Welcome

One of the things I really admire about Berkeley Rep audiences is the collective appetite for work that plays with our sense of theatrical convention. And the Peet’s Theatre is so well suited to these kinds of experiments that put some of our notions of relationship between actors and audience to the test. This can be as simple as the prologue in Uncle Vanya (was the young woman vacuuming near the stage as the audience entered simply a stagehand late in completing their task? Or part of the story that was intended to heighten the awareness of the performers as members of an acting company, gathering to tell this story on this particular evening?), or as transparent as the challenge to some theatergoers to step onto the stage near the end of Fairview, reversing the traditional paradigm between the observers and the observed.

It is a pleasure to welcome Jiehae Park and Knud Adams to Berkeley Rep for the first time, and specifically into the Peet’s, which feels like such a useful container for some of the particular questions they are examining in the aves. In conceiving this production, it was vital to Jiehae and Knud that audiences have the opportunity to cross an imagined but important threshold into this shared space. Could we reconceive an audience pathway so that you can experience this familiar space in new ways? What is the function of silence on stage, which can often feel like simply a pause before the next person speaks? What is each of our relationship to our body as we move forward in time? And what of that journey is within our control? Or could be sometime soon?

I am delighted to welcome you to this final show of the 2024/25 season, and to get to contemplate these questions (and others), here, together, in real time.

Warmly,

Johanna Pfaelzer | Artistic Director

Welcome to the season finale of Berkeley Rep’s 2024/25 season! As we close this remarkable season with Jiehae Park’s the aves, I am reminded of why theatre remains an essential, transformative force. This world premiere exemplifies our commitment to innovative storytelling that challenges conventions, pushes the boundaries of theatre, and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.

At Berkeley Rep, we take pride in producing audacious new works, fostering visionary artists, and engaging audiences in thought-provoking conversation. This season has been a testament to that mission with the electrifying hip-hop, live-looping musical Mexodus; a theatre/opera reimagining in The Matchbox Magic Flute; Jocelyn Bioh’s hit Broadway comedy Jaja’s African Hair Braiding; the visually stunning and imaginative The Thing About Jellyfish; a record-breaking staging of Uncle Vanya; and the acclaimed, investigative theatre piece Here There Are Blueberries. In addition, two Berkeley Rep-originated works appeared on Broadway (Swept Away and Cult of Love), and Goddess, which premiered here in 2022, is currently running Off-Broadway at The Public Theater.

But the journey does not end here. Next season promises an equally daring lineup of premieres, new works, and reimagined classics — works that ignite curiosity and spark dialogue. By subscribing, you secure the best seats, the best value, premium benefits and access, and an intimate experience of the extraordinary — be a part of the adventure.

Thank you for making Berkeley Rep a home for fearless artistry. There is great energy and momentum at your theatre right now, and that is due in no small part to your patronage and charitable support.

Enjoy the show, and we look forward to welcoming you back next season!

Tom Parrish | Managing Director