Lindsay Crouse

Lindsay Crouse* (Dr. Lorna James)
Lindsay Crouse is an award-winning veteran of stage and screen. In the New York theater she spent seven years with the Circle Repertory Company. On Broadway she won a Theater World Award for her performance as Ruth in Pinter’s The Homecoming.

Featured on numerous television dramas, Lindsay laughingly refers to herself as “queen of episodic television,” guest-starring over the years on shows such as Hill Street Blues, Columbo, Murder She Wrote, Touched by an Angel, LA Law, NYPD Blue, ER, Frasier, Alias, CSI, and Law and Order SVU. She played three different characters on Law & Order, and spent a season on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as the infamous Maggie Walsh.

For the last decade Lindsay has played a wide range of characters at the Gloucester Stage, joining the cast of the riotous trilogy, The Norman Conquests, by Alan Ayckborn, sharing with them Boston’s IRNE award for Best Ensemble, and recently appearing as Lettice in Peter Schaffer’s madcap comedy, Lettice and Lovage. On the dramatic side she played the doctor in the searing duet, Going to St. Ives, received raves for her portrayal of Emily Dickinson in The Belle of Amherst, and won the Independent Critic’s Best Actress award for her performance as Daisy in Alfred Uhry’s Driving Miss Daisy. 

Some of Lindsay’s best known films include House of Games, The Verdict, The Insider, Mr. Brooks, Slapshot, Prince of the City, Daniel, and Places in the Heart, for which she received an Academy Award nomination.

Brad Hall

Brad Hall* (Dr. Toby Sealey)
Stage includes Practical Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Guthrie Theatre, St. Nicholas Theatre, Lincoln Center Theatre, Grange Court Theatre London, Huntington Hartford Theatre Los Angeles. Most recently: The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved with Tim Robbins at Town Hall, NY.

In Television, Brad has written, performed, developed, composed music for, directed, created or produced many shows; among them SNL, Frasier, Brooklyn Bridge, The Single Guy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Watching Ellie, Parks And Recreation and VEEP.

Brad has also written, produced and performed in motion pictures, often in happy partnership with Gary David Goldberg and Sam Weisman.

Brad attended Northwestern University and is a co-founder of the Practical Theatre Co. in Chicago. It was at the Practical Theatre that Brad first met Julia Louis-Dreyfus, with whom he has two sons.

Susannah Hoffman

Susannah Hoffman* (Connie Hall)
Susannah Hoffman received an MFA in acting from the A.R.T./MXAT Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University. Her regional theater credits include Baby Doll in Baby Doll, Mary Debenham in Murder on the Orient Express (McCarter Theatre), Cherie in Bus Stop (CENTERSTAGE), Elizabeth in Heartless, Abigail in A Discourse on the Wonders of the Invisible World (Contemporary American Theater Festival), Sexual Perversity in Chicago (ART), The Donkey Show (ART), Ophelia in Hamletmachine (ART Institute), The Little Tragedies (Moscow Art Theater), and Nina in The Seagull (Opera House Arts). Her New York credits include The Actress in insignificance, Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet/Mercutio/Prince/Balthasar in Empirical Rogue’s four-actor Romeo & Juliet, Morgan in Owned, Celine in … But the Next Morning, and Claire in L’Amour Fou. TV/Film: House of Cards, Spiderman 2, Invisible.

Mickey Solis

Mickey Solis* (Tristan Frey)

Hanna Guselli, Michael Furlong & Drew Cleveland (Research Lab Technicians)

Sam Weisman

Sam Weisman (Director)
Sam Weisman worked for ten years as an actor before making the transition to directing. Feature films include George Of The Jungle (which received a British Academy Award nomination for Best Children’s Movie), The Out-of-Towners (starring Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn, and John Cleese), Bye-bye Love , D2: The Mighty Ducks, and Dickie Roberts. He was also Co-Producer of the movie, Dad (starring Jack Lemmon, Olympia Dukakis, and Ted Danson), and has directed or produced over 200 television episodes of shows such as Family Ties, Moonlighting, L.A. Law, Seventh Heaven (Pilot Episode), The Single Guy, Law And Order, Monk, In Plain Sight, and The Bernie Mac Show. Mr. Weisman directed the pilot and many episodes of the critically acclaimed series, Brooklyn Bridge, and was the show’s Executive Producer with his great friend, Gary David Goldberg. His TV work has received three Emmy Nominations, multiple Humanitas Awards, two Golden Globe Nominations, and a Golden Globe Award. The Co-Creator of NBC’s The Sing Off, he served as Executive Producer of the show for its entire run. His theatre work has received multiple Drama-Logue and LA Weekly Awards, as well as Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Best Director honors for the West Coast premiers of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, and Simon Gray’s The Common Pursuit. Other theatre credits include James Lapine’s Table Settings, Moliere’s The Misanthrope at USC, and Sam Shepard’s Buried Child at South Coast Repertory Theatre. Mr. Weisman was co-creator of Lies And Legends: The Musical Stories Of Harry Chapin, directing the show at Chicago’s Apollo Theatre, Off Broadway at the legendary Village Gate, and in Toronto and Los Angeles. At Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre, he directed Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero, and the world premier of John Kolvenbach’s Gizmo Love. A graduate of Yale University, Mr. Weisman received an M.F.A. in Acting and Directing from Brandeis University’s Department of Theatre Arts, where he has been a teaching artist, and has directed productions of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Other theatre work includes teaching and directing at the American Repertory Theatre’s actor training program, as well as playing Polonius in Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s Hamlet. He was a long time member the East Coast Council of the Directors Guild of America, and is a voting member of the Directors Branch of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Mr. Weisman is thrilled to collaborate with friend and long time creative partner, Brad Hall, to have the chance once again to direct the amazing Lindsay Crouse, and to work with former students Susannah Hoffman and Mickey Solis. He dedicates his work on The Effect to his wife, actress and therapist Constance McCashin; and to Dan, Lizzie, Margaux, and Will–the best family ever.

J. Michael Griggs† (Set and Projection Design)

J. Michael Griggs is happy to be returning to Gloucester Stage where he last designed Auld Lang Syne and Fences in 2014.  In July of 2017 he will be exhibiting his work at the World Stage Design Exposition in Taipei, Taiwan. Recent projects include Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill for the Milwaukee Rep, Phèdre at Trap Door Theatre in Chicago, School for Scandal for the Actor’s Shakespeare Project, 1984 for Illinois Theatre, Lost Lake for The Manhattan Theatre Club and Long Lost for Illinois Theatre.

Other selected designs include Romance, No Child, No Man’s Land, How I Learned to Drive, Boston Marriage, and others for the American Repertory Theater; The Sanctuary Lamp, The Well of the Saints, The Lonesome West, St. Nicholas, and others for The Súgán Theatre Company,  as well as productions at SpeakEasy Stage Company, The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, The Publick Theatre, Tir Na Theatre Company, Opera Providence, and New Repertory Theatre.  He is a member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829.

Jenna Worden

Jenna Worden (Properties Design)

Jenna Worden is delighted to return for her third season with Gloucester Stage. Favorite GSC credits include Out of Sterno, The Flick, and The Totalitarians. In addition, Jenna has worked with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (Our American Hamlet), WGBH (A Christmas Celtic Sojourn), Childsplay AZ, and Phoenix Theatre. She recently signed on as Programs Coordinator of Brighter Boston, a non-profit partnership providing teenagers with professional internships in technical theatre and event production. Jenna earned both her BA in Theatre Studies and BSEd in History from Northern Arizona University.

Russ Swift† (Lighting Design)
GSC: Resident Lighting Designer for the past 11 years. Productions include: Sweet and Sad; Out of Sterno; The New Electric Ballroom; The Flick; Jacques Brel; Fences; Spring Awakening; North Shore Fish; Carnival; “Master Harold” . . . and the Boys; The Most Happy Fella; Fighting Over Beverley; Table Manners; Trying; The Breath of Life; Sins of the Mother; Billy Bishop Goes to War; Going to St. Ives; Dear Liar; The Belle of Amherst; Ponies; The Widow’s Blind Date; The Secret of Mme. Bonnard’s Bath; The Price; The Heidi Chronicles, Long Day’s Journey Into Night; My Old Lady; Spinning into Butter. Boston-area (select): The Hobbit (Wheelock Family Theatre); Scarlett Letter (Worcester Foothills); It’s All True (Lyric Stage Company of Boston); Rags (The Boston Conservatory); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, 2010 and 1012 Gala (Boston Arts Academy). Other: Mr. Swift has designed for Tri-Cities Opera, the Jewish Theatre of New England, the Publick Theatre, Chamber Theatre Productions, Boston Lyric Opera, the Worcester Forum Theatre, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, the Theatre of Newburyport, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Bristol Riverside Theatre, American Ensemble Theatre, Stephan Petronio Dance Company, the Caldwell Theatre, KewPee Corporation and the Trinidad Theatre Workshop. Mr. Swift has been on the faculty or staff at Northeastern University, Emerson College, Endicott College, Westfield State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, Salem State University, Community College of Rhode Island, and Groton School. He is currently the production manager for the Theatre Department at Boston College. Russ resides in Wilbraham with his wife, Mayre, and daughter, Michaela.

Miranda Kau Giurleo (Costume Design)
Miranda Kau Giurleo gladly returns to Gloucester Stage where she designed last season’s Lettice and Lovage, and Totalitarians. Previous GSC credits include: The New Electric Ballroom, Fighting Over Beverly, Dear Liar, The Wind in the Willows, Ponies, Calvin Berger, Our Son’s Wedding, The Secret of Mme. Bonnard’s Bath, and The Heidi Chronicles. Other design credits include: The Scottsboro Boys (SpeakEasy Stage Company), Chill (Merrimack Repertory Theatre), The Convert, and Roots of Liberty (Underground Railway Theatre), Matchless/The Happy Prince (Central Square Theatre), Peerless, Leftovers, Dry Land, Shockheaded Peter, Grimm, Love Person, Neighbors, She Kills Monsters, The Good Negro, and After the Quake (Company One), Measure for Measure, As You Like It, and Two Gentlemen of Verona (Actor’s Shakespeare Project), and Closer Than Ever (New Repertoire Theatre).

She has previously designed and built costumes for the U.S.S. Constitution Museum production of Sailor’s Lives, Sailor’s Wives, and is currently on the faculty at Bridgewater State University.

David Remedios

David Remedios† (Sound Design)
David has previously designed sound for The Totalitarians, The Flick and An Ideal Husband at Gloucester Stage. Recent credits include Faithful Cheaters (Trinity Rep); Our American Hamlet and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company); Finish Line (Boston Theater Company at Shubert Theatre); Women in Jeopardy!, The Making of a Great Moment, and Abigail/1702 (IRNE nom.), (Merrimack Rep); The Scottsboro Boys (IRNE nom.), (SpeakEasy Stage); Uncanny Valley (Stoneham Theatre). Upcoming projects include Wild Horses and The Niceties (Contemporary American Theater Festival); Romeo and Juliet (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company); The Royale, KNYUM, and The Villains’ Supper Club (Merrimack Rep). David is a proud member of United Scenic Artist Local USA 829. remediossound.com.

Claudio Ragazzi (Composer)
Film Composer and guitarist Claudio Ragazzi has been writing award winning music for film and television, scoring dozens of projects and performing with some of today’s most respected musicians at renowned concert halls in the world for the past twenty years.

Claudio attended Berklee College of Music where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, a winner of the prestigious Duke Ellington Master’s Award, the Boston Music Awards and an EMMY. Claudio went on to compose music for feature films, documentaries and television as well as commercials and works for plays and ballets.

Claudio’s Movie Scores include Brad Anderson’s Next Stop Wonderland produced by Miramax, the music for the award winning film, The Blue Diner, collaboration with fellow film composer Mason Daring on the music for John Sayle’s Casa de los Babys, additional music for Something’s Gotta Give starring Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves, additional music and solo guitar on Francis Ford Coppola’s Tetro to name a few..

Claudio has also scored dozens of TV productions for the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, National Geographic, Telemundo, Univision and PBS, including specials for American Experience, NOVA, Sesame Street, Arthur, and Postcards from Buster.

Claudio’s live performances include those at Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl, The Blue Note Jazz Club, The Lincoln Center and in Festivals all around the world. He has performed with some of today’s most influential and respected musicians, including Gary Burton, Yo-Yo Ma, Randy Brecker, Pablo Ziegler, Danilo Perez, Regina Carter, saxophone legends Joe Lovano, Branford Marsalis, Kenny Garrett, and Paquito D’Rivera to name a few.

Claudio currently scores films, performs internationally with the Pablo Ziegler Quartet as well as with his own group and teaches Film Composition at the prestigious Berklee College of Music.

Maegan Alyse Passafume* (Stage Manager)
Maegan is thrilled to be returning to Gloucester Stage Company for The Effect! Previous production stage management credits include A Measure of Normalcy (Gloucester Stage Company); Ugly Lies the Bone, DibbleDance: Shoes On, Shoes Off, Private Lives, and Julius Caesar (Shakespeare & Company); The Radius Playwrights Festival (Berkshire Playwrights Lab). Previous assistant stage management credits include The Scottsboro Boys (SpeakEasy Stage Company); Mame, Lucky Stiff, Sweet Charity, A Funny Thing…Forum, and How to Succeed…Trying (Stoneham Theatre); Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Accomplice, and Mother Courage and Her Children (Shakespeare & Company). Maegan received her B.F.A. in Stage Management from Millikin University in Decatur, IL. Proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Jen Spirito (Assistant Stage Manager)

In Gloucester Stage’s compelling ‘The Effect,’ love is the drug

A rave review from Globe theater critic Don Aucoin
– The Boston Globe

In Gloucester, Brad Hall is entering another stage

An interview with Brad Hall about performing in The Effect
– The Boston Globe

Summer theater picks

Globe theater critic Don Aucoin’s guide to summer productions includes The Effect.
– The Boston Globe

Music, theater, dance, art and more

This week’s picks for concerts, plays, performances, exhibitions and other events in the Boston area.
– The Boston Sunday Globe The Ticket: Critic’s Pick

Love under the influence

“The intricacies of love and attraction have defied science for centuries. But in Gloucester Stage Company’s production of British playwright Lucy Prebble’s drama, this ageless mystery is examined in the midst of a drug-intervention experiment for depression.”
– The Gloucester Times

From previous productions:
“The irreducibility of love is the subject of “The Effect,” Lucy Prebble’s very clever — and ultimately more than clever — play…Ms. Prebble, the British author of “Enron,” has come up with an ingenious variation on one of the more common romantic formulas in fiction: Put two attractive people in an unfamiliar hothouse environment, and see what blooms.”

–Ben Brantley, New York Times Theatre Critic, on the 2016 Barrow Street Theater production of “The Effect”

Read full review here

“If our emotions are manipulated by chemicals, does that make them less real, less valid, less an expression of who we are? If a chemical causes us to lose our memory, what remains of our personality? Are we the sum total of our vital organs or does our brain harbour some extra element that gives us an identity?”

–Mark Fisher, The Guardian

Read full review here