<div dir="ltr"><span id="gmail-docs-internal-guid-df8ca68a-f52a-d114-7f71-dcd17fd0f7a5"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">January 31, 2017 </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">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:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><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:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="mailto:pr@wamtheatre.com">pr@wamtheatre.com</a>; 413-274-8122</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">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"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/sets/72157648698789976/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">https://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:right"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">2015/2016 Girls Ensemble performance photos: </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/sets/72157662351798771" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">https://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/sets/72157662351798771</span></a></p><br><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WAM Theatre Girls Ensemble Presents </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">What’s That Sound?</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> February 17</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“We envision a world where young women aspire to become confident leaders in their communities”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Lenox, MA [January 31, 2017] - The Second Cohort of WAM Theatre’s Girls Ensemble program will be presenting a public performance of their original theatre piece, currently titled </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">What’s That Sound?</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">, on Friday, February 17 at 7:30 pm in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre at Shakespeare & Company. The original show the girls have developed centers on a group </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(80,0,80);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">waiting to board a bus to go to a protest. They all bring a lot of baggage, metaphorically and literally. As they chat, questions are posed about identity, race, gender, fear, age, history, and protest. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Suitable for ages 10 and up. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The performance is free of charge and open to the public.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Beginning in January, four </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">young women ages 13-18, selected by audition,  met on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons to create this new piece of devised theatre under the leadership of WAM teaching artists Amy Brentano, Barby Cardillo, and their assistant, Lia Russell-Self. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Devised theatre is a collaborative process where the participants use different theatre techniques to create original material around a chosen starting point. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Participants in this cohort hale from Pittsfield, Dalton, Lee and Richmond. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This year’s Ensemble members are: </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Iris Courchaine (Lee High School); </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Debora Lytle (Reid Middle School); Hailey Mack (Richmond Consolidated); Dylan Redd (Wahconah Regional High School).</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Here are some of their comments on the program:</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"I wanted to be a part of an ensemble that would stand up for girls' rights."</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"I feel that Girls Ensemble will give girls a way to be confident in their skin... by learning about other people and how they feel and what they think about themselves."</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">"[Girls Ensemble] opens up a conversation because a lot of people have these ideas but they aren't sure how to communicate them and they aren't given the opportunity to."</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">When asked how this program addresses the participants’ immediate concerns, teaching artist Brentano explained, “With the immediate access to news through social media, young people are often bombarded with information and acutely aware of topical events. Our sessions have been a safe place to process the questions and opinions they hold and an opportunity to express their thoughts and feeling through creating theatre.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Having a diverse group of young women lends itself to a broader vision of our culture and each other,” teaching artist Cardillo added. “The current upheaval of our world is what these girls want to talk about. This program allows them to channel their thoughts and ideas into an original piece of theatre that is its own form of protest.”</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The WAM Girls Ensemble is an </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(84,84,84);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">International Schools Theatre Association (</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">ISTA) endorsed project and, following their public performance in February, </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">this cohort </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">will attend an ISTA Festival in Atlanta, Georgia in March 2017. They will join students from international schools around the world to spend three days devising theatre around the theme of </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">race, inclusion, prejudice, and oppression. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Based in the United Kingdom, ISTA brings together young people, artists and teachers from different countries in different settings to experience, create and learn about theatre. ISTA produces over 50 international arts events each year. </span><a href="http://www.ista.co.uk/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(111,119,185);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">www.ISTA.co.uk</span></a></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Girls Ensemble </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">will embark on a school tour in March and April. Schools interested in booking the show should contact WAM Education Coordinator, Alicia Maher <a href="mailto:alicia@wamtheatre.com">alicia@wamtheatre.com</a>.  If you or a young woman you know would like to be part of future WAM Education programs, visit </span><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/wam-education/" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">http://www.wamtheatre.com/wam-education/</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> for more information.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Funding for this program is provided by multi-year grants from Greylock Federal Credit Union, the Dylandale Foundation, and the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA), as well as support from </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Berkshire Bank Foundation, the Brabson Library and Educational Foundation, </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Interprint, The Dr. Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation, and the Richmond Cultural Council, the Lenox Cultural Council, and the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire, </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">local agencies that are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">AT A GLANCE</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">February 17, 2017</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">What’s That Sound? </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(working title)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Created and Performed by The WAM Girls Ensemble </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Led by Teaching Artists Amy Brentano, Barby Cardillo, and Lia Russell-Self</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Featuring </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Iris Courchaine, </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Debora Lytle, Hailey Mack, and Dylan Redd</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Friday, February 11 at 7:30 pm</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">at </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Shakespeare & Company's Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, 70 Kemble St., Lenox, MA</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">What’s That Sound? </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">is suitable for ages 10 and up.  </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The WAM Girls Ensemble is comprised of girls aged 13-18 selected by audition from throughout Berkshire County. Under the leadership of WAM teaching artists Barby Cardillo and Amy Brentano, the girls use different theatre techniques to create material around their chosen starting point, sharing the girls’ own perspectives and stories as part of the process. Ensemble members will attend the </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(84,84,84);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">International Schools Theatre Association (</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">ISTA) Festival in Atlanta, Georgia in March</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">, followed by a spring tour of local schools.  </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Cast and Creative Team:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">ABOUT AMY BRENTANO</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Teaching Artist for WAM’s Girls Ensemble in Fall 2015 and for the 2016 Spring Tour) Amy was the film and theatre director at Berkshire Country Day School for four years, and she teaches and directs theatre at Richmond Consolidated School. In the past she has worked for Berkshire Theatre Group, Barrington Stage Playwright Mentoring Project, and the Southern Berkshire Regional School District. Brentano was the Co-artistic Director for Red Earth Ensemble and Producing Director for Don Quijote Experimental Children’s Theatre at Lincoln Square Theatre. She performed under the direction of Moises Kaufman at Theatre for the New City; and at La MaMa ETC as an ensemble member of Teatron. Most recently she appeared in an original piece at Shire City in Pittsfield with Kickwheel Ensemble.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">ABOUT BARBY CARDILLO</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(Teaching Artist and WAM Education Associate) Barby </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">is a professional performer and teaching artist and also holds a BA in social work from MCLA. She came to WAM in 2011 having been cast in the mainstage production of “The Attic, the Pearls and Three Fine Girls” Also for WAM, she has performed in the Fresh Takes Series, The 24 Hour Theatre Project, the Word by Word Festival and the Ten x Ten arts Festival As a teaching artist, Barby has been creating and directing drama workshops and productions in the Berkshires since 1992. With Shakespeare and Company she has directed Shakespeare productions at many area elementary, middle and high schools. She worked for  “Shakespeare in the Courts” for 6 years directing productions with adjudicated youth as a part of an alternative sentencing program. For 10 summers she was the Director of the Theatre Program at Camp Hawthorne in Maine. She directed kids 10-17 in a full -length production every summer. For 8 years, Ms. Cardillo was the drama instructor at the Valleyhead School, a residential treatment facility for girls aged 12-20 who have experienced severe psychological trauma. Her work with the girls was part of a comprehensive therapeutic arts program designed to heal through creative expression using visual and performing arts. Barby has worked since 1999 with Community Access to the Arts (CATA) an organization who’s mission it is to celebrate and nurture the creativity of people with disabilities through shared experiences in the arts. She creates and implements workshops for adults and teens with developmental disabilities in multiple settings throughout the Berkshires. As an Artistic Mentor with the Barrington Stage Company, Barby has lead groups of teens in creating theatre from their own stories as part of the award winning Playwright Mentoring Project (PMP). Barby was also the creator and teacher for the K.E.W.L (kids entertained while learning) Beanz, high school improv troupes that she has taught at Drury High, Pittsfield High, Taconic High and Hillcrest Educational Center. She has been seen on stage in many varied roles with WAM Theatre, Aglet Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Group, Shakespeare & Company, Berkshire Fringe Festival, Mixed Company, Castle Hill Family Theatre and the Boston Playwrights Theatre as well as being a founding member of the Royal Berkshire Improv Troupe and a player with “The Majesters” an improv group in West Springfield.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">ABOUT LIA RUSSELL-SELF </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(Teaching Artist Assistant/Teaching Artist) After graduating with a BA in Theatre and Creative Writing from Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Lia has explored theatre and film throughout New England with companies such as Riverwolf Productions (Amherst, MA), The Berkshire Fringe (Pittsfield, MA), and Plays in Progress (Hudson, NY), most recently appearing as Tituba and Danforth in Hubbard Hall’s rendition of </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Crucible</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(58,58,58);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> in Cambridge, NY. A trained physical actor and avid writer, Lia is also a co-founder of 84 Productions, an all-arts company dedicated to intersectionality.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">OUR SEASON SPONSORS</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WAM Theatre is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities; and by the </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Massachusetts Cultural Council Cultural. </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Our 2017 sponsors include the Adams Community Bank, Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Magazine, Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing, Brabson Library & Educational Foundation, Canyon Ranch, Custom Business Solution, Dylandale Foundation, Futures HealthCore, Garden Gables, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, In Touch Printing, International Schools Theatre Association, Interprint, Dr. Jay Wise, DDS & Dr. Casey Jones, DMD,  Keator Group, LLC, Lee Bank, Massachusetts Cultural Council, MAXYMILLIAN Technologies, Methuselah Bar and Lounge, No. Six Depot Roastery and </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Café,</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> RB Design Co., TSquared Design Studio, The Rookwood Inn, Rouge Restaurant & Bistro, A. von Schlegell & Co., the </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Dr. Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">WAM Theatre is also supported in part by grants from the Alford-Egremont, Dalton Cultural Council, Lenox Cultural Council, New Malborough Cultural Council, Pittsfield Cultural Council, Cultural Council of Northern Berkshires , Otis Cultural Council, West Stockbridge Cultural Council, Richmond Cultural Council – local agencies that are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">ABOUT WAM THEATRE</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Based in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, WAM Theatre is Where Arts and Activism Meet. The company was co-founded in 2010 by Canadian director, actor, educator, and producer Kristen van Ginhoven. WAM’s vision is to create opportunity for women and girls through the mission of theatre as philanthropy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Inspired by the book </span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, WAM 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:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Since 2010, WAM Theatre has donated more than $30,000 to eleven nonprofit organizations and provided paid work to more than 200 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><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="http://www.WAMTheatre.com">www.WAMTheatre.com</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:12pt;font-family:cambria;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"># # #</span></p><br><br></span><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><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><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/" style="font-size:12.8px;color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">www.WAMTheatre.com</a><span style="font-size:12.8px"> </span><br></div><div><div><div><div style="font-size:12.8px"><div style="font-size:12.8px"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><a style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline"><span dir="ltr"><span dir="ltr"><span><img width="0" height="0"><span>413-274-8122</span><span></span></span></span></span><br><br></span></a></span></font></div><i style="font-size:12.8px">Our 7th Season:</i><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/special/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);font-size:12.8px" target="_blank">Special </a><span style="font-size:12.8px">| </span><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/2016-24-hour-theatre-project/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);font-size:12.8px" target="_blank">24hr Project</a><span style="font-size:12.8px"> | </span><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/fresh-takes-2016/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);font-size:12.8px" target="_blank">Fresh Takes</a><span style="font-size:12.8px"> | </span><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/stars-in-the-orchard-2016/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);font-size:12.8px" target="_blank">Stars in the Orchard</a><span style="font-size:12.8px"> | </span><a href="http://www.wamtheatre.com/the-bakelite-masterpiece/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);font-size:12.8px" target="_blank">Bakelite Masterpiece</a><br style="font-size:12.8px"><br style="font-size:12.8px"><span style="font-size:12.8px"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Make a donation </span><a href="https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/WAMTheatreInc/donate.html" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);text-decoration:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-style:italic;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">now</span></a><span style="font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> to WAM Theatre!</span></font></span><br></div></div></div></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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