Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara (ETC) continues its 47th Truth and Illusion season with “Every Brilliant Thing.”

Currently a hit on Broadway, “Every Brilliant Thing,” is written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe, directed by Jenny Sullivan and stars Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper.

The show, performed in the round, begins with previews Wednesday, June 3 and opens Saturday, June 6 at 8 p.m. and runs through Sunday, June 21 at the New Vic Theatre, 33 Victoria St., Santa Barbara.

In the story …

What makes life worth living? A child starts a list of every brilliant thing in the world, hoping to help their mother through depression.

As the list grows — ice cream, the color yellow, the sound of laughter — the audience is invited on a heartwarming, interactive journey through life’s highs and lows, discovering joy in the simplest things.

“There may be no more powerful theatrical experience right now than ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ — a single performer, an audience invited to play along, and a list of reasons to keep going,” said Scott Devine, ETC’s executive artistic director.

“It’s funny, brave, and profoundly human; a list that ranges from Christopher Walken’s voice to the smell of old books to inappropriately timed ABBA songs and somehow reminds us that the smallest things are often what hold us together,” he said.

“In a season exploring truth and illusion, few stories feel more truthful, or more necessary, than this one,” he said.

Ticket prices range from $40-$119. All patrons ages 35 and under are always $35. Student tickets are $25. Prices subject to change.

To ensure theater experiences remain accessible to all Santa Barbara community members, ETC offers its Community Pay-What-You-Can Program. The Pay-What-You-Can performance for “Every Brilliant Thing” is at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 3.  

For tickets, visit www.etcsb.org, or call 805-965-5400

For more on the show’s cast and creative team, visit https://etcsb.org/production/every-brilliant-thing/#.