The Effect

- Producer

@ Piven Theatre, Northwestern University (Winter 2026)

Summary

What: Northwestern Arts Alliance's production of Lucy Prebble's The Effect. An off-campus venue production.

Story: Hearts and minds racing, Connie and Tristan are falling for each other fast. But is their sudden and intoxicating chemistry real, or a side effect of a new antidepressant? As two young volunteers in a clinical drug trial, their illicit romance poses startling dilemmas for the supervising doctors.

What I learned

One of Arts Alliance's first off-campus productions. I was the main liaison between the private venue and our school's bureaucratic systems, making sure each of the office's needs were met. Responsible for making sure all major show deliverables were executed on the right timeline, I learned how to fix problems on the fly and pivot quickly.

All production photos courtesy of Georgia Mann.

Credits

CAST
Connie - Sarah Bock
Tristan - Elias Roberts
Dr. James - Lauren Nishi
Toby - Oliver Tam

TEAM
Directed by Henry Winkelman
Produced by Ghino Lee
Stage Manager - Ani Lawit

Assistant Directors - Julien Gray & Tai Duong
Assistant Stage Managers - Lily Zebrauskas & Alice Chiton
Intimacy Coordinator - Nora James Eikner
Fight Coordinator - Sydney MacGilvray
Dramaturgs - Ryan Samii & Abby Pierson
Assistant Dramaturg - Ella Sorkin

Assistant Producer - Nathanio Scott
Projections Team - Will Boyle & Seth Black Diamond
Costume Designer - Angella Ma
Scenic Designer - Annie Kopp
Assistant Scenic Designer - Tyler Fargason
Lighting Designer - Kristopher Lambert
Sound Composition / Design - Tyler Shaver & Leo Garcia
Props Designer - Sophia Casa
Marketing Director - Georgia Mann
Assistant Marketing - Naomi Ko
Fundraising Director - Roie Dahan
Director of FUN - Kate Horton

Thanks to Catalyzer contributors & Arts Alliance Board