The Paw Print

By Rhea Makkuni

Everybody Poster, Created by The Payton Player Production

A funny thing happened: I got to see God. 

 I was captivated by the mesmerizing theatrics of “Everybody”, an adaption of a 15th-century morality play “Everyman” by Bryan Jacobs-Jenkins.

Presented by the Payton Players, “Everybody” follows the journey of Everybody, the name of the protagonist, who isn’t ready to die and face God without a companion for the afterlife.

The play begins with a lottery carried out by an overly helpful usher. In this play, the lottery serves two purposes: to pick tonight’s actors and to represent the ‘randomness of death’. 

Yes, you read that right. During the play, the lottery decides which actor will play what character, including Everybody, so no two shows are ever the same. Undoubtedly, this is where the most unique aspect of this brilliant play lies. I mean, could you imagine not even knowing your part(the line and the cues!), moments before you go on stage?  Or the fact that the part you played yesterday might not be the same today? 

Surely, this lottery must be a director’s worst nightmare. I mean, many things can go wrong. So, I was eager to hear Director’s Kevin Waz take. He believed that it was “the uncertainty and randomness of the lottery, in particular, that made it special”. He also commented that the lottery represents how “ Everybody wants to seeks for answers in their life to dispel the randomness in their life, but sometimes, they can’t find it. And that is a tough pill to swallow.”

This introduces us to the second purpose of the lottery: the ‘randomness of death’. Death is the great unknown; we don’t know when it will happen or what is beyond it. And for some, that preoccupation with mortality and existential angst leads them on a frantic search for answers. However, this play grounds us and reminds us that life is not about finding the meaning of it but to live.

To teach us this, the cast not only demonstrated their versatility and skill by learning multiple roles, but also took risks with their scenes through dance, long monologues, hilarious skits, running around, and taking off their clothes.

During an interview with Macy Golob, a crew member, we agreed that the La Danse Macabre, dance of death, was our favorite scene. For me, the dance served as a medium to convey how joy, inspiration, self-expression, and characteristics often associated with dance, can be used in your own life. Ultimately, La Danse Macabre’s message was that sometimes, in life, you should dance like nobody is watching, because that is when you are truly free!

Golob added that La Danse Macabre for her “was a triumph for both our actors and tech crews. It was just an absolute riot to watch with all of the raunchy moves and hilarious choreography come together to be part of a larger message.”

“Everybody” is a play that reminds us we are all part of a larger story. It inspires us to reflect on our lives, ourselves, our relationships, and the legacy we will leave behind.  Yet, with such serious themes at play, the play kept me glued to my seat, laughing my head off and even sweating sometimes. I loved “Everybody”. It truly took a fresh, vibrant, unconventional approach to what a school play production can be about. For Payton Players, this marks the beginning of a new era. I can’t wait to see what Payton Players will do next.