Private Project

Quirewood! The Musical

Kadence Jacobs is ready to check out of the Quirewood Psychiatric Clinic, but when Dr. Albert Jackson takes over as lead psychiatrist, her stay is extended indefinitely. However, that soon becomes the least of her issues, as Dr. Jackson begins revamping some archaic and abusive treatments. Before long, all of the patients at Quirewood find their quality of care going downhill. This musical dark comedy explores mental health struggles through close to 30 original songs.

  • Adam Griswold
    Director
  • Adam Griswold (story and screenplay)
    Writer
  • Hannah Heckman-McKenna (story)
    Writer
  • Rivengurl Hart (story)
    Writer
  • Adam Griswold
    Producer
  • Hannah Heckman-McKenna
    Producer
  • Rivengurl Hart
    Producer
  • Bryan Thomas Niedermayer
    Producer
  • Hannah Heckman-McKenna
    Key Cast
    "Kadence"
  • Bryan Thomas Niedermayer
    Key Cast
    "Dr. Jackson"
  • Carli Elise Hamilton
    Key Cast
    "Heather"
  • René Bergeron
    Key Cast
    "Dr. Lydia Cromwell"
  • Armando Belliard-Harmon
    Key Cast
    "Carl"
  • Ashley Harmon
    Key Cast
    "Jamie"
  • Bryan Thomas Niedermayer
    Music
  • René Bergeron
    Music
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    musical, drama, comedy, dark comedy
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 58 minutes 56 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 6, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital 1080p
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Quirewood World Premiere
    Manchester, NH
    July 24, 2019
    World Premiere
  • Gloucester Screening
    Gloucester, MA
    September 4, 2019
    Massachusetts Premiere
  • Arlington Screening
    Arlington, MA
    September 22, 2019
  • Awareness Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    October 4, 2019
    West Coast Premiere
    Official Selection
  • SNOB (Somewhat North of Boston) Film Festival
    Concord, NH
    November 9, 2019
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Adam Griswold

ADAM W. GRISWOLD of North Reading, Massachusetts has been writing, directing, producing, and frequently starring in features, shorts, and web series through Smoking Bottle Entertainment since 2011. A graduate of Emerson College, he also regularly works on other film productions throughout New England. His films include the sci-fi comedy "Space People" and its sequel, which have screened at numerous genre festivals, as well as "Revenge of the Animals" and the "Cartoon Man" trilogy. He is also the director and co-creator of the feature-length musical dramedy "Quirewood! The Musical," which was completed in 2019 after more than two years in the works.

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Director Statement

Quirewood grew out of the shared interest in producing a musical film held by myself and my collaborators. When discussing potential subject matter, my co-producer/lead actress Hannah Heckman-McKenna brought up her experiences in various mental health facilities earlier in her life. Her stories served as the basis for my script, and resulted in a film that aims to erase stigmas, raise awareness for mental health issues, and draw attention to a broken system. Producing this film, along with its more than two dozen original songs and score was a 2 1/2 year effort by a talented group of actors and musicians committed to putting out this message.