Luck of the Draw

You never know what you’ll get in Muhlenberg Theatre and Dance’s production of ‘Everybody,’ opening Feb. 26 — and neither do the actors

Audiences who attend “Everybody,” the next theater production coming to the Muhlenberg College stage, will have no idea what to expect from their theatrical experience. But neither will the actors — right down to what role they’ll be playing.

Opening Feb. 26 in Muhlenberg’s Studio Theatre, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ contemporary reimagining of the 15th-century morality play “Everyman,” features a lottery system that randomly assigns the company their roles at the start of each performance. It’s a truism of live theater that no two shows are ever alike. But with 120 possible combinations, it’s almost certain that no two performances of “Everybody” will be even remotely the same.

“There are so many ways this show could go,” says Talia Schwartz ’28, the production’s dramaturg and understudy. “The audience might be about to see a version that’s never happened before. It’s theater at its most unique and ephemeral.”

Written by Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning Jacobs-Jenkins, “Everybody” is a provocative dark comedy that grapples with the concept of mortality and invites the audience to reflect on their own lives. When the title character is unexpectedly summoned by Death to give a presentation of their life to God, Everybody searches for someone to go with them.

The production also features a Danse Macabre choreographed by dance professor Heidi Cruz-Austin.

“The play is funny, but I also think it’s really smart,” says Leslie Hill, the production’s director and the chair of Muhlenberg’s theater and dance department. “It’s a really interesting project — a medieval play that’s been adapted by a young living writer.”

An Acting Challenge

Five of the show’s nine actors are known as the “Somebodies.” Those five actors have taken on the challenge of learning the 14 separate roles that are assigned by lottery. Each actor must be ready to step into any character, highlighting the show’s emphasis on life’s unpredictability and chance.

“This process is its own absolute beast,” says Tyler Motlasz ’26, one of the Somebodies. “I’ve never not known who I was playing the night of a show — and that’s really exciting. Nothing compares to this play and the preparation it expects from us.”

Hill says the play is a perfect vehicle to showcase the depth and versatility of Muhlenberg’s theater students.

“One thing that is great at Muhlenberg is that we do have the performers to handle this formidable challenge,” she says. “Not only do we have five incredible Somebodies who can do it, I could’ve cast a lot of other wonderful actors in those parts who could also have done it, because our talent pool is really deep.”

Hana Scarlatoiu ’26, another of the Somebodies, says that, in keeping with its title, the audience will likely find the play’s themes entirely relatable. “The way the show is written, it is meant to show how diverse our world is,” she says. “There are so many different kinds of people. And the show takes on the task of trying to encompass every kind of person.”

Jacobs-Jenkins On Campus

Company members and Muhlenberg students had the opportunity to meet Jacobs-Jenkins through the college’s Living Writers course, this past fall.

“I was also in the Living Writers class, and it was really exciting to be studying his work in class while also rehearsing for the show,” Scarlatoiu says. “Meeting him was so much fun. You could really tell that his voice came through in his characters.”

The company hopes not only to entertain the audiences but to leave them with a message to carry beyond the theater.

“This show is fun, upbeat, and fast,” Motlasz says. “But it still has a lesson that is incredibly important in today’s society of being kind to each other. And that’s the point of living.”

“Everybody” plays Feb. 26 through March 1, Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at muhlenberg.edu/seeashow or by calling 484-664-3333.