Robert Stanton and Matilda Lawler Photo by Julieta Cervantes

So it is for Suzy (Matilda Lawler), 12 years old, going on 13, whose story is told in The Thing About Jellyfish, which opened this week in a world premiere production at Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Roda Theatre. If starting middle school wasn't stress enough, Suzy is thrust into that maelstrom soon after learning her parents are separating and her best friend since kindergarten drowned while on summer vacation.

Suzy can't imagine her friend Franny (Kayla Teruel) drowning, since she was such a strong swimmer. This inexplicable tragedy sends Suzy–normally never at a loss for words, always happy to share (usually at a breakneck pace) whatever new knowledge she has acquired–into a self-enforced silence. Despite the gentle support of her mother Meg (Stephanie Janssen), her father Dan (Andy Grotelueschen), and teacher Mrs. Turton (Christiana Clark, in one of a variety of roles), Suzy keeps her tongue to herself and dives deeply into solving the mystery of Franny's death.

On a school trip to an aquarium, Suzy is entranced by a display of jellyfish, as are we, given the astoundingly beautiful projections created by Lucy McKinnon that surround the stage, allowing the scene to shift seamlessly between environments. Likewise, Derek McLane's set design feature an array of elements which slide effortlessly into place as required and then disappear silently back into the wings. It's all gorgeously lit by Lap Chi Chu, and director Tyne Rafaeli makes brilliant use of all of this technology to pull us deeper into the story.

Learning that not only are jellyfish among the oldest-living organisms on the planet, having outlived all five of the major extinction events that have taken place in Earth's long history, but their stings can also be deadly, especially that of the Irukandji jellyfish. Tasked by her teacher to create a report on an animal of her choice, making use of the five steps of the Scientific Method (ask a question, form a hypothesis, gather data, analyze data, share results), she begins by wondering if it's possible Franny's death was due to a jellyfish sting.

To assist her in her quest, Suzy not only searches the web, she enters into a dialogue (in her imagination) with Jamie (Robert Stanton), a marine biologist from Australia whose commitment to understanding jellyfish brings him back to the ocean again and again, despite being stung multiple times. Like Jamie, Suzy is not one to be deterred by setbacks, and, as her story unfolds, we travel with her through time and space to watch her navigate the new dynamic with her separated parents and carefully tread the middle school minefield, and observe her and Franny at various points in their relationship. Most important, we see how Franny and Suzy drift apart when Franny falls in with the popular Aubrey (Lexi Perkel), leaving Suzy more isolated than ever.

The acting is strong throughout, and the cast seems to be in orbit around Suzy, reacting to and playing off her emotions and motivations. Stanton is especially charming as a geeky academic, and Christiana Clark does terrific work in individualizing each of her roles. But this is the Suzy show, and young Lawler is amazingly confident and compelling. Her eyes–even in the expanses of the Roda–communicate volumes.

In addition to having a strong narrative–the show is based on a novel by Ali Benjamin and adapted for the stage by Keith Bunin–The Thing About Jellyfish is a visual feast, with the immersive projections almost constantly in flux, not only setting scenes but reflecting the thought processes, fantasies and fears inside Suzy's head. Rather like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Thing About Jellyfish is a thrilling trip through the mind of a gifted youth obsessed with uncovering a mystery when everyone else accepts an easier, though mistaken, conclusion. It's a journey you won't want to miss.

The Thing About Jellyfish runs through March 9, 2025, at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison Street, Berkeley CA. Shows are Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:00pm; Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm. Matinees are Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00pm. Tickets range from $25-$134. For tickets and information, please visit www.berkeleyrep.org, or call the box office at 510-647-2949.