[Capdist-announce] PRESS RELEASE: WAM Theatre Starts Fresh Takes Reading Series with "The Last Wife"

[Gail Burns]

March 29, 2016

Contact: Gail Burns, Marketing and Publicity Associate

www.wamtheatre.com

pr at wamtheatre.com; 518.243.9627

Press Photos can be found at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WAM Theatre Announces Casting for first Fresh Takes Reading of “The Last
Wife”

Lenox, MA [March 29, 2016] - WAM Theatre is pleased to announce the cast
for the opening event in the 2016 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series, The Last
Wife by Kate Hennig, directed by WAM Artistic Associate and Fresh Takes
Curator Molly Clancy. The reading will take place on Sunday, April 17 at 3
pm at No. Six Depot Roastery and Café, 6 Depot Street in West Stockbridge,
MA.

Fresh Takes also takes pride in featuring local actors, artists audiences
have grown to love on area stages over the years.  The cast of The Last
Wife features Kristin Wold (Shakespeare & Company’s Shakespeare’s  Will,
Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s All In The Timing) as Kate, Tom Jaegar
(Shakespeare & Company’s Henry V and Young Company Conservatory Director, )
as Henry, Gabrielle Straight (Barrington Stage Company’s Hairspray,
Berkshire Theatre Group’s Annie) as Bess, Caroline Calkins (WAM’s Silence,
Shakespeare & Company’s Private Eyes) as Mary, David Joseph (Shakespeare &
Company’s Midsummer night’s Dream and Henry V) as Thom and Theo Maurino
(Berkshire Theatre Group’s Oliver, Shakespeare & Company’s Riotous Youth) as
Eddie. For detailed information on the cast go to:
http://www.wamtheatre.com/the-last-wife/

Since 2014 the Fresh Takes series has been introducing Berkshire audiences
to ground-breaking works by established women playwrights, focusing on
relevant, provocative, uplifting plays that encourage dialogue and deal
with current and controversial issues in artful ways. The 2016 Fresh Takes
season is sponsored by No. Six Depot and Kristin and James Hatt.

A contemporary retelling of the compelling relationship between Katherine
Parr and Henry VIII; The Last Wife invites audiences to a powerful
examination of patriarchy, sexual politics and women’s rights. Kate is
smart, poised, and passionate, a rising star in a world of intense
competition, but her obligatory marriage to Henry is rife with the threat
of violence and deceit and her devotion to the education of his daughters
is putting strain on her marriage. The play had its world premiere in 2015,
with a sold out extended run at the Stratford Festival in Canada.

“I’m delighted that WAM is doing this reading because it speaks to your
mandate to get the stories of women out there,” playwright Kate Hennig
explained. “Women’s stories were dangerous to tell and it is still
dangerous to present women’s points of view of history. It is my raison
d’etre as a playwright to see women’s stories through their own eyes and
with a contemporary lens.”

“Hennig's writing is richly layered with intelligence and wit, making the
dynamic power-plays in this script truly engrossing,” Clancy said. “I'm
excited to see the incredible team we've assembled for this reading bring
Hennig's contemporary re-telling of this historic and passionate story to
life.”

The season kicks off with this April reading, followed by Photograph 51 by Anna
Ziegler, directed by Kelly Galvin on May 15; The Oregon Trail by Bekah
Brunstetter, directed by Estefanía Fadul on June 19; Samsara by Lauren Yee,
directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian on August 21; and Grand Concourse by Heidi
Shreck, directed by Sheila Siragusa on September 11.

This year, in response to our audiences request for deeper discussion
around the women’s issues raised in each play, WAM Theatre is partnering
with OLLI to co-present a companion class called ‘Fresh Takes/Your Take’.
Starting on the Monday following the May reading of Photograph 51, WAM
Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven will share the underpinning of the
piece and its author, setting the scene for discussion of audience
questions, reactions, and experiences evoked by the Sunday reading.

About the Playwright: KATE HENNIG

WAM Theatre: Debut. Writing: Her writing includes poetry, stories, articles
for industry publications, a dissertation, two blogs, and a research paper.
As a playwright Kate has been a member of the Groundswell Playwrights’ Unit
2003 (More), Tarragon Playwrights’ Unit 2004 (More), and the Banff
Playwrights’ Colony 2007 (More) and 2008 (Waterworks). Her play, The
Eleventh David was produced in August 2006 as part of the SummerWorks
Festival, to great critical and audience acclaim. Kate has written a
monologue for movement and voice called The Penelope Principle. She has
written two highly subscribed blogs documenting her acting experiences with
the Royal Shakespeare Company, and with Billy Elliot: The Musical on
Broadway. Her play Waterworks was given a reading at the Stratford Festival
in 2012. Venues: The Banff Centre, Nightwood Theatre, Tarragon Theatre,
Blyth Festival, Grand Theatre, Shaw Festival, Stratford Shakespeare
Festival, Theatre Aquarius, Theatre Passe Muraille, and Volcano. Et Cetera:
Kate’s writing has been funded by the Toronto Arts Council, and by the
Ontario Arts Council through the Creators’ Reserve.

About the Director: MOLLY CLANCY

WAM Theatre: Artistic Associate, Fresh Takes Play Reading Series Curator &
Producer, Director for Water by the Spoonful, Assistant Director for In
Darfur, How The World Began and Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New
England. Regional
Theatre: Molly currently works at Shakespeare & Company as the Publicity
Director and previously worked at Florida Studio Theatre (Sarasota, FL) and
Home Made Theatre (Saratoga Springs, NY).  Additional Directing: SDC
Foundation Observership Class 2015 – 2016, Charlotte’s Web and The Wizard
of Oz (Forest Lake Theatre) and The Rwandans’ Visit (Lougheed Festival of
the Arts at SUNY Potsdam). Additional Assistant Directing: Taibi Magar’s Comedy
of Errors (Shakespeare & Company)  Training: SUNY Potsdam (BA in Theatre
and English). Twitter: @MollyClancyy <http://mollyclancyy/>

AT A GLANCE

Fresh Takes Play Reading Series

Curated by WAM Theatre’s Artistic Associate Molly Clancy and hosted by No.
Six Depot Roastery and Café on 6 Depot Street in West Stockbridge, MA, on
select Sundays at 3 pm.

The 2016 Fresh Takes series is sponsored by No. Six Depot Roastery and Café
and Kristin and James Hatt.

There are only 30 tickets available per reading. Tickets are $20, which
includes a post-show conversation and the opportunity to meet the cast and
director. Refreshments will be available for purchase at the Café. For
tickets and more information visit:

http://www.wamtheatre.com/fresh-takes-2016/

The companion classes are offered at OLLI’s Pittsfield campus at Berkshire
Community College on Monday May 16, June 20, August 22, and September 12
from 7-8:30 pm. $20 for reading only; $40 for one reading/companion class;
$139 for all four readings/companion classes. For registration and
information visit:
http://www.wamtheatre.com/fresh-takesyour-take-olli-classes/

April 17, 2016 (No OLLI companion class)

The Last Wife

by Kate Hennig

directed by Molly Clancy

May 15, 2016 (OLLI companion class May 16)

Photograph 51

by Anna Ziegler

directed by Kelly Galvin

June 19, 2016 (OLLI companion class June 20)

The Oregon Trail

by Bekah Brunstetter

directed by Estefanía Fadul

August 21, 2016 (OLLI companion class August 22)

Samsara

by Lauren Yee

directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian

September 11, 2016 (OLLI companion class September 12)

Grand Concourse

by Heidi Shreck

directed by Sheila Siragusa

OUR SEASON SPONSORS

Our 2016 sponsors include the  Brabson Library & Educational Foundation,
Dylandale Foundation, Feigenbaum Foundation, Greylock Federal Credit Union,
International Schools Theatre Association, Jon Gotterer DMD, Massachusetts
Cultural Council, Nina Molin MD, No. Six Depot Roastery and Café, The
Sherman Investment Group-RBC Wealth Management, Petricca Industries,
Pittsfield Cooperative Bank and Regina Burgio.

WAM Theatre is also supported in part by grants from the Lenox,
Alford-Egremont, Pittsfield Cultural Council, Cultural Council of Northern
Berkshires , Washington Cultural Council, Monterey Cultural Council,
Stockbridge Cultural Council, West Stockbridge Cultural Council, Richmond
Cultural Council – local agencies that are supported by the Massachusetts
Cultural Council, a state agency.

ABOUT WAM THEATRE

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.

Inspired by the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for
Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, WAM donates a
portion of the proceeds from its theatrical events to organizations that
benefit women and girls.

Over the past six years, WAM Theatre has donated more than $21,000 to eight
nonprofit organizations and provided paid work to more than 175 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
www.WAMTheatre.com

# # #

-- 
Gail M. Burns

*Marketing + Publicity Associate*
www.WAMTheatre.com <http://www.wamtheatre.com/>
413-274-8122

*Our 7th Season:*Special  <http://www.wamtheatre.com/special/>| 24hr Project
<http://www.wamtheatre.com/2016-24-hour-theatre-project/> | Fresh Takes
<http://www.wamtheatre.com/fresh-takes-2016/> | Stars in the Orchard
<http://www.wamtheatre.com/stars-in-the-orchard-2016/> | Bakelite
Masterpiece <http://www.wamtheatre.com/the-bakelite-masterpiece/>

Make a donation now
<https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/WAMTheatreInc/donate.html> to WAM
Theatre!
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