Photos: THE BUMPY ROAD LESS TRAVELED at The Marsh Berkeley

Playwright and performer Anthony “AJ” Michael Jefferson is making his Marsh debut run in The Bumpy Road Less Traveled. Get a first look at production photos!

Set from Hermosa Beach to the Bay Area, the story intimately follows AJ as his family’s California dreams are unexpectedly wrenched by a horrific tragedy. In the aftermath, he rises to reinvent himself providing riveting insights into socioeconomic and humanitarian issues that plague the United States, including the prison industrial complex. Through the help of guardian angels, cherished family members, unexpected heroines, and lessons gleaned from slaying personal demons, The Bumpy Road Less Traveled, developed with Formerly Incarcerated People’s Performance Project (FIPPP), is a phoenix style revelation from one man who mastered his destiny.

The Bumpy Road Less Traveled will be presented 7:30pm Fridays through August 7, 2026  at The Marsh Berkeley (2120 Allston Way). Tickets are $25-$35 general admission sliding scale, $50 and $100 reserved, plus a $3 convenience fee per ticket.

The Bumpy Road Less Traveled was developed with the Formerly Incarcerated People’s Performance Project, a nonprofit organization created to support formerly incarcerated individuals through the creation and performance of original theatrical work. The organization’s mission is to raise the voices of formerly incarcerated people to promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusivity in the arts and beyond.

Photo credit: Z Gorely