Good Morning Gloucester

laywright Bess Wohl’s Tony Award-nominated powerhouse comedy explores a family turned upside-down and takes an intimate look at the enduring nature of love

 Performances July 29 – August 21 at Gloucester Stage Company’s Historic Waterfront Theater

By way of Broadway, the GLOUCESTER STAGE COMPANY, under the leadership of Interim Artistic Director Paula Plum and Managing Director Christopher Griffith, is pleased to present the Tony Award-nominated GRAND HORIZONS next in the lineup of its 2022 season. Both funny and poignant, the play is a unique look at love’s changeable nature and a powerful argument for the full humanity of women in our culture. Robert Walshº returns to Gloucester Stage to direct this thought-provoking comedy of marital malaise by award-winning playwright Bess Wohl, running from July 29 to August 21.

Bill and Nancy have been happily married for fifty years. They can finish each other’s sentences and anticipate each other’s every sigh, snore, and sneeze. As their adult children descend on the Grand Horizons senior living community – they are forced to reexamine everything they thought they knew about their parents’ happy lives. A powerhouse comedy that explores a family turned upside-down takes an intimate look at love’s wild, unpredictable, and enduring nature.

GRAND HORIZONS reunites on the Gloucester Stage the real-life married couple, award-winning actors of film and stage, Paula Plum (Nancy) and Richard Snee (Bill). The accomplished cast also stars Jeremy Beazlie (Ben), June Kfoury (Carla), Cristhian Mancinas-García (Tommy) Greg Maraio (Brian), and Marissa Stewart (Jess). 

“Playwright Bess Wohl has captured a situation that will resonate with families in any place and time! The roles we seem destined to be assigned, promulgate, or hope to shed…the hunger to live life to the fullest and how it’s never too late to follow or attempt to fulfill your dream…is innate to us all, said Grand Horizon’s Director Robert Walsh. “With a truly charming wit, insight and relevance, Grand Horizons will make you laugh out loud and nod in recognition of the foibles and realities of what it means to be a family.”

GRAND HORIZONS will run from July 29 through August 21. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 pm at Gloucester Stage Company, 267 East Main Street, Gloucester, MA. Tickets are now on sale and available at GloucesterStage.com. 

The production is made possible with generous support from the Greene Foundation. The 2022 Season at Gloucester Stage has been made possible by the Shubert Foundation and the Applied Materials Foundation.

About the Artists:

Bess Wohl (Playwright) Bess Wohl’s plays have been produced or developed at theaters around the country, including the Williamstown Theatre Festival, People’s Light and Theatre Company, Center Theatre Group, the Contemporary American Theater Festival, the Pioneer Theatre, the Pittsburgh Public Theater, the Northlight Theater, TheaterWorks New Works Festival, the Geffen Playhouse, the Vineyard Arts Project, Ojai Playwright’s Conference, the Cape Cod Theatre Project and the New York International Fringe Festival. Her play AMERICAN HERO had its world premiere at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, directed by Leigh Silverman. She also worked on PRETTY FILTHY, an original musical about the adult entertainment industry, in collaboration with the composer/lyricist Michael Friedman and the Civilians. Her other plays include CATS TALK BACK, IN, BARCELONA, and TOUCHED. Her work has been supported by the MacDowell Fellowship, PlayPenn, and the Sewanee Writer’s Conference. She is a member of the Ars Nova Play Group, and has been the recipient of new play commissions from Manhattan Theatre Club and Center Theatre Group. She also writes for film and television. She completed an adaptation of the bestselling novel “The Luxe” for Paramount Pictures and has developed original television pilots for Fox, HBO, and USA. Bess is a graduate of Harvard, magna cum laude, where she studied with Seamus Heaney and Jamaica Kincaid, and was awarded the Rona Jaffe Writing Prize and the Tennessee Williams Scholarship. She earned her MFA from the Yale School of Drama, where she was a recipient of the Rebecca West Scholarship. She is originally from Brooklyn, New York, and divides her time between New York and Los Angeles.

Robert Walshº (Director) Gloucester Stage Company directing credits include: Think of Me Tuesday, The 39 Steps, My Station in Life, Cyrano, The Rainmaker, Bank Job, Songs For A New World, The New Electric Ballroom, North Shore Fish, Fighting Over Beverley, The Widow’s Blind Date, The Primary English Class, Our Town. Gloucester Stage Company acting credits include: Gloucester Blue, Sins of the Mother, The Subject Was Roses, The Barking Sharks, Two for the Seesaw. Producing Artistic Director, American Stage Festival: Bus Stop, Intimate Exchanges, Jacques Brel…, and Lend Me a Tenor, among others. Artistic Associate: Actors’ Shakespeare Project: Richard III, As You Like It, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Coriolanus, Twelfth Night, Measure For Measure. Other productions directed include: Othello (Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey); Round and Round The Garden, Table Manners, K2, Later Life, Holiday Memories (Merrimack Rep); Rancho Mirage, Race, Speed-The-Plow, True West (New Repertory Theatre); The Secret of Sherlock Holmes, The Goatwoman of Corvis County (Shakespeare & Co.); Misalliance, A Life in the Theatre (Two River Theatre Co.); I Hate Hamlet (StageWest); The Little Foxes (Barter Theatre); and Of Mice and Men (Greater Boston Stage Co.), among others. Roles in recent feature films include: Black Mass, and the upcoming Fourth of July and A Playful Romance. Robert served as Artistic Director of Gloucester Stage from 2015-2021. He also directed the on-field ceremonies for the ’99 All-Star Game at Fenway Park. He is on the faculty at Brandeis University.

Paula Plum* (Nancy) is a 30-year veteran of Gloucester Stage Company, first appearing in 1990 as Winnie in Happy Days and most recently in Barefoot in the Park. GSC Directing credits include I’m Not Rappaport, Out of Sterno, and The Last Schwartz. Paula is the recipient of seven IRNE awards, 2007, 2017 & 2020 Eliot Norton Award for Outstanding Actress, the 2004 Eliot Norton Award for Sustained Excellence, and the 2003 Distinguished Alumni Award from Boston University. In 2009 she was one of five actors nationwide to receive the Fox Actor Fellowship in association with SpeakEasy Stage. As a founding member of the Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Plum has played Cleopatra, Beatrice, Lady Macbeth, and Phèdre and served as their Interim Artistic Director in 2018. She has appeared regionally at the Lyric Stage, the American Repertory Theatre, the New Repertory Theatre, Merrimack Repertory, the Huntington Theatre, Gloucester Stage Company, and Elm Shakespeare. Film credits include: Mermaids, Malice, Next Stop Wonderland, and Irrational Man directed by Woody Allen. Upcoming films include: About Fate with Emma Roberts and Fourth of July written and directed by Louis C.K. Television: Science Court (three seasons ABC) and co-creator and star of The Dick & Paula Celebrity Special for FX. From 2003 through 2019, Paula served as Artistic Director of WGBH’s A Christmas Celtic Sojourn featuring Brian O’Donovan. Ms. Plum is a cum laude graduate of Boston University and has studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, the Dell’Arte Institute, and École Phillipe Gaulier, Paris. She has been published in American Theatre magazine and is married to actor Richard Snee. Paula is a professional acting coach. Last year she was appointed the 2020/2021 Monan Professor of Theater Arts at Boston College and is currently the Interim Artistic Director of Gloucester Stage Company.  

Richard Snee* (Bill) Gloucester Stage credits include: Auld Lang Syne, Table Manners, Living Together, Round and Round the Garden. Regional include: Othello (American Repertory Theatre); Present Laughter, Sisters Rosensweig (Huntington Theatre Company); Uncle Vanya, Boy Gets Girl, Something in the Air, A Christmas Carol (Merrimack Repertory Theatre). Richard has been a member of the Boston company of Shear Madness since 1987 and is a founding member of the Actors’ Shakespeare Project, and has appeared in several of their productions including Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Cherry Orchard, Richard III, and Comedy of Errors. He has also performed at the Lyric Stage Company of Boston, SpeakEasy Stage Company, the Nora Theatre Company, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, the Wilbur Theater, Hasty Pudding Theatricals, and a lot of other places over the last thirty years.  His film credits include Gone, Baby, Gone; The Company Men; My Best Friend’s Girl; Never Met Picasso; Treading Water; Mr. North; and Teacakes or Cannoli. Richard’s television credits include voicing characters for several animated series including Science Court; Dr. Katz; Home Movies; and Hey, Monie! Richard and his wife, Paula Plum, helped create and starred in the FX network’s animated series, The Dick and Paula Celebrity Special. She was “Paula.” He was “The Dick.”

Jeremy Beazlie* (Ben) grew up in New Albany, Indiana, learning and performing classical theatre, making independent movies and playing in rock bands. His credits include, George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life (Rhinoleap), Steve Enloe in The Radiant Abyss (Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Kennedy Center) Lee in True West (Walden Theatre), Ingram Frizer in Murdering Marlowe (Access Theatre). Film/TV credits include WTC View, The Gamekillers (MTV) and Whoopi (NBC) He lives in New York City and is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts.

June Kfoury (Carla) has appeared in a variety of plays, musicals, and operas in Greater Boston, and in summer stock in Central Massachusetts. Recent roles include The Inheritence (Clairee in Steel Magnolias; Gingy in ​Love, Loss, and What I Wore (Hub Theatre of Boston); the Douglas in Henry IV (Praxis Stage); Sir Edward Clarke in Gross Indecency, Bev/Kathy in ​Clybourne Park, ​Julienne Tessman in ​Hedda Gabler, General Cartwright in​ Guys and Dolls​ (The Longwood Players); Nurse in Romeo and Juliet (Happy Medium); Marie Cote in Reflections of a Rock Lobster ​(Boston Children’s Theatre); and Sister Irene in ​Sister Act (NextDoor Theater).

Cristhian Mancinas-García (Tommy) Man of Lamacha (New Repertory Theatre) was his debut performance. His favorite credits include Evita (Regatta Players); Rock of Ages (Marblehead Little Theatre); Melancholy Play (The Umbrella); The Wild Party (Moonbox Productions); and Picasso at the Lapin Agile (The Wellesley Players). Cristhian was born and raised in Durango, Mexico and currently resides in Boston, MA. Upcoming projects include Romeo and Juliet (The Underlings Theatre Co.).

Greg Maraio* (Brian) Regional credits include: Significant Other [IRNE nomination]; Casa Valentina [IRNE and Elliot Norton nominations]; and Necessary Monsters (SpeakEasy Stage), The Arboretum Experience (ART); Finish Line (Boston Theater Company); The Book Club Play, Brawler [IRNE nomination], Faithless (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Nora Theatre); Wolf Play, Colossal, Splendor, The Good Negro, Mr. Marmalade, The Gibson Girl, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Company One). Greg will also be joining the cast of the World Premiere of Pru Payne by Steven Drukman at the Arizona Theatre Company in 2023. He received is BFA at Lesley University. 

Marissa Stewart* (Jess) is an actor and teaching artist from sunny San Antonio, Texas and currently living in Manhattan, NY. Her familial roots are in the Caribbean islands of Curaçao and Carriacou. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Studies with an associated study in Psychology from the University of Evansville as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the American Repertory Theater Institute at Harvard University. Marissa recently joined the Acting Company of Blk Girls Luv The Bard for a Fall Virtual Reading series of the Play On! Shakespeare commissioned plays Comedy of Errors, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. 

PERFORMANCE TIMES AND LOCATIONS: 

All performances, unless noted, are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 pm at Gloucester Stage Company located at 267 East Main Street, Gloucester. 

TICKETS ON SALE NOW: Tickets to the Gloucester Stage 2022 season are on sale now. 

Single Ticket prices range from $15 to $54, with discounts available for seniors, military families, college students, youth under 18 years of age, EBT Cardholders, and Cape Ann residents. For detailed ticket information, visit www.gloucesterstage.com.

Season Packages start at $220 for five tickets for any mainstage performance and include early access to seating, no fees, and free ticket exchanges. Packages can be purchased or renewed by calling the Box Office at 978.281.4433 or visiting gloucesterstage.com/subscribe.

For additional information, contact The Box Office, located at 267 East Main Street, Gloucester, or can be reached at 978.281.4433 or boxoffice@gloucesterstage.com

ºMember Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) Union *Member Actors Equity Association (AEA) Union

GLOUCESTER STAGE COMPANY’S 2022 SEASON: 

July 29 – August 21, 2022 | GRAND HORIZONS

Press Preview: Sunday, July 31, 3:00 pm

Written by Bess Wohl, Directed by Robert Walshº

August 26 – September 18, 2022 | PARADISE BLUE

Press Preview: Sunday, August 28, 3:00 pm

Written by Dominique Morisseau, Directed by Jackie Davis

Blue, a gifted trumpeter, contemplates selling his once-vibrant jazz club in Detroit’s Blackbottom neighborhood – it’s 1949, and gentrification is banging on the door. In this powerful noir-inspired drama, a makeshift family and their troubled bandleader find themselves fighting for the future of Paradise. This dynamic and musically-infused drama shines a light on the challenges of building a better future on the foundation of what our predecessors have left us.

September 30 – October 23 | THE THIN PLACE

Press Preview: Sunday, October 2, 3:00 pm

Written by Lucas Hnath, Directed by Dee Dee Batteast

This haunting production is a part ghost story and part dissection of “truth,” which builds a never-ending loop between your head and your sixth sense and satisfies the cravings of both. This journey will make you question your assumptions about the spirit world in chilling moments of revelation. With insight and relentless curiosity, the Tony Award-nominated playwright Lucas Hnath’s play transforms the theater into an intimate séance, crafting an unnerving testament to the power of the mind, which has a mind of its own.

I do not know why we hadn’t been to Willow Rest on Holly Street in quite a while, but we decided to have lunch there recently. I really need to spend more time over there! The place is full of local goods, vegetables, drinks, soups, gifts, baked goods AND delicious meals! All in one place with friendly service and smiling faces. There is something cool everywhere you look. We sat at the counter with our sliders and Rotary sandwich and gazed at all the tempting treats surrounding us. We left with some baked goods and soup. Totally a great place to stop and stay a while….. (the take out was also hopping so there’s that too!)

Good Saturday Afternoon Good Morning Gloucester!

Another amazing find up here on our cape.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron named for its long yellow feathers on top of head. A rare treat to see in Cape Ann. Seasonally found in South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands… Nests may be 60+ feet off the ground, Average brood is 2-6 blue-green eggs. This one was hunting crabs. Nikon, 800mm, ethical distance, Cape Ann MA location

#payitforwardphotos #yellowcrownednightheron #yellowcrown

You have my permission(s) to share and please feel free to post on your social media with credits:

Photos Courtesy of C.MacImages/AdvancedImaging

Best Regards, 

Carin Macnamara

Hello Joey,

Was hoping GMG could help spread the word about  a cornhole tournament we are putting on as a fundraiser for the GHS boys basketball program. We will have two separate tournaments for kids grades 6-12 and adults. I’ve attached the flier with all of the information

Thanks!

Adam Philpott

Slightly Cooler…

GMGI Waives all Biotech Academy Tuition for 2022-2023
“The Big Waive” a gift to Cape Ann’s young adults

Gloucester Biotechnology Academy has announced a new financial structure to support young adults’ investment in their futures. Through the generous support of donors, tuition and fees will be waived in their entirety for the Academy’s incoming class of 2023. In addition, qualifying students will receive stipends to help support their living expenses.  Click here to read the full press release.

The Inaugural Joseph J. Rosa Impact Award

In a special moment during the recent Academy graduation Dr. John Doyle stepped up to the podium to introduce The Joseph J. Rosa GMGI Impact Award, which will be given annually in recognition of a volunteer who best exemplifies dedication to the mission of GMGI and the Academy. John went on to describe Joe’s storied history with GMGI, from the early conversations around GMGI’s founding in the Rosa’s kitchen to Joe’s dedication to each of the past six Academy classes. 

“Joe, there has been no one more influential at the Academy since its inception than you,” John said. “You have had a profound effect on both our students and educators.”

Joe went on to accept the award and express his gratitude at the podium. In true to his character, Joe turned the focus to the impact of the Academy. “We should all be extremely proud,” he said. “This kind of school does not go on anywhere else as far as I’m aware, and the success of the students in getting jobs almost immediately, that doesn’t happen anywhere.”

GMGI is grateful for the unparalleled commitment and dedication Joe has shown the organization and is delighted to honor that commitment each year going forward with the Joseph J. Rosa GMGI Impact Award.

The GMGI Science Forum Returns

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the GMGI Science Forum returned this spring for an in-person, daylong symposium on the latest advances in marine genomics. Guests gathered at Gloucester High School on May 15 to hear from a lineup of speakers that included scientists from Stony Brook University, The Ohio State University, Pacific Northwest Research Institute, University of Connecticut, Boston University, UMass Amherst, GMGI, the J. Craig Venter Institute and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. 

Guests enjoyed casual conversation before the morning session began, focusing on harmful algal blooms and diseases that impact bivalves — including the contagious cancer that affects some clams. After a networking lunch, the talks resumed with a focus on viruses in the global oceans and the diversity of life in deep-sea habitats, population genetics of endangered sea turtles, leveraging genomic tools to understand coral bleaching and the role that sponges play in nutrient cycling on coral reefs. GMGI’s Donald G. Comb Science Director, Dr. Andrea Bodnar, emceed the conference, and was thrilled to have the event back in GMGI’s rotation. “Since 2015, GMGI has built a reputation for convening thought leaders in genomic research, and I’m delighted that we are in a position to continue that tradition,” Dr. Bodnar said. “It’s an inspiring event for both our research team and guests alike.”

After the final talk concluded, guests gathered downtown at the Gloucester House for a cocktail hour on the harbor. 

Thank you to the Company of Biologists and the Cummings Foundation for the sponsorship of the 2022 GMGI Science Forum. 

GMGI Creates Opportunity

Earlier this year, GMGI launched a fundraising appeal that focused on three young women at GMGI and their varying paths into the dynamic world of biotech and marine genomics. Reanna, Lizzie, and Kate may be in different stages of their journeys but have all found success at GMGI. Click here to view the appeal and consider supporting GMGI and the many opportunities we create.

This spring, GMGI researchers ventured out of the lab and on to the water. Left: Senior research associate Jennifer Polinski collects samples with Ocean Alliance. Right: Research associate Dylan Comb joined DMH for their annual coastal trawl survey. 

STEM Opportunities for ALL

Do you know someone who is interested in STEM and looking for an opportunity to experience real-world science at the bench? 

Gloucester Biotechnology Academy has openings in the upcoming Class of 2023! Two cohorts are available, starting in August and November. 

Our week-long Summer STEM Enrichment programs for middle and high school students have space available in the remaining weeks: July 25 and August 8.

Please visit our website to learn more about our programs or contact Director of Enrollment and Partnerships Laura Richane at laura.richane@gmgi.org.

In the News and CommunityDid you catch the latest on GMGI in the news and community? Check out the links below to get caught up.

Executive Director Chris Bolzan checks in with 104.9’s North Shore Conversations

Gloucester Biotechnology Academy graduates new crop of biotech lab techs – Gloucester Daily Times

AG Healey dives into GMGI – Gloucester Daily Times

Executive Director Chris Bolzan travels to Washington D.C. for the nation’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge Summer Conference.

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