Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea

by Julia Izumi

The Little Mermaid is Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved and well-known fairy tale, which is why it’s not the story our friend, Dolan, is going to tell you today. No, he’s going to tell you the story about a Little Rain Cloud who falls in love with a human. They are not the same story at all, he swears.

The Little Mermaid is Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved and well-known fairy tale, which is why it’s not the story our friend, Dolan, is going to tell you today. No, he’s going to tell you the story about a Little Rain Cloud who falls in love with a human. They are not the same story at all, he swears.

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Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea

Recommended by

  • Playwrights Foundation: Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea by Julia Izumi
    “

    The community of national & local readers for the 45th Bay Area Playwrights Festival in 2022 enthusiastically recommends SOMETIMES THE RAIN, SOMETIMES THE SEA as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We highly enjoyed this play's surrealist whimsical take on The Little Mermaid and multiple layers of narrative. Readers found it a fun, and wild and chaotic journey in a delightful way. We were compelled by this play's promise in its witty dialogue, overlapping structure, and exploration of character, time, and space. We hope this play is widely read, finds dedicated collaborators, and moves...

    The community of national & local readers for the 45th Bay Area Playwrights Festival in 2022 enthusiastically recommends SOMETIMES THE RAIN, SOMETIMES THE SEA as a Semi-Finalist at Playwrights Foundation. We highly enjoyed this play's surrealist whimsical take on The Little Mermaid and multiple layers of narrative. Readers found it a fun, and wild and chaotic journey in a delightful way. We were compelled by this play's promise in its witty dialogue, overlapping structure, and exploration of character, time, and space. We hope this play is widely read, finds dedicated collaborators, and moves swiftly towards production. #BAPF2022

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    ”
  • Amanda Petefish-Schrag: Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea by Julia Izumi
    “

    What a beautiful play! Funny, poignant, heartbreaking, and hopeful. Exceptional weaving of form and structure; language and image. A fairy tale that sparkles with relevance for our current moment.

    What a beautiful play! Funny, poignant, heartbreaking, and hopeful. Exceptional weaving of form and structure; language and image. A fairy tale that sparkles with relevance for our current moment.

    ”
  • Nick Malakhow: Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea by Julia Izumi
    “

    What a fantastic, whimsical, playful, and poignant theatrical fairy tale. Izumi plays with and subverts our expectations numerous times throughout the story, all along the way making some excellent points about the nature of love and relationships. The theatrical world described onstage is so unique and heightened, and it was a joy to try and visualize how it might come to life in my mind. This big-hearted and beautiful story also has an excellent sense of humor and moves at a fast, exciting clip. Please produce this play!

    What a fantastic, whimsical, playful, and poignant theatrical fairy tale. Izumi plays with and subverts our expectations numerous times throughout the story, all along the way making some excellent points about the nature of love and relationships. The theatrical world described onstage is so unique and heightened, and it was a joy to try and visualize how it might come to life in my mind. This big-hearted and beautiful story also has an excellent sense of humor and moves at a fast, exciting clip. Please produce this play!

    ”
View all 7 recommendations

Character Information

  • Dolan
    An old storyteller, probably Hans Christian Andersen
    Any adult age
    Danish
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s,
      70s+
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male,
      Non-binary
  • Rain Cloud
    A rain cloud
    No age, but then appears 28
    Mixed
    No gender,
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • Ralmond
    A human
    28
    Mixed
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male,
      Non-binary
  • Bessie
    A cow
    Any age
    Any
    Gender-fluid
  • Midi
    A human
    29
    Mixed
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
      Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
      Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
      Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
      Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
      South Asian or South Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • Edvard
    A prince
    Late teens to early twenties
    Any
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • Ina
    A princess (shh!)
    Late teens to early twenties
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • Little One
    A young storyteller
    Child
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Child,
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary

Development History

  • Reading, Rorschach Theatre, 2022
  • Reading, Villanova University, 2020
  • Reading, Virtual Theatre of Arizona, 2020
  • Reading, Brown University MFA Programs, 2017
  • Reading, Samuel French, 2016

Production History

  • High School, Rancocas Valley Regional High School, 2024
  • High School, Wooster School, 2024
  • University, American University, 2024
  • University, Vassar College, 2024
  • Professional, Rorschach Theatre, 2023
  • University, Loyola Marymount University, 2023
  • University, The New School, 2023
  • University, Villanova University, 2023
  • University, American Academy Of Dramatic Arts, 2022
  • University, Cal Poly Tech San Luis Obispo, 2022
  • University, UArts, 2022
  • University, Williams College, 2022
  • University, Northwestern University WAVE Productions, 2021
  • University, Brown University, 2018

Awards

  • Outstanding New Play
    The Dorry Awards
    Winner
    2018