Gloucester Stage Company Kicks Off 43rd Season With GLORIA By Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

GLOUCESTER STAGE COMPANY has announced that it will open its 2022 season with the critically acclaimed Pulitzer Prize finalist play, GLORIA, written by the MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant recipient Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and will be directed by Bryn Boice. The gripping and engrossing play will run from June 3 through June 26.

This funny, trenchant, and powerful play follows an ambitious group of editorial assistants at one of New York's most esteemed cultural magazines, each of whom hopes for a starry life of letters and a book deal before they turn thirty. But when a seemingly ordinary day at the office becomes anything but, these aspiring journalists recognize an opportunity to seize a career-defining moment. Deeply pertinent and provocative, GLORIA takes audiences on an unpredictable, unnerving journey to a simple and very human insight.

The award-winning director, educator, actor, and producer Bryn Boice will be making her directorial debut at Gloucester Stage, leading an all-star cast. GLORIA's accomplished cast stars Jordan Pearson (Miles/Shawn, Rashaad), Esme Allen (Gloria/Nan) and Teresa Langford (Ani/Sasha/Callie) along with other newcomers to the Gloucester Stage, Michael Wood (Dean/Devin), Ann Dang (Kendra/Jenna) and Mike Broadhurst (Lorin). GLORIA is presented by special arrangements with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

"GLORIA is a witty and disturbing satire that exposes the insidious effects of ostracism," said Paula Plum, Gloucester Stage Company's Interim Artistic Director. "The shocking events of GLORIA reveal the danger of designating who are the outliers and outcasts among us. This sharp and insightful social commentary will shock and surprise you."

"Jacobs-Jenkins has crafted a time capsule of 2010s office culture that stings in all the right ways as we are coming out of the pandemic. I was drawn to the ferocious wit of the characters and the many shocks of the plot, but also to its examination of how we're treating each other at work, and how trauma manifests alongside ambition. It's a heck of a play," shared Director Bryn Boice.

Gloucester Stage Company will be returning to live indoor performances in its historic theater located on Gloucester's waterfront. The theater company will continue to prioritize the health and safety of artists, staff, and patrons. More information can be found at gloucesterstage.com/keeping-you-safe/.

GLORIA will run from June 3 through June 26. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 pm indoors at Gloucester Stage Company, 267 East Main Street, Gloucester, MA. Tickets are now on sale and available at GloucesterStage.com.

GLORIA 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.

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 to the Gloucester Stage 2022 season are on sale now.

For tickets and additional information, go to gloucesterstage.com.