<div style="text-align:right"><font size="4"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""></span></b></font><font size="4"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""></span></font></div>
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</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right" align="right"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Contact: Kelly Galvin</span></font></p><font size="4">
</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right" align="right"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span><u><span style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com" target="_blank">www.wamtheatre.com</a></span></u></span></span></font></p>
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</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right" align="right"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span><u><span style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><a href="tel:518%20243%209627" value="+15182439627" target="_blank">518 243 9627</a></span></u></span></span></font></p>
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</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:right" align="right"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><span><u><span style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><a href="mailto:kelly@wamtheatre.com" target="_blank">kelly@wamtheatre.com</a></span></u></span></span></font></p>
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</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><font size="4"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">HALF
THE SKY SCREENING on March 15 at the Mahaiwe</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""></span></font></p><font size="4">
</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><font size="4"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Co-hosted
by Sisters for Peace/WAM Theatre as part of Berkshire Festival of Women Writers
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</font><p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">PITTSFIELD,
MA (0<font size="4">3/13</font>/13)— Sisters for Peace and WAM Theatre are delighted to be hosting a
free screening of the PBS Documentary ‘Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into
Opportunity for Women Worldwide’ at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center <font size="4">this</font>
Friday, March 15 at 7pm as part of the March Berkshire Festival of Women
Writers.<span> </span><br>
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</span><span>This
powerful documentary</span><b><span>,</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> inspired by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl
WuDunn's bestselling book, introduces women and girls who are living under
some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable and fighting bravely to
change them. The film reflects viable and sustainable options for empowerment
and offers an actionable blueprint for transformation. </span></font></p><font size="4">
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</font><p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The film will be
followed by a community discussion exploring effective actions and agents of
change for women and girls in our own community and beyond. The panel
will be moderated by Kristen van Ginhoven of WAM Theatre and will include Janis
Broderick of Elizabeth Freeman Center and The Berkshire County Commission on
the Status of Women, Maia Conty from AIER’s Women’s Financial Empowerment
Series, Shirley Edgarton from Rite of Passage for Girls program and the Women
of Color Giving Circle, Jeanet Ingalls from Shout Out Loud Productions, Bryan
Nurnberger from Simply Smiles and Ananda Timpan<font size="4">e</font> from Railroad Street Youth
Project.</span></font></p><font size="4">
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</font><p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">There will also be a
special performance during the evening, featuring Lizzie West, local singer songwriter.
Lizzie has toured at length and has had her music in films, TV, and on the
radio. Entertainment Weekly called her a "visionary troubadour." She
performs with her husband Baba Buffalo, a seasoned player of a most magical
music sound.</span></font></p><font size="4">
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</font><p style="margin:0.1pt 0in"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Caroline
Wheeler, founder of Sisters for Peace, states, “Through the Half the Sky
stories, Kristof and WuDunn help us see the key to economic progress lies in
unleashing women’s potential. They make clear how so many people have helped to
do just that, and how we can each do our part. Sisters for Peace has been
wanting to host a screening of this documentary since it came out and we hope
many people will join us to hear more and share how they have also been
inspired by Half the Sky.”</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><br>
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Kristen van Ginhoven, Artistic Director of WAM Theatre, adds “WAM is proud to
successfully be using theatre as our way of being part of the Half the Sky
movement. We are delighted to be co-hosting this screening and look forward to
meeting more agents of change in our community.” <br>
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</font><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:1in"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Half the Sky screening is sponsored
by </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">McTeigue & McClellend
and Sisters for Peace. </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><br>
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<b>About Sisters for Peace:</b><br>
</span><span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Like
many who have read Half the Sky, Sisters for Peace founder Caroline Wheeler was
compelled to engage others to get involved and to work together to help empower
women and girls around the world. In just over a year, Sisters for Peace has
rallied to do volunteer work and has given over $8,000 to local and global
organizations. Sisters for Peace is an entirely volunteer organization, and
every dollar donated goes directly to the NGOs that work to empower women and
girls. It doesn’t take an extensive network of partners and investors to start
making a difference. <span><span><a href="http://www.sistersforpeace.org" target="_blank">www.sistersforpeace.org</a></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""><br>
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<b>About WAM Theatre:</b><br>
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.</span><u><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:rgb(17,85,204)"><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com" target="_blank">www.wamtheatre.com</a></span></u><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""></span></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>
<br><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=263XAT6LNRMZQ" target="_blank">Click here</a> to make a secure donation to WAM Theatre<br><i>Thanks for your support!</i><br><div><br>
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