THE EFFECT

10/04/17 - 11/11/17

WRITTEN BY LUCY PREBBLE
DIRECTED BY DAVID MUSE

“I can tell the difference between who I am and a side effect.”

Connie and Tristan can’t hide how they feel around each other: Hearts thumping, sleepless nights, a slightly ill excitement. They’ve fallen, and fallen hard. Unless their infatuation is a side-effect of the new antidepressant they’re in a clinical trial for. As the trial’s supervising doctors untangle the ethical implications of this illicit relationship—and Big Pharma’s investment in medicating sanity—Connie and Tristan engage body and mind with the mysteries and chemistry of love.

Play Name

Show Information

Runtime: This performance will run approximately 2 hours, with a 15 minute intermission.
Environmental Warning: This production will feature strobe effects and the smoking of herbal cigarettes.

The Effect is generously underwritten
by Teresa and Daniel Schwartz.

Multimedia

The Artists

Cast

Production Team

SCENIC DESIGNER

Luciana Stecconi

Luciana Stecconi’s previous designs for Studio Theatre include The Effect, Cloud 9, Hedda Gabler, Bad Jews, An Iliad, Lungs, The History of Kisses, In the Red and Brown Water, The Year of Magical Thinking, Amnesia Curiosa, Souvenir, Contractions, and Crestfall, among others. She has designed for Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Round House Theatre, Signature Theatre, The Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences, Mosaic Theater, Theater J, Everyman Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, Georgetown University, Catholic University, American University, Imagination Stage, and many more. She’s the Assistant Professor in Scenic Design at Emerson College. Stecconi holds an MFA in design from Brandeis University and is a member of USA Local 829.

(As of December 2018)

COSTUME DESIGNER

Heather C. Jackson

Heather C. Jackson previously worked at Studio Theatre as Assistant Designer on The Apple Family Plays. Most recently she designed Whipping, or The Football Hamlet with Longacre Lea. Other recent designs include The Tempest and Richard III at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Orfeo ed Euridice/Orphee aux Enfers at Maryland Opera Studio, The Wild Party at the University of Maryland, and Gospel of Lovingkindness at Mosaic Theater Company, among others. Upcoming projects include Spring Awakening at Loyola University Maryland, The Winter’s Tale at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, and Assistant Designer on Samson & Delilah at Virginia Opera Company. Ms. Jackson holds an MFA from the University of Maryland. 

(As of September 2017)

SOUND DESIGNER

Ryan Rumery

Ryan Rumery is a musician, composer, and producer. His music is in the films Awake: A Dream from Standing Rock (Tribeca Film Festival 2017), How to Let Go of the World (And Love All the Things Climate Can't Change) (Sundance 2016, HBO), and City of Gold (Sundance, SXSW 2015). Recent theatrical scores include Fool For Love on Broadway, The End of Longing at MCC Theater, Emperor Jones at The Irish Repertory Theatre, and Between Riverside and Crazy at the Atlantic Theater Company and Second Stage Theater. Mr. Rumery, Christian Frederickson, and the late Jason Noble recently released their album The Painted Bird – Amidst. Mr. Rumery recently produced three albums for Jeremy Bass. Upcoming albums include Arlo Hannigan and The Walker Project. Mr. Rumery recently received the Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Sound Design and Composition, and was a selected composer for the Sundance Institute of Music and Sound Design Labs at Skywalker Sound.  

PROJECTIONS DESIGNER

Alex Basco Koch

Alex Basco Koch previously designed Invisible Man at Studio Theatre (also at the Court Theatre and Huntington Theatre Company). Recently he did the concert design for The Magnetic Fields’s 50 Song Memoir. Broadway credits include Irena's Vow. Off Broadway credits include Buyer & Cellar at Barrow Street Theatre and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Body of an American at Primary Stages, The Liquid Plain at Signature Theatre, and Lenin's Embalmers at Ensemble Studio Theatre. Regional credits include Marley at Baltimore Center Stage, and ReEntry at Baltimore Center Stage, Round House Theatre, and Actors Theatre of Louisville.

(As of September 2017)

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER

Robb Hunter

Robb Hunter has directed violence for more than 20 Studio productions including Vietgone, The Effect, Hand to God, Bad Jews, Belleville, The Motherfucker with the Hat, Reasons to be Pretty, Invisible Man, Superior Donuts, American Buffalo, Red Speedo (Helen Hayes nomination for choreography) and The Walworth Farce (Helen Hayes nomination). He also directs movement/violence for the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth (where he received a Helen Hayes Award for HIR and nomination for An Octoroon), Signature Theatre, and many others. He is a member of SDC, AEA, SAG/AFTRA, and is a Certified Fight Director for the Society of American Fight Directors. He is on faculty at The Shakespeare Theatre’s Academy for Classical Acting, is the Choreographer in Residence at American University and is a teaching artist for the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory.

(As of February 2019)  

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

Becky Reed

Becky Reed has previously stage managed No Sisters and The Effect at Studio Theatre. Other DC-area credits include The Cerulean Time Capsule and Elephant and Piggie’s We Are In A Play! (National Tour) with the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences; Macbeth and King John with Folger Theater; Marjorie Prime and I And You at Olney Theatre Center; Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Signature Theatre, Happy Hour with Spooky Action Theater and machina eX; and Copenhagen, Everything Is Illuminated, and Becoming Dr. Ruth at Theater J. Becky has worked as an assistant stage manager at many DC-area theaters, including Opera Lafayette, Olney Theatre Center, Rep Stage, Signature Theater, Theater J, and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Becky has a BFA in Theater Production and Management from Auburn University.

(As of March 2019)

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

Corinne Williams

Corinne Williams recently was the stage manager for The Effect. Her international credits include the Australian tour of The Beast with the Ambassador Theatre Group as well as Straight White Men and Last Man Standing with the Melbourne Theatre Company. Regional credits include Schoolhouse Rock Live!, Driving Miss Daisy, and Annie at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre; Shear Madness, Next to Normal, and Annie Get Your Gun with the Heritage Theatre Festival; and Frankenstein at the Village Playhouse. While studying in Cardiff, she completed a placement on Bakkhai at the Almedia Theatre. Other educational credits include The Endless Ocean at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Dancing at Lughnasa, The Who's Tommy, and Spring Awakening at the College of Charleston. Ms. Williams holds an MA in Stage and Event Management at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. 

(As of November 2017)

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Linda Lombardi

Linda Lombardi recently served as assistant director and dramaturg on Building the Wall at Forum Theatre (NNPN Rolling World Premiere) and dramaturg on Lela & Co. at Factory 449. Other directing credits include Henry IV, Part I and II and Henry V for GreenStage; the world premiere of Perfect Arrangement at the Source Festival; Domestic Animals in the Capital Fringe Festival; Ajax at Open Circle Theatre; The White Devil at Theatre Schmeater; assistant director for Whipping, or the Football Hamlet at Longacre Lea; and Henry VI, Part II for Taffety Punk. Upcoming projects include directing the workshop production of Kenilworth and assistant to the director for Theresa Rebeck on The Way of the World at Folger Theatre. Ms. Lombardi is a member of the 2017-18 Stage Directors and Choreographers Observership Class. 

(As of September 2017)

DRAMATURG

Adrien-Alice Hansel

Adrien-Alice Hansel is the Literary Director at Studio, where she has dramaturged the world premieres of Queen of Basel, The Remains, No SistersI Wanna Fucking Tear You ApartAnimalLaughRed SpeedoDirtLungs, and The History of Kisses as well as productions of Cry It Out,Translations, Curve of Departure, The EffectWig Out!Straight White MenCloud 9Hedda GablerConstellationsJumpers for GoalpostsBad Jews (twice), The Apple Family PlaysInvisible ManSucker PunchThe Golden Dragon, and The New Electric Ballroom, among others. Prior to joining Studio, she spent eight seasons at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, where she headed the literary department and coordinated project scouting, selection, and development for the Humana Festival of New American Plays. She also served as production dramaturg on roughly 50 new, contemporary, and classic plays there, including premieres by Naomi Wallace, Gina Gionfriddo, Kirk Lynn and Rude Mechs, Rinne Groff, The Civilians, Anne Bogart and SITI Company, Jordan Harrison, and John Belluso. She is the co-editor of eight anthologies of plays from Actors Theatre and editor of eight editions of plays through Studio. Adrien-Alice holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. 

(As of April 2019)

Press

Muse, Studio’s artistic director, applies his accustomed intelligence to another Studio-worthy project here. He elicits the best from his actors, most notably from Silver and Kleiger, who have personality to spare. They persuasively offer up fallible people, endearing and flawed and yes, in each other’s company possessing that magic ingredient: chemistry.
The Washington Post
"…full of humor and ultimately manages to accomplish a delicate and difficult goal: to demonstrate how people profoundly affect one another, physically and emotionally, when they fall in love.
Theatermania
The Effect is a profoundly moving and surprisingly funny must-see, brought to life by some truly electrifying talent and unforgettable visuals.
Brightest Young Things

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