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.
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Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea

Recommended by

  • Playwrights Foundation:
    28 Dec. 2022
    “ 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 ”
  • Amanda Petefish-Schrag:
    13 Dec. 2019
    “ 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:
    12 Dec. 2019
    “ 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! ”
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Character Information

  • Rain Cloud
    No age, but then appears 28,
    Mixed
    ,
    No gender, Female
    A rain cloud
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any actor of color
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Bessie
    Any age,
    Any
    ,
    Gender-fluid
    A cow
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Any gender
  • Ralmond
    28,
    Mixed
    ,
    Male
    A human
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any actor of color
    • Gender: 
      Male, Non-binary
  • Midi
    29,
    Mixed
    ,
    Female
    A human
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any actor of color
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Edvard
    Late teens to early twenties,
    Any
    ,
    Male
    A prince
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Ina
    Late teens to early twenties,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    A princess (shh!)
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Teens, 20s, 30s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Little One
    Child,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    A young storyteller
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Child, Teens, 20s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Dolan
    Any adult age,
    Danish
    ,
    Male
    An old storyteller, probably Hans Christian Andersen
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      Any adult age
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Male, 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

  • University
    ,
    Loyola Marymount University
    ,
    2023
  • University
    ,
    Villanova University
    ,
    2023
  • Professional
    ,
    Rorschach Theatre
    ,
    2023
  • University
    ,
    UArts
    ,
    2022
  • University
    ,
    Williams College
    ,
    2022
  • University
    ,
    Cal Poly Tech San Luis Obispo
    ,
    2022
  • University
    ,
    American Academy Of Dramatic Arts
    ,
    2022
  • University
    ,
    Northwestern University WAVE Productions
    ,
    2021
  • University
    ,
    Brown University
    ,
    2018

Awards

Winner
,
Outstanding New Play
,
The Dorry Awards
,
2018