<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-top:.1pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Contact: Kelly Galvin,
Assistant to the Artistic Director, WAM Theatre</span><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-top:.1pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-family:Arial"><u><span style="color:blue"><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com">www.wamtheatre.com</a></span></u></span><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-top:.1pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-family:Arial">518 243 9627</span><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-top:.1pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-family:Arial"><u><span style="color:blue"><a href="mailto:kelly@wamtheatre.com">kelly@wamtheatre.com</a></span></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-top:.1pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-family:Arial">Press Photos can be found at:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-top:.1pt;text-align:right"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/sets/72157633357363354"><span style="font-family:Arial">http://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/sets/72157633357363354</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:.1pt;text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">WAM Theatre Benefit to be hosted by Jayne
Atkinson at the Mahaiwe </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:.1pt;text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">‘Claiming Her Place’: Sunday, June 30 at 7pm</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:.1pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">PITTSFIELD, MA (06/03/13)— WAM Theatre, recently announced as a finalist in the Creativity/Innovation category of the Berkshire Trendsetter awards, is delighted to present <b>Claiming Her Place</b>, a benefit for WAM to
be held Sunday, June 30 at 7pm at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great
Barrington<b>. </b>Co-produced and<b> </b>hosted by Tony nominee <b>Jayne Atkinson</b>, recently cast in <i>The Lion in Winter </i>at Berkshire Theatre
Group, the evening will feature a celebrity panel discussing the challenges
women face in the entertainment industry. </span><span style="font-family:Arial">The
panel includes: <b>Lauren Ambrose</b> (Six
Feet Under), <b>Michel Gill</b> (House of
Cards), <b>Marin Mazzie</b> (Tony Nominee),
<b>Linus Roache</b> (Law & Order) and <b>Debra Jo Rupp</b> (That 70's Show). </span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">Co-producer Jayne Atkinson
says, “</span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background:white">I am honored to be hosting this fun and exciting
benefit, which brings WAM’s worthy mission of using theatre to benefit women
and girls front and center to the Berkshire community." </span><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">The celebrity panel will
share their stories, observations and thoughts about the challenges women face
in the entertainment industry. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">The evening will also
include a sneak peek of WAM Theatre’s fall production </span><i><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Emilie:
La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight</span></i><i><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></i><span style="font-family:Arial">by Lauren Gunderson, a Northeast Regional Premiere running November 7-24
at Barrington Stage Company’s St. Germain Stage. </span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">In
keeping with WAM Theatre’s double philanthropic mission, a portion of proceeds
from the box office of <i>Emilie</i> will be
donated to an organization that benefits women and girls. That beneficiary will
be announced at the June 30 benefit.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a;background:white">“Jayne began telling me all these great stories
over a cup of tea about how she claimed her place as a woman in the
entertainment industry. We were immediately struck by the idea that sharing
these stories and having a discussion about how celebrities claim their place
was a fitting focus for our first ever benefit.” Says Kristen van Ginhoven, WAM
Artistic Director. “We look forward to sharing Jayne’s stories and the many
hilarious and inspiring stories of our panelists with our current WAM
supporters, as well as the many new people we hope will join us at our
inaugural benefit.”</span><span style="font-family:Times"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial">Tickets for the benefit can
be purchased online at <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.mahaiwe.org">www.mahaiwe.org</a></span> or at 413- 528-0100.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Tickets for <i>Emilie: La
Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight</i> can be purchased at </span><a href="http://www.WAMTheatre.com"><span style="font-family:Arial">www.WAMTheatre.com</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> or 1-800-838-3006.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial">*Panel on June 30 is subject to availability.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Proceeds from <i>Claiming Her Place</i> will benefit WAM Theatre’s fall production of <i>Emilie: La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her
Life Tonight</i> by Lauren Gunderson. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">More information at </span><a href="http://www.WAMTheatre.com"><span style="font-family:Arial">www.WAMTheatre.com</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><u><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Claiming
Her Place: A celebrity panel discusses the challenges women face in the
entertainment industry </span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Date:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Sunday, June 30, 2013</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Time:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">7:00pm</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Location:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle
Street, Great Barrington, MA</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Tickets:</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">$35-$50</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Reservations:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">413-528-0100</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial"><a href="http://www.mahaiwe.org">www.mahaiwe.org</a> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><u><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Emilie:
La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight</span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><u><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Dates: </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">November 7-24, 2013</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Location:
</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Barrington Stage Company St. Germain Stage, 36
Linden Street, Pittsfield, MA</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Tickets:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">$10-$25</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Reservations:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">1-800-838-3006</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"><a href="http://www.WAMTheatre.com">www.WAMTheatre.com</a> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><i><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Emilie:
La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight</span></i><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> had its world premiere in 2009 at South Coast Repertory
Theatre. The play has been described as ‘fiercely inquisitive and joyfully
sexy’ (The San Francisco Chronicle), ‘an evening of humor and heartbreak’
(BroadwayWorld) and as an ‘ambitious, highly theatrical romp that literally
crackles with electricity’ (LA/OC Examiner). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;background:white"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;background:white">Although today she is best known for her fifteen-year liaison
with Voltaire, Emilie Du Chatelet (1706-1749) was m</span><span style="font-family:Arial">ore than a great man's mistress. She was one of the
leading interpreters of modern physics in Europe, as well as a master of
mathematics and linguistics, during the Age of Enlightenment. After marrying a
marquis at the age of eighteen, she proceeded to fulfill the prescribed-and
delightfully frivolous-role of a French noblewoman of her time. But she also
challenged it, conducting a highly visible affair with a commoner, writing
philosophical works, and translating Newton's "Principia" while
pregnant by a younger lover. <span style="background:white">In this play Emilie
must defend her life by tallying her achievements in Love and Philosophy—and
searching for a formula that will convince the world of her worth.</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background:white">Lauren Gunderson</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background:white"> is an award-winning
playwright living in San Francisco. She studied at Emory University and NYU's
Tisch School of Performing Arts where she was a Reynolds Fellow in Social
Entrepreneurship. Her work has been produced and developed at companies across the
US including South Cost Rep</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background:white">(<i>Emilie</i>, <i>Silent Sky</i>), The Kennedy Center (<i>The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful And
Her Dog!</i>), Berkeley Rep, TheatreWorks, Crowded Fire, San Francisco
Playhouse, Marin Theatre, The Magic, Actors Express, Oregon Shakespeare Festival,
Portland Center Stage, Second Stage, Playwrights Foundation, Impact Theatre,
The Lark, and The O'Neill. <i>Emilie:
La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight</i> is published
with Samual French. The first two plays in her Shakespeare Cycle, <i>Exit, Pursued By A Bear and Toil and Trouble</i>
are now published by Playscripts. </span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#032331;background:white">She is a Playwright in
Residence at The Playwrights Foundation, and a proud Dramatists Guild member.</span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#222222;background:white"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Los Angeles Times calls Gunderson someone who ‘possesses an
antic imagination that seeks to invent its own rules. As soon as we’re drawn
in, she shakes and whisks us 10 or 15 paces ahead’.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:6.0pt"><i><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Emilie:
La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight</span></i><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> will be directed by Kristen van Ginhoven, WAM Theatre’s
Artistic Director. For WAM Theatre, Kristen’s </span><span style="font-family:Arial">directing credits include: <i>The Old
Mezzo (</i>World Premiere)<i>, The Attic,
The Pearls and Three Fine Girls </i>and Sarah Ruhl’s<i> Melancholy Play. </i> She </span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">recently was a director for the 10x10 New Play Festival at
Barrington Stage Company, where she also was assistant director for <i>Sleuth</i> and <i>Absurd Person Singular. </i></span><span style="font-family:Arial">Elsewhere
as a director, Kristen has worked at the Stratford Festival of Canada, Capital
Repertory Theatre, Majestic Theatre, Cohoes Music Hall, and Emerson College.
Kristen is a participant of the 2013 Lincoln Center Director’s Lab.</span><i><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Corporate Support for <i>Emilie:
La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight</i> is provided in part by
Adams Community Bank, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Interprint and Toole
Insurance Agency.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">Media Sponsors for <i>Emilie:
La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight</i> include The Rogovoy
Report.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial"><img border="0" width="3" height="3" src="file://localhost/Users/kristen/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_image002.png" alt="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif"></span><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">About
WAM Theatre:</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:.1pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a">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><span style="font-family:Arial"><u><span style="color:blue"><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com">www.wamtheatre.com</a></span></u></span><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#1a1a1a"># # #</span></p>
<br clear="all"><div>Kristen van Ginhoven<br>Artistic Director, WAM Theatre<div>518-243-9627<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>
</div>
<div><br></div></div></div>