Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea

• Julia Izumi
• Full Length Play, Dramatic Comedy
• 2M, 4F, 2M or F
• ISBN: 9780573709715

This playful, quirky, loose adaptation of The Little Mermaid, about a Little Rain Cloud who falls in love with a human, unpacks some personal history about Hans Christian Andersen.

• Full Length Play
• Dramatic Comedy
• 90 minutes

• Target Audience: Teen (Age 14 - 18), Adult
• Cautions: Alcohol, Strong Language

• Performance Group:
• High School/Secondary, College Theatre / Student, Community Theatre, Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups

• Accolades:
• Winner! Dorry (RI Theatre) Award for Best New Play (2018)

• Casting: 2M, 4F, 2M or F
• Casting Attributes: Ensemble cast, Role(s) for Non-Binary Actor(s), Role(s) for Latine Actor(s), Roles for Multicultural Casting, Role(s) for Indigenous Actor(s), Role(s) for Asian Actor(s), Role(s) for Trans Actor(s), Role(s) for Black Actor(s)
• Casting Notes: While all of the characters speak as the people in Hans Christian Andersen’s life, they do not look anything like them (or else Dolan would recognize them). This is a play about overturning old narratives and these characters live in fantastical realms removed from our realities, so think carefully about who populates your fantasy world today. If there are going to be mostly white people on this stage for your production, please pick a different play. It is particularly helpful for the narrative if Rain Cloud, Ralmond and Ina are played by actors of mixed race or international backgrounds. It is even more helpful if Rain Cloud is played by an actor of Indian descent. Bessie can be played by an actor of any gender – Bessie takes ownership of gender fluidity in a way that Hans Christian Andersen wanted to but could not. “Midi” is actually short for “Midori,” which is the Japanese word for green. Like the grass. So think about that when casting too...