World Premiere Adaptation of THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH Opens at Berkeley Rep in 2025

Berkeley Rep in association with Madison Wells Live will present the world premiere of The Thing About Jellyfish, based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Ali Benjamin adapted for the stage by Keith Bunin and directed by Tyne Rafaeli, January 31 - March 9, 2025. Performances will take place at Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre. Press night will be held on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.

“Madison Wells is delighted to be returning to Berkeley Rep to continue our ongoing creative collaboration together” said Jamie Forshaw, Madison Wells Live Executive Producer. “The Thing About Jellyfish will mark our third partnership; which began in 2022 with Swept Awayand continues with the upcoming Jaja’s African Hair Braiding this fall. We are thrilled to bring this poignant coming of age story to life with this exceptional team. ”

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. The Thing About Jellyfish is a visually stunning and deeply emotional coming-of-age tale about love, loss, friendship, and the profound expansiveness of the human spirit.

Madison Wells also holds the exclusive film rights to The Thing About Jellyfish.