[Capdist-announce] PR: WAM Theatre launches Education Outreach Programs

Mon Sep 16 09:59:37 EDT 2013

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

Press images available at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/sets/72157635251271398/

Contacts:

Kimberly Rawson, Publicist, (413) 445-4467; karawson at gmail.com

Kelly Galvin, Assistant to the Artistic Director, (518) 243-9627;
kelly at wamtheatre.com

*WAM THEATRE LAUNCHES EDUCATION OUTREACH WITH TWO FALL PROGRAMS  *

Pittsfield, MA- (09-16-13) WAM Theatre is delighted to announce the launch
of their education outreach with two fall projects: a fall residency at
Girls Inc. of Pittsfield and an educational outreach program related to
their fall production of *Emilie: La Marquise Du Châtelet Defends Her Life
Tonight* by Lauren Gunderson that involves five local organizations that
work with underserved communities.

“Theatre education is part of our background so I’m particularly thrilled
to launch these programs as part of WAM Theatre’s fourth year in operation
as a professional theatre company,” says Artistic Director Kristen van
Ginhoven. “We are very thankful to the sponsors who are making this
possible and the participating organizations for collaborating with us on
this exciting new step for our company.”

*Girls Inc. Project*

>From September to December, WAM Theatre will work with Girls Inc. of
Pittsfield participants to create an original piece of theatre that
explores the impact of technology and social media on young women’s lives.
The project will be part of the Girls Inc. after-school program and will be
taught by WAM Theatre actor and teaching artist Barby Cardillo.

This project is an extension of the ‘like/unlike’ project created and
directed by WAM Theatre co-founder Leigh Strimbeck while the company was in
residence at the 2012 WordxWord Festival. This next phase of the project
continues the discussion on how living and relating online, both
anonymously and publicly, affects us, including how it may be working for
or against us as individuals, families, and communities.

“We are very excited to offer this amazing program to the girls we serve,”
says Kristen Shepardson, program officer at Gladys Allen Brigham Community
Center, where the Girls Inc. program is offered. “This program will teach
them the skills they need to help them use social media in a positive and
imaginative way, which is perfectly aligned with our mission to focus on
empowering young people, in particular young women.”

The main teaching artist for this project will be Barby Cardillo. Ms.
Cardillo is a professional performer and teaching artist. She has been
creating and directing drama workshops and productions since 1992
throughout Berkshire County and has been working with WAM Theatre since
2010. With Shakespeare & Company in Lenox she has directed many productions
in Western Massachusetts middle and high schools and worked for the
Shakespeare in the Courts program for six years. She spent ten years as the
Director of the Theatre Program at Camp Hawthorne in Maine and eight years
as the drama instructor at the Valley Head School, a residential treatment
facility for girls aged 12-20 in Berkshire County. Ms. Cardillo has worked
for many years with Community Access to the Arts (CATA) and with the
Barrington Stage Company where she leads groups of at risk youth in
creating theatre from their own stories as part of the award-winning
Playwright Mentoring Project.

This residency is generously sponsored by Brabson Library & Educational
Foundation, Greylock Federal Credit Union, and the Pittsfield Cultural
Council.

*Emilie** Educational Outreach Project*

As the recipient of a Mass Humanities grant, WAM Theatre will create
integrative age appropriate (12-20) engagement opportunities around the
issues and themes present in their November production of *Emilie: La
Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight *for five local participating
organizations. The organizations are BART Charter School in Adams; Flying
Cloud Institute in Great Barrington; Girls Inc. of Pittsfield;
Multicultural BRIDGE based in Lee and the Rites of Passage and Empowerment
for Girls Program based in Pittsfield. The focus themes will be women and
The Age of Enlightenment and gender notions throughout history. The
engagement opportunities for the participants include a social media
campaign, an education study guide, information boards in the lobby,
age-appropriate program notes and pre-show information sessions.

Scholars involved in this project include: Dr. Amy Holzapfel, Associate
Professor of Theatre, Williams College, Dr. Jennifer de Browdy Hernandez,
Associate Professor of Comparative Literature, Media Studies and Gender
Studies, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, and playwright Lauren Gunderson.**

This project will result in the participants attending the play and
participating in a final post-show discussion led by the scholars and WAM
artists. The production will be presented from November 7 through November
24, 2013 at St. Germain Stage in the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts
Center, 36 Linden St. in Pittsfield.

There will be two student matinees on Friday, November 15 and 22 at noon.
Tickets for these matinees are $10 for students and can be reserved at
www.WAMTheatre.com or by calling 1-800-838-3006.

*Participating Organizations*

BART Charter School

BART is a nationally recognized, award-winning, tuition-free public middle
and high school focused on preparing students for college. One hundred
percent of BART’s graduates have passed a college course and have been
accepted into college prior to graduation. BART’s mission is to prepare
students for college by promoting mastery of academic skills and content
with a strong foundation in the arts and technology. Their students come
from 15 different communities across Berkshire County, a county known for
its exceptional cultural institutions. BART students represent a largely
underserved student population; 55% are low-income, 20% receive special
education services, 10% are involved in foster care and only 20% have a
parent who has graduated from college.

 Flying Cloud Institute

Flying Cloud Institute’s goal is to help children from ages 5 through 18
discover and develop their interest and skill in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math (STEM) through a unique and exciting program which
uses visual and performing arts, environmental studies and close
connections with STEM professionals to inspire and stimulate creative
thinking and problem solving. FCI's Young Women in Science focuses
particularly on bringing girls to STEM by engaging them in laboratory
experiences under the supervision of professionals in the STEM fields who
inspire them to reach their full potential.

Girls Inc.

Girls Inc. of Pittsfield is an affiliate of National Girls Incorporated, a
nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart
and bold. The Pittsfield program shares this mission and offers innovative
programs that help girls confront subtle societal messages about their
value and potential, and prepare them to lead successful, independent and
fulfilling lives.

Multicultural BRIDGE

Multicultural BRIDGE is a grassroots minority and women run non-profit
organization dedicated to promoting cultural competence and integration of
diverse groups in Western Massachusetts as an SDP (State Certified
'Supplier Diversity Program'). Their work includes BRIDGE's Women To Women
Project supporting and empowering diverse women and young women identifying
and addressing cultural and systemic issues surrounding: women’s education,
women's professional development, women in leadership roles, domestic
violence/sexual assault and women's health and wellness.  BRIDGE has worked
with corporations, schools, colleges and universities, law enforcement,
hospitals, teaching and leadership institutes to promote women and women’s
issues.

Rites of Passage and Empowerment for Girls Program

A project spearheaded by community leader Shirley Edgerton that celebrates
and honors the entry of adolescent girls into womanhood and provides them
the skills and knowledge to be successful, independent, and responsible.
This initiative emphasizes the discovery of inner voice, cultural awareness
and self-development in the participants. It is designed to celebrate all
young women with a particular focus on young women of color.

WAM Theatre’s educational outreach project is sponsored by a grant from
Mass Humanities with additional sponsorship provided by Berkshire Bank
Foundation and Interprint.

For more information about WAM Theatre go to www.WAMTheatre.com

* *

*About WAM Theatre*

 WAM (Women’s Action Movement) Theatre is 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 Theatre’s philanthropic mission is two-fold: first, to create
theatrical events for everyone, with a focus on women theatre artists
and/or stories of women and girls; and second, to donate a portion of the
proceeds from those events to organizations that benefit women and girls.
Since 2009, WAM Theatre has donated more than $7,000 to its beneficiaries.
For more information, see www.WAMTheatre.com.

# # #
Kristen van Ginhoven
www.kristenvanginhoven.com
www.WAMTheatre.com <http://www.wamtheatre.com>
http://www.facebook.com/WAMTheatre

Click here <http://www.wamtheatre.com/donate/> to make a secure donation to
WAM Theatre
*Thanks for your support!*
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