<br><div class="gmail_quote"><div style="text-align:right"><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.1pt;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.1pt 0in;text-align:right;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" align="right"><font>Contact: Kristen van Ginhoven</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.1pt 0in;text-align:right;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" align="right"><font><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com" target="_blank">www.wamtheatre.com</a></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.1pt 0in;text-align:right;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" align="right"><font>518
243 9627</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.1pt 0in;text-align:right;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" align="right"><font><a href="mailto:kristen@wamtheatre.com" target="_blank">kristen@wamtheatre.com</a></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.1pt 0in;text-align:right;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" align="right"><font>Photo
of gift presentation at:</font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.1pt 0in;text-align:right;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" align="right"><font><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/8143083516" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/8143083516</a></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" align="center"><font><b>WAM Theatre makes record $2400 donation to Shout Out Loud
Productions</b></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" align="center"><font><b> A successful end to third year</b></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.1pt 0in;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font>PITTSFIELD, MA
(12-10-12)— In keeping with WAM Theatre’s double philanthropic mission, their
acclaimed October World Premiere Production of <i>‘The Old Mezzo’ </i>by Susan Dworkin led to a $2400 donation to the
production’s beneficiary, Shout Out Loud Productions, a local non-profit taking
action to address sexual trafficking.<span>
</span>The check presentation was made following the final performance at the
Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield.</font></p>
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<p style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"><font>Kristen van Ginhoven, WAM Theatre’s
Artistic Director says, "We are delighted with the success of our first World
Premiere. In 2012, our third year in
operation, WAM Theatre performed for over 1,000 people, provided paid contract
work to nearly 30 theatre professionals and now, made our largest donation to date to
a beneficiary. We are very proud of these accomplishments and thankful to all
who support our work to create theatre for everyone that benefits women and
girls.”</font></p>
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<p style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"><font>WAM Theatre began it’s 2012 season in
April with the second sold out 24hr Capital Region/Berkshires Theatre Project
hosted at Shakespeare & Company, in which over 50 theatre artists came together to
produce 5 new works by women playwrights in 24hrs. The 2013 WAM/MopCo 24hr
collaboration will take place on May 18 at Proctor’s Theatre in Schenectady, NY.
</font></p>
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<p style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"><font>In August, WAM Theatre was company in
residence at the WordxWord festival in Pittsfield, presenting the first
workshop performance of ‘like/unlike’, created and directed by Leigh Strimbeck,
Artistic Advisor and co-founder of WAM Theatre. ‘like/unlike’ was created over
five days in residence with a team of seven theatre professionals who explored
the impact of social media on the lives of women today. The project was
funded by WordxWord, the Brabson Library and Educational Foundation, Pittsfield
Cultural Council and presented Upstairs at Spice Dragon.</font></p>
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<p style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"><font>Also in 2012, Artistic Director Kristen
van Ginhoven was the recipient of a Martha Boschen Porter Fund Award, a fund
administered by the Berkshire Taconic Foundation. The award supported the World
Premiere production of ‘<i>The Old Mezzo'. </i>The
play, presented in October at the Berkshire Museum, revolved around the
political awakening of a great opera singer and was deemed ‘a winner’ by
critics. <br>
<br>
</font></p>
<p style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"><font>Ashley Berridge, WAM Theatre President
of the Board, says, "WAM Theatre is grateful to all our audiences, donors
and to Mission Bar & Tapas, our season sponsor, plus the following 2012
corporate sponsors for making our season possible: Adams Community Bank,
Arizona Pizza, Berkshire Bank Foundation, Cohen Kinne Valicenti & Cook LLP,
Greylock Federal Credit Union, Interprint, MadMacs and Pittsfield Coop Bank. </font></p>
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<p style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"><font>van Ginhoven continues, "Other
organizations and foundations who helped make our 2012 productions possible
include Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Museum, Berkshire Theatre Group,
Brabson Library and Educational Foundation, Dylandale Foundation, Greenbergs,
Luminix Light, Martha Boschen Porter Fund, Pittsfield Cultural Council, Sonoco,
Space Dev Foundation and Williams College. Our work is possible in large part
due to their generosity and support."</font></p>
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<p style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif" class="MsoNormal"><font>WAM Theatre's 2013 season will be
announced in the new year.<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.1pt 0in;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font><b>About WAM Theatre:</b></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0.1pt 0in;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font>WAM Theatre is a
theatre company based in the Berkshires of Massachusetts and the Capital Region
of New York State. Inspired by the book ‘Half the Sky: Turning
Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide’ by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl
WuDunn, WAM Theatre was founded in 2009 by
professional theatre artists Kristen van Ginhoven and Leigh
Strimbeck. WAM’s philanthropic mission is
two-fold; first, producing theatrical events for everyone, with a focus on
women theatre artists and/or stories of women and girls; second, to donate a
portion of the proceeds from those events to organizations that benefit women
and girls. WAM has donated over $7000 to its beneficiaries by creating
professional theatre for everyone that benefits women and girls. <a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com" target="_blank"><span>www.wamtheatre.com</span></a></font></p>
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<br clear="all"><div>Kristen van Ginhoven<br>Artistic Director, WAM Theatre<div><a href="tel:518-243-9627" value="+15182439627" target="_blank">518-243-9627</a><br><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com" target="_blank">www.WAMTheatre.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/WAMTheatre" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/WAMTheatre</a><br>
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