Welcome

Welcome to the 2025/26 season! In a moment in which we have seen federal support for the arts decimated and numerous theatres, locally and nationally, cease operations in the face of daunting headwinds, I do not take lightly the privilege of launching a new season, especially one as ambitious as this one. The challenges that we as an institution, an industry, and a community have faced since I got here six years ago were unimaginable to me at that time. But the fact that we are here together today, in the exquisitely particular Peet’s Theatre, in the presence of Jake Brasch’s brave and delightful play, fills me with pride and gratitude. Thank you for being part of Berkeley Rep, for engaging with these artists and their stories, with us and with each other.

I never plan seasons with the intention of a theme, but often as I look ahead, certain narrative threads reveal themselves that connect the stories across the coming year. And while many of the great pieces of theatrical literature from the Greeks to today concern relationships between family members, the intergenerational complexities of The Reservoir, The Hills of California, All My Sons, Mother of Exiles, and The Monsters certainly seem to share some DNA…Part of the task of growing up is to come to an understanding of our own family’s particular mythology — the stories we are told (or tell ourselves) about how we ended up here, in these particular relationships to one another. Jake’s bitingly funny and gently heartbreaking play, under Mike Donahue’s incisive direction, is an invitation to do exactly that, to give ourselves the permission (and perhaps the responsibility) of challenging the established narrative, of deepening our understanding, of meeting this knowledge with curiosity, compassion, maybe even a kind of forgiveness for those nearest to us, and for ourselves as well.

I’m delighted to once again share this journey with you. Thank you for being here with us.

Warmly,

Johanna Pfaelzer | Artistic Director

Welcome to The Reservoir — Jake Brasch’s sharply funny and deeply heartfelt new play — and to the beginning of what promises to be a remarkable 2025/26 season at Berkeley Rep! As ever, we are proud to produce bold new work that is helping shape the future of the American theatre. And while this comedy about family, memory, and the path toward healing brings us together today, it is only the first in a season brimming with stories of wonder, courage, and human connection.

This fall, following celebrated productions in London’s West End and on Broadway, Jez Butterworth’s The Hills of California makes its West Coast debut — a haunting, tender, and savagely funny elegy of sisterhood. Then, you’ll enjoy the world premiere of Mother of Exiles — a sweeping, multigenerational triptych and a powerful portrait of belonging and resilience that begins on San Francisco Bay’s Angel Island. And speaking of premieres: if you saw the electrifying live-looped musical Mexodus here last season, you can now catch it off-Broadway at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre through October 11. As with so many of our productions, you can say you saw it here first!

If you haven’t already subscribed, now is the perfect time to join this community of theatregoers. With a full season of unforgettable performances — featuring some of the finest artists from the Bay, Broadway, and beyond — enjoy the best seats, the best prices, and the singular pleasure of supporting the creative risk-taking and ambition that makes Berkeley Rep a theatrical powerhouse.

This is an exciting time to be a part of Berkeley Rep, and we’re so glad you are here.

Thank you and enjoy the show!

Tom Parrish | Managing Director