The Thing About Jellyfish

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY ALI BENJAMIN
ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY KEITH BUNIN
DIRECTED BY TYNE RAFAELI
IN ASSOCIATION WITH MADISON WELLS LIVE AND EMERALD DRIVE
WORLD PREMIERE
RODA THEATRE

JAN 31–MAR 9, 2025
TICKETS NOW ON SALE

Adapted from the best-selling novel, The Thing About Jellyfish is a visually stunning and deeply emotional coming-of-age story about love, loss, friendship, and the profound expansiveness of the human spirit. During the last week of summer vacation, 12-year-old Suzy Swanson learns that her best friend Franny has drowned. Desperate to make sense of Franny’s death, Suzy immerses herself in her own imagination, where she can circumnavigate the globe, plunge into the terrifying depths of the ocean, explore the collapsed stars of the most distant galaxies, and perhaps even solve the mysteries of the universe.

Production information

Age recommendation: Suitable for ages 10 and up

See and hear

Behind the scenes

Video credits
Liesl Lar | Producer
Donavan Sell | Director of Photography
Arthur Yee | Gaffer/Audio
Amanda Evans | Editor

Cast
(in order of appearance)

Matilda Lawler* | Suzy

Stephanie Janssen* | Meg

Kayla Teruel* | Franny

Andy Grotelueschen* | Dan

Christiana Clark* | Franny’s Mom, Mrs. Turton, Dr. Legler, and Everyone Else

Antonio Watson | Justin

Lexi Perkel | Aubrey

Robert Stanton* | Jamie

Jasper Bermudez | Dylan

Understudies

Colby Kipnes* | Suzy

Rebecca Schweitzer* | Meg, Franny’s Mom, Mrs. Turton, Dr. Legler, and Everyone Else

Lexi Perkel | Franny

Cassidy Brown* | Dan, Jamie

Maxwell Hamilton | Dylan, Justin

Sydney Walker Freeman | Aubrey

Creative team

Keith Bunin | Playwright

Tyne Rafaeli | Director

Yasmine Lee | Movement Director

Derek McLane | Scenic Design

Linda Cho | Costume Design

Lap Chi Chu | Lighting Design

Dan Kluger | Sound Design

Lucy Mackinnon | Projection Design

Jessica Berman | Dialect Coach

Stephanie Yankwitt, CSA | Casting

Rachel Zucker* | Stage Manager

Becky Fleming* | Assistant Stage Manager

Chris Steckel* | Assistant Stage Manager

* Indicates a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional stage actors and stage managers in the United States

Closed captioning
Closed captioning on your smartphone is available for the following performances: evenings Feb 6, 7, 9, 11, and 12; and every matinee through Mar 6. See all closed captioning performances.

Audio description
Audio description is available for the matinee on Mar 8. Through individual headphones provided by our partner, Gravity Access Services, you’ll hear detailed narration of the onstage visual elements of the show. Advance reservation required.

Learn more about our accessibility programs

Events and extras

Theatre Explorers
Families are invited to bring their children (grades K–5) to the matinee on Feb 22, when Berkeley Rep’s School of Theatre will offer age-appropriate educational workshops concurrent with the performance so parents can enjoy grownup time at the theatre. This add-on is $35 per child. Advance registration required.

Postshow discussions
Join us after the show on Feb 20, Feb 25, or Feb 28 for a postshow discussion, expertly guided by members of Berkeley Rep’s artistic team.

Docent-led postshow discussions
Join your fellow audience members after all matinees for a thought-provoking postshow discussion led by our knowledgeable docents.

Health and safety

Masks will be required in our theatres on Sunday and Tuesday performances for the first three weeks of a show’s run. Masks are encouraged but optional on all Wednesday through Saturday performances, as well as Sundays and Tuesdays after the first three weeks of performances. Visit our health and safety page for full details.