NJIT Theater Debuts Zoom-Based Reboot of 15th Century Play 'Everyman'

The Rutgers-NJIT Theatre Program is taking the classic late-medieval period morality play, Everyman, into the digital age. 

The cast and crew have recently debuted their spin on the original for online streamers — titled Every_01: A Morality Play — where audiences follow the protagonist as they contemplate all the good and bad deeds they’ve done throughout their life while visiting with personifications of ideas like Death, Good Deeds, Knowledge and Friendship.

Originally written at a time when much of Europe was recovering from plague, RU-NJIT Theatre Program Artistic Coordinator Louis Wells says he first began to adapt a modern version of Everyman after experiencing personal loss this past year.

“The show was inspired by personal loss in my family and looking around at the world COVID gave us,” said Wells. “Everyman was written during a time of sickness and was meant to guide us toward a good life, and I think the last year has us all reflecting on that. … By the way, this play is funny as well.” 

Wells says that with Facebook, Instagram and the rest of the online world now in play, the Zoom-based adaptation has a lot of new ground to cover.

“This production is meant to be watched on a laptop and is almost seen through the eyes of the main character’s screen,” said Wells. “We tried to make a world our students will recognize.”

“It’s amazing that we found a way to get our art out there,” said Adam Hassan, a senior video production major performing the lead role, Every_01. “This will definitely be a form of theater that people should be excited to see going forward.”

Wells and the crew have released a teaser of the production, which is now free and available to stream online. To watch the production and for more info on the NJIT Theatre Program cast/crew, visit: http://theatre.njit.edu/