<div dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-97c05a07-3879-d134-e687-c144dde2a31c"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">October 3, 2015</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Contact: Gail Burns, Marketing and Publicity Associate</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com">www.wamtheatre.com</a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"><a href="mailto:pr@wamtheatre.com">pr@wamtheatre.com</a>; 518.243.9627</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Press Photos can be found at:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/</a></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">WAM Theatre Wraps Up Second Successful Fresh Takes Series</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Tickets now on sale for </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Holy Laughter</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> October 29-November 22</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">LENOX, MA (October 3, 2015) – As rehearsals begin for WAM Theatre’s fall MainStage production of </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Holy Laughter</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> the company is basking in the glow of a successful season of Fresh Takes Play Readings. Curated by WAM’s Artistic Associate Molly Clancy, all five of this year’s plays were penned by living female playwrights,  directed by women and featured many local professional theatre artists.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Clancy selected plays that had had successful productions elsewhere, but were new to the Berkshire audience. “</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The plays in our lineup this year were vibrant in humor and palpable in desolation,"Clancy shared. "Above all I think they urged audiences to seek community and find connection. The plays were provocative and riveting. It was a delight to watch such talented actors spark conversations on education, socioeconomic issues, gender equality, and mental health. As a theatre artist, your biggest reward is stirring conversations that continue beyond the theatre-- I can certainly say we have done that with our Fresh Takes Reading Series this year.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">All five of this year’s plays were penned by living, female playwrights and included the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Water by the Spoonful</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> by Quiara Alegría Hudes, directed by Clancy, in August. Fresh Takes also features local actors and directors, artists audiences have grown to love on area stages over the years. Popular actress Tod Randolph directed  the first reading in the series - </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Silence</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> by Moira Buffini - in April. WAM Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven directed the final reading, of </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">The Effect</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> by Lucy Prebble,  in September;  and 2014 Fresh Takes curator Kelly Galvin directed the May reading of </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Tall Girls</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> by Meg Miroshnik.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">In June WAM partnered for the first time with the Lift Ev’ry Voice Festival celebrating African-American heritage and culture in the Berkshires with a Fresh Takes reading of </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Noms de Guerre</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> by Jacqueline E. Lawton, </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">who was named one of the top 30 national leading black playwrights by Arena Stage’s American Voices New Play Institute.</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"Fresh Takes was a rich montage of groundbreaking works with women at the helm," Clancy explained. "During the series this year we involved more than 40 professional theatre artists. Through Fresh Takes we created a space to begin a dialogue with our audience. We have been listening closely to the topics  and themes they are most interested in exploring, and what pieces excite them. We will continue to use this information to inform our selection of Main Stage shows.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">In fact, both playwright Catherine Trieschmann and director Megan Sandberg-Zakian, who are teaming up for WAM’s upcoming fall MainStage production of Trieschmann’s </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Holy Laughter,</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> were introduced to the Berkshires and WAM during the inaugural Fresh Takes Series in 2014.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Tickets for </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Holy Laughter</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> are now on sale and rehearsals begin this week with performances scheduled for October 29–November 22 at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center St. Germain Stage in Pittsfield.   </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">T</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">he cast features Amie Lytle (</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Around the World in 80 Days, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater) as Abigail, with Dana Harrison (Shakespeare & Company’s </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Private Lives</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">), Ron Komora (The Poet in </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">An Iliad</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> at Capital Rep), Kimberlee Monroe (</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Maid’s Door</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> at the Billy Holiday Theatre, NYC), and Benjamin Zoëy playing a variety of roles. This poignant comedy follows Abigail, an Episcopal priest who finds that the reality of leading a church is radically and hilariously different than what she learned in seminary. </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> Hymns, liturgical dance and a wicked tongue lift this antic portrait of a small, struggling congregation to comic heights.  </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">In keeping with WAM’s </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">double philanthropic mission 25% of the box office proceeds from </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Holy Laughter</span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> will be donated to eighth beneficiary, the Hands in Outreach </span><a href="http://www.handsinoutreach.org/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">http://www.handsinoutreach.org/</span></a><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">and Sisters for Peace </span><a href="http://www.sistersforpeace.org/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">http://www.sistersforpeace.org/</span></a><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">girls education project in Nepal. </span><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">See <a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/holy-laughter/">www.wamtheatre.com/holy-laughter/</a> for more information.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Tickets are $15-$40 and are being sold through the Barrington Stage Company (BSC) box office. They can be purchased in three easy ways: by calling the BSC box office at 413-236-8888, going in person during box office hours to 30 Union Street in Pittsfield, or buying online through the BSC ticketing page. </span><a href="https://tickets.barringtonstageco.org/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">https://tickets.barringtonstageco.org/</span></a></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">About WAM Theatre</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Based in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, WAM Theatre was co-founded in 2010 by Canadian director, actor, educator, and producer Kristen van Ginhoven to create professional theatrical events for everyone, with a focus on women theatre artists and/or stories of women and girls.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">WAM Theatre also has a philanthropic mission, inspired by the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, and donates a portion of the proceeds from its theatrical events to organizations that benefit women and girls.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">Over the past five years, WAM Theatre has donated more than $15,000 to seven nonprofit organizations and provided paid work to more than 100 theatre artists. In addition to the main stage productions and special events, WAM Theatre’s activities include a comprehensive educational outreach program and the Fresh Takes Play Reading Series. For more information, visit </span><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">www.WAMTheatre.com</span></a></p><br><span style="font-size:14.6667px;font-family:Cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent">###</span></span><br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">-- <br>Gail M. Burns<br><div><i>Marketing + Publicity Associate<br></i></div><div><span><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/" target="_blank">www.WAMTheatre.com</a> <br></span></div><div><a value="+15182439627">413-458-4246</a><br><div><br><div><div style="font-size:12.8px">Our 6th Season:</div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/emilie-staged-reading-special-event/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Emilie</a> | <a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/fresh-takes-play-reading-series-2015/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Fresh Takes Reading Series</a> |  <a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/stars-in-the-orchard/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Stars in the Orchard Benefit</a> | <a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/holy-laughter/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Holy Laughter</a></div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><br></div><div style="font-size:12.8px">Make a donation <a href="https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/WAMTheatreInc/donate.html" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">now</a> to WAM Theatre!</div></div><div><br><i>Thank you for your support!</i></div></div></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
</div>