THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA to Have West Coast Premiere at Berkeley Rep
Performances will run from October 31–December 7, 2025.
Berkeley Repertory Theatre will present the West Coast premiere of The Hills of California — the soaring new drama from internationally acclaimed Olivier and Tony Award–winning playwright Jez Butterworth (The Ferryman, Jerusalem) — performing at Berkeley Rep’s Roda Theatre from Friday, October 31 through Sunday, December 7, 2025.
A co-production with The Huntington, The Hills of California weaves the compelling, tender, and savagely funny tale of the Webb sisters’ return to their childhood home in an English seaside town. As girls, their fierce and ambitious mother trained them for a singing career à la The Andrews Sisters. Now, past and present collide within the once-vibrant guesthouse as memories resurface with haunting clarity. The Hills of California explores how sibling bonds both sustain and suffocate, and how songs of youth echo through life. Loretta Greco, former Artistic Director of San Francisco’s Magic Theatre, returns to the Bay Area to direct the West Coast debut of this masterwork.
"When I first encountered Jez Butterworth's gorgeous play, it immediately felt like something that Berkeley Rep and Bay Area audiences would love,” said Berkeley Rep Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer. “I'm thrilled to be bringing this story of a family full of deep yearning, large scale ambitions, profound secrets (and some beautiful songs!) to our stage. I can't wait to see these complicated multi-faceted women through the eyes of longtime friend and colleague, Loretta Greco."
The cast of The Hills of California includes (in alphabetical order): Kyle Cameron (Dennis, Jack Larkin), Meghan Carey (Young Gloria), Aimee Doherty (Ruby, Mrs. Smith), Kate Fitzgerald (Young Joan), Jack Greenberg (Tony, Mr. Smith, Mr. Halliwell), Patrice Jean-Baptiste (Penny, Biddy), Karen Killeen (Jillian), Chloé Kolbenheyer (Young Ruby, Patty), Mike Masters (Bill, Joe Fogg), Nicole Mulready (Young Jill), Amanda Kristin Nichols (Gloria), Lewis D. Wheeler (Mr. Potts, Luther St. John), and Allison Jean White (Joan, Veronica). Understudies for The Hills of California include (in alphabetical order): Annika Bolton, Lila Grace English, Bridgette Hayes, Zachary Kautter, Yewande Odeyotinbo, Michael Poignand, and Ruth Sullivan.
Directed by Loretta Greco, the creative team of The Hills of California includes Misha Shields (Choreographer), Andrew Boyce (Co-Scenic Design), Se Hyun Oh (Co-Scenic Design), Jennifer Von Mayrhauser (Costume Design), Russell H. Champa (Lighting Design), David Van Tieghem (Sound Design), Janet Foster (Casting), Daniel Rodriguez (Music Director), Ashleigh Reade (Dialect & Vocal Coach), Jesse Hinson (Fight/Intimacy Coach), Kevin Schlagle (Stage Manager), Ashley Pitchford (Assistant Stage Manager), and Sofie Miller (Assistant Stage Manager).
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