuss.
There's even a part in the play where the lead character gives an education on how
to help people with the disease.

Every Brilliant Thing runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from February 2 to 24
at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in BGC, Taguig.

Teresa Herrera plays Angela. The former model and TV host was magnificent, and
Teresa Herrera, a former model and now a TV host, brings her to life for the show's
1 hour and a half runtime.

This is a pleasant surprise, because the plot of the new play by The Sandbox
Collective makes the show seem to be very very heavy.

Every