SYNOPSIS:

Set in the small town of Berlin, Maryland, The Puzzle is a heartfelt new musical about love, loss, and the quiet ways families find their way back to one another.

When Jenna Adams loses her husband in a sudden accident, her young son Jake retreats into silence, unable to process his grief. An old puzzle and a simple song become the unexpected bridge that helps him reconnect—with his mother, his family, and the world around him.

As the years unfold, music weaves through their lives, guiding them through new relationships, long-held resentments, and the difficult choices that come with growing up and letting go.

Spanning decades and generations, The Puzzle follows Jake’s journey from childhood to adulthood, alongside a family learning how to hold space for change while honoring the past. Both intimate and expansive, the musical explores how love evolves, how grief reshapes us, and how even the most fractured pieces can come together to form something whole.

PRODUCTION HISTORY:

The Puzzle, an original musical by Alex Lefevre and Marybeth Berry premiered as a developmental reading at Coastal Carolina University in May 2024.

It made its international fully staged debut at La MaMa: Umbria as a part of the esteemed Spoleto Festival in June 2025.

The Puzzle will be performing at Town Theatre in Columbia, SC in February 2026 and Charleston Stage in Charleston, SC in April 2026.

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PUBLICATION:

The Puzzle was featured in the academic journal, European Stages. Composer/Lyricist Alex Lefevre outlines the creation and European premiere of The Puzzle at La MaMa: Umbria as a part of the Spoleto Festival in July 2025.