Setting
Lucy Prebble sets The Effect in a clinical drug trial facility. It’s meant to feel sterile, institutional, and a little “anywhere,” not tied to a particular city or country, even though the play premiered in the UK.
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director
Brett Olson
Stage Manager
Cody Hurm*
(*) indicates undergraduate BA student
DIRECTOR'S NOTES
The Effect by Lucy Prebble is a play that sits at the intersection of science, love, and mental health. In this staged reading, we’ve focused on the raw immediacy of the text, allowing the questions it raises to resonate clearly: What defines our emotions… chemistry or choice? Are we more than our biology? By stripping away the full staging, we invite you to listen closely to the vulnerability, the doubt, and the moments of unexpected connection between the characters. This is a story about what it means to feel, and what it costs to question those feelings.
CAST LIST
The Effect
Dr. Lorna
Joycelyn Fish
Dr. Toby
Jordan Lynn
Connie
Hadley Ruetten
Tristan
Walker Beaman
CAST BIOS
JOYCELYN FISH (Dr. Lorna) is a second year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in directing, and is the Director of Marketing and Development at the Racine Theatre Guild. Prior credits include The Importance of Being Earnest (Production Stage Manager / Dramaturg), First Date (Stage Manager), Seasonal Allergies (Production Stage Manager), and Native Gardens (Stage Manager) at the Racine Theatre Guild, Snow White (Director) at the Racine Children’s Theatre, and Macbeth (Spotlight Operator) at UW-Parkside.
JORDAN LYNN (Dr. Toby) is a third-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Stage Management. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include Macbeth (Assistant Stage Manager), Hand to God (Deck Crew), and The Altruists (U/S Ethan, Ronald, Lance).
HADLEY RUETTEN (Connie) is a third-year Theater Major with concentrations in Musical Theatre and Stage Management, with a minor in Dance. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include Macbeth (Gentlewoman / Lord), Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Stage Manager), Carrie: the Musical (Asst. Stage Manager), Peter & the Starcatcher (Asst. Stage Manager), When We Dead Awaken (Sister of Mercy), The Laramie Project (Deck Crew) and Burn: The Musical (U/S Natasha). She has also performed and worked backstage in numerous productions in the Oshkosh area.
WALKER BEAMAN (Tristan) is a Junior year Theatre Arts Major who came to us from State Fair Community College. Prior credits include Heathers: the Musical (Ram Sweeney), The Tempest (Sebastian), Not Now Darling (Mr. Frencham), Henry V (Bardolph / Captain Fluellen), Junie B. Jones: the Musical (Daddy / Mr. Scary), The 39 Steps (Richard Hanney), and The Lightning Thief: the Percy Jackson Musical (Chiron) at State Fair Community College, and Waiting for Godot (Lucky) and Hand to God (Timmy) at UW-Parkside.
Production Personnel
Stage Management Faculty Advisor
Misti Bradford
Marketing
Jody Sekas, Ainsley McKellips *
Program Layout
Laura Mason
Poster Design
Erika Ottosen
Production Photographer
TBA
Department Administrative Assistants
Joe Lambin, Edson Melendez
Theatre Arts Artistic Manager
Brian Gill
Theatre Arts Department Chair
Misti Bradford
PRODUCTION TEAM BIOS
BRETT J. OLSON (Director) is thrilled to join the University of Wisconsin–Parkside Theatre Arts faculty. He has been a professional theatre artist for 17 years, working nationally as an actor, director, and educator on more than 100 productions. Performance credits include work at the Kennedy Center, the NYC International Film Festival, the East Village Film Festival, Fresh Black Films, Crossroads Repertory Theatre, Gorilla Tango, and North Dakota Shakespeare.
Favorite directing projects include productions at Perry-Mansfield (Steamboat Springs, CO), Okoboji Summer Theatre (Okoboji, IA), Stephens College (Columbia, MO), and Minot State Summer Theatre (Minot, ND). He was a founding member of the Conservatory for Performing Arts at Stephens College and has served as Associate Artistic Director for both Minot State Summer Theatre and North Dakota Shakespeare.
Brett holds an MFA in Acting from Western Illinois University and an MA in Theatre Arts (Stage Direction) from the University of North Dakota. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, the Society of American Fight Directors, the Voice and Speech Trainers Association, and Intimacy Directors and Coordinators.
CODY HURM (Stage Manager) is a third-year Theatre Arts major with a concentration in Stage Management. Previous credits at UW-Parkside include Macbeth (Assistant Stage Manager), Hand to God (Deck Crew), and The Altruists (U/S Ethan, Ronald, Lance).
THEATRE ARTS SUPPORTERS
The College of Arts and Humanities with the UW-Parkside Foundation gratefully acknowledges the following individuals for their investment in the Theatre Arts Department and students.
$1,000+
Susan M. Cable, D.D.S. '81 *
Dr. Donald A. Cress *
William Dienhart *
Marie Kohler & Brian Mani *
Patricia Petretti *
Shirley Warter *
$500-$999
Keith Harris
$250-$499
David R. Koss, '06
Dr. Lesley Heins Walker
$100-249
Darleen Chiappetta
Edwin & Flora Doody
Calvin Kaplan '71
Debra Karp & Stephen Smiley
Frances M. Kavenik
Heather McGee '90
You can enhance Theatre Arts Education.
In the same way that mounting a play requires a team, funding it is likewise a team effort. To produce our amazing shows, we rely on a combination of sources—ticket sales, the University, and private funding.
Play a part in advancing the student experience through your one-time or recurring contribution to the Dr. Donald A. Cress Theatre Production Enhancement Fund.
Donations listed were received Jul 1, 2022-Aug 30, 2023. For omissions or changes to this donor list, please contact development@uwp.edu
*Denotes members of the UW-Parkside Chancellor’s Society.
About UW-Parkside
Since 1968, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has continued to build a reputation as an outstanding liberal arts institution with particularly strong fine arts programs. With The Rita Tallent Picken Center for Arts & Humanities, our state-of-the-art instructional facilities and stunning performance venues match our award-winning academic programs and provide even greater community access. UW-Parkside offers a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as specialized online programs. Each year, more than 100 College of Lake County graduates transfer to UW-Parkside to pursue a four-year degree. The award-winning Theatre Arts program is a popular destination for transfer students.