Small Off-Broadway play tackles a the enormous subject of life and death

The funny and observant little heart-tugger Every Brilliant Thing is a reminder that good things come in small packages. Mind you, although this U.K. import — written by Duncan Macmillan, performed by Jonny Donahoe, who also added material, and directed by George Perrin — lasts only for an hour, the subject is vast. It’s about life and death. Specifically, it’s about what makes being on this Earth worthwhile between your first breath and your last. When you’re a 7-year-old boy whose depressed mother has just tried to kill herself — or as your dad so helpfully puts it, “done something stupid” — you think about those things. A lot. Then you make a list of what’s good and put it on your mom’s pillow to convince her why she should stick around. Need a reason to live? Ice cream in No. 1 on the list in Duncan Macmillan’s engaging play. 1. Ice cream 2. Water fights 3. Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV 4. The color yellow.