Spring ’26

Next to Normal

Dir. Ayani Dorsey
Prod. Arushi Maheshwar
SM. Alecks Walters

An intimate portrait of a modern family, the show explores illness, loss, grief and family as a suburban wife and mother lives with bipolar disorder and is haunted by her past.

PBS Great Perfomances

Tickets for Next to Normal are now live! Performances run on April 17-19th and 24-26th in UC Berkeley’s Choral Rehearsal Hall – more information is available at tickets.berkeley.edu.

Spring ’26

Jump

Dir. Kalyan Piovesan Touissant
Prod. Jay Fernando
SM. Baz McLaughlin

Jump follows the story of Fay as she cleans out her childhood home with her Dad and sister Judy. Their storied past and broken relationships are uncovered and as time phases and contorts, Fay reflects on the bridge she used to walk with her mother and sister and where she meets Hopkins. In Jump, playwright Charly Evon Simpson shows how, through the lens of one’s single-sided life narrative, internal struggles of grief and addiction can both break and heal relationships.

Kalyan Piovesan Toussaint (Dir.)

Jump, directed by Kalyan Piovesan Toussaint, is our 2026 Rimalower Prize winner.

Jump will have performances on May 8-10th. Tickets and show details will be available soon.

Spring ’26

Romeo and Juliet

Dir. Milo Mechem-Miller
Prod. Marie Daniel
SM. Riley Thompson

Romeo & Juliet is an old play, but the essential story of young people trying to understand themselves in a hostile world has only grown more relevant. Set in a hazily contemporary American city, BareStage Productions presents this classic story refocused on queerness, gender, family, and generational divide to build an energetic, shimmery, and slightly surreal world. Full of sword fights, feuds, romance, humor, passion, and tragedy, BareStage’s Romeo & Juliet gives its titular star-crossed lovers new life.

Milo Mechem-Miller (Dir.)

Romeo and Juliet has now passed. Thank you for your support.

Fall ’25

Alice By Heart

Dir. Sophia Partain
Prod. Sofia Santos
SM. Senna Garcia

In the middle of the London Blitz of World War II, Alice Spencer’s life is turned upside down when she and her dear friend Alfred are forced to take shelter in an underground tube station. When the ailing Alfred is quarantined, Alice’s ‘by heart’ rendition of Lewis Carroll’s, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” transports the pair to Wonderland. With the help of characters like the Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts, they travel through Carroll’s tale, exploring the poignancy of first love, coming to terms with loss, and finding the courage to move forward.

Sophia Partain (Dir.)

Alice By Heart has now passed. Thank you for your support.

Fall ’25

House of Joy

Dir. Riya Borde
Prod. Pranathi Kolla
SM. Toby Leeder

At first glance, the House of Joy is a dazzling utopia. But when a new guard joins the emperor’s army, she discovers it’s more prison than paradise. This genre-busting adventure fantasy is filled with stunning locales, electrifying combat, steamy romance and queer femme power in all its forms.

New Play Exchange

House of Joy has now passed. Thank you for your support.