On Sunday, November 22, the Stan State Theatre Department will begin streaming their latest theatre production, “Everybody,” a story of humanity, death, and love.
 ”Everybody” is American playwright Branden Jacob-Jenkins’ modern adaption of 15th century morality play, “Everyman,” a play whose protagonist is a representation of humanity and characters personifications of human attributes, such as Good Deeds, Knowledge, Strength, and Beauty.
Morality plays are parables, designed to provide the audience moral guidance. In the original 15th century morality play, “Everyman,” a personified God is disappointed with humanity’s obsession with material wealth and lack of moral character. In order to teach humanity a lesson, God sends Death to Everyman. This confrontation with Death elucidates a perennial question – what will follow us to our grave? Our material wealth? Our knowledge? Or is there something seemingly impalpable, yet an essential companion for death?
The modern adaption traverses the same existential corridors that “Everyman” does, but with a few changes to the characters and story. What’s a mainstay is the journey to the ends of our human finitude – a journey that poignantly reminds us that “we are all the cruel custodians of a mortality that we can’t prevent.”
The play is a conduit for the existential questions pertinent to our lives – questions that the director of Stanislaus State’s production, Professor Carin Heidelbach, fittingly called ”mysteries.” Heidelbach also goes on to to say that the fundamental story is “that of a person going on a journey to an unknown fate, trying to bring something or someone with them, is still important. [It’s] a story that we can all relate to, even 6 centuries later.”
This Stanislaus State Theatre production premiers tomorrow, November 22nd, and will be available to stream online through November 30th on Showtix4u.com.
UPDATE: Due to technical issues, the release of the production will be postponed until the spring. For further updates, make sure to check in with the Stan State Calendar of Events.