A big man in Philadelphia acting circles, and a very likable actor, Scott Greer has the audience suffering with him, then happy for him. It does seem as if this story could have been his personal history. He owns it that much.
The Arden’s Producing Artistic Director, Terrence J. Nolan, directs this show. He notes that they’ve mounted this production with this actor in 2017, 2018, and in 2019 in Milwaukee. No wonder it rolls along so smoothly. This stellar actor never fails to impress. Just a couple of his memorable shows that I‘ve seen are Rizzo at Exile, where I wrote, “I’m convinced Scott Greer could play Andy Reed or The Sugar Plum Fairy, and we’d believe.” And he was Tripp in North of the Boulevard , and of course, there’s his totally remarkable performance in The Whale. In Every Brilliant Thing he spins out the tale of his character’s life through joy and sorrow, starting when he was seven years old. Greer taps several spectators to help out. Audience-assisted, he turns the complicit crowd into co-conspirators. Having performed this show elsewhere, and twice in Philadelphia, he really has it down. By the time the show ends everyone loves Scott Greer dearly, giving him a standing O and wanting to bring him home.
[Arden Theatre Company, 40 N. 2nd Street] November 3–December 11, 2022; ardentheatre.org
By Playwright Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe
Approximately 80 minutes, no intermission
I had no expectations since I hadn’t heard anything about this show other than it was performed two years in a row. Wow! I was pleasantly surprised when I saw “Every Brilliant Thing.” Scott Greer is my favorite ARDEN Actor. Laughed so much and loved Audience participation. The woman sitting next to me liked the show so much, told me this was the second time she has seen it.