[Capdist-announce] PRESS RELEASE: Director and Actors Return for WAM Reading of Last Wife Sequel

[Gail Burns]

*April 16, 2018Contact: Gail Burns, Marketing and Publicity
Associatewww.wamtheatre.com
<http://www.wamtheatre.com/#_blank>pr at wamtheatre.com <pr at wamtheatre.com>;
518.243.9627Press Photos can be found
at:www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/albums/
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/albums/> Director and Actors
Return for WAM Reading of Last Wife Sequel, The Virgin Trial  LENOX, MA
(April 16, 2018) -  On Thursday, May 3, at 7:30pm, WAM will present a
reading of The Virgin Trial by Kate Hennig, directed by Kelly Galvin, at
the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre at Shakespeare & Company.  Kate Hennig
continues her Tudor Queens Trilogy with a sequel to The Last Wife that
reunites the director and a few of the cast members from WAM’s hit 2017
production of that play, including David Joseph and Alicia Piemme Nelson,
who will reprise their roles as Tom and Bess. The Virgin Trial cleverly
explores victim-shaming, sexual consent, and the extraordinary abilities of
girls who are becoming women, as Hennig reimagines the scandalous and
little-known story of Elizabeth the First, before she was Queen. “I’m very
excited to be returning to playing Bess. I think she’s intelligent and
spunky and vivacious. Playing her is such a thrill and it’s going to be so
great to do that again, “ Nelson said. “And I’m so excited to be working
Kelly Galvin and David Joseph again, two people who I love and who put a
big smile on my face every day.”"There are extraordinary teenage girls.
More than we acknowledge. Certainly more than history has ever taken the
opportunity to credit,” Hennig observed. “As a teenager, Elizabeth the
first forged a path which many young women have followed, creating her own
definition of who she was in spite of a culture that wished to put her into
a neat and tidy box of rules, hormones, fashions, and protocol. Even her
epoch could not contain her. My thanks to WAM and their ongoing mission to
tell the stories of girls and women, and the lively theatre audience in the
Berkshires who are avidly supporting them." "After working on The Last
Wife, I'm excited to come home to WAM and revisit these fascinating
characters with Alicia Piemme Nelson, David Joseph, and the rest of this
great cast,” Galvin chimed in. “Kate Hennig has written the story of
Elizabeth's trial with her trademark wit, sexiness, and psychological
insight. It's especially satisfying to explore Elizabeth's journey as she
continues to discover her power and craft her persona as Queen."In addition
to Nelson and Joseph, the cast features MaConnia Chesser as Ashley, Kristen
Anne Ferraro as Eleanor (who was the understudy to Kate and Mary in The
Last Wife), Thom Garvey as Ted, Lia Russell Self as Mary, and Berkshire
favorite Ryan Winkles as Maurice.Seating is limited. Tickets are $25, which
includes a post-show conversation and the opportunity to meet the cast and
director. In June the 2018 Fresh Takes Series returns to No. 6 Depot
Roastery and Café in West Stockbridge for a reading of Honor Killing by
Sarah Bierstock, directed by Molly Merrihew, curator of last year’s Fresh
Takes Series. In this play, Allisyn, an American reporter for the New York
Times, heads to Pakistan to cover the honor killing of a young woman.
Denied entrance, she conducts her investigation remotely from Dubai.
Through a series of cultural collisions, candid interviews, and dangerous
encounters, she learns the horrifying details of this murder.  These
circumstances cause Allisyn to re-examine troubling details of her own
past. One culture mirrors the other, in a play that asks vital questions
about forgiveness, self-worth, and justice.AT A GLANCEMay 3 Fresh Takes
Play ReadingThe Virgin Trialby Kate Hennigdirected by Kelly GalvinThursday,
May 3 at 7:30pm - talkback followingat Shakespeare & Company’s Elayne P.
Bernstein Theatre70 Kemble Street, Lenox MATickets: $25featuring MaConnia
Chesser, Kristen Anne Ferraro, Thom Garvey, David Joseph, Alicia Piemme
Nelson, Lia Russell Self, and Ryan
Winkleshttp://www.wamtheatre.com/the-virgin-trial/
<http://www.wamtheatre.com/the-virgin-trial/>Fresh Takes Play Reading
SeriesNow in its fifth season, the Fresh Takes Play Reading Series is
curated by WAM Associate Artistic Director Talya Kingston. The Fresh Takes
Series is sponsored in part by No. 6 Depot Roastery and Café in West
Stockbridge where WAM’s readings of Honor Killing and Escaped Alone will be
presented at 3:30pm on select Sundays. Due to popular demand, and to allow
more audience members from across Berkshire County to attend, The Virgin
Trial will be presented at Shakespeare & Company’s Elayne P. Bernstein
Theatre on Thursday, May 3, at 7:30pm, and  the reading of Pipeline will be
presented in the auditorium at the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown on
Sunday, August 12, at 2:00pm.Tickets are $25, which includes a post-show
conversation and the opportunity to meet the cast and director. At No. Six
Depot Roastery and Cafe, refreshments will be available for purchase at the
Café before the performance.Please note all sales are final. No refunds
available. Patrons may exchange tickets up to 48 hours before curtain – not
including special event one-night performances. No refunds or exchanges for
already discounted tickets.For tickets and more information visit:
http://www.wamtheatre.com/fresh-takes-2018/
<http://www.wamtheatre.com/fresh-takes-2017/>ABOUT THE CASTMACONNIA CHESSER
(Ashley) WAM Theatre: The Flora and Fauna, Grand Concourse (Fresh Takes:
Play Reading Series), The Revolutionists (reading/co-production with
Chester Theatre). Elsewhere: Shakespeare & Company (company member),
Berkshire Playwrights Lab, Tennessee Shakespeare Company, Totem Pole
Playhouse, The Kennedy Center, Ensemble Studio Theatre, York Shakespeare,
NJ Repertory (company member), Theater Alliance, African Continuum Theatre,
Ford’s Theatre, Folger Theatre. Film & TV: The Wire, Nothing But the Truth,
cigarettes for breakfast, Ghosts of Hamilton Street, Diseasels. Training:
Shakespeare & Company, National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, Alcorn State
University. Awards: Helen Hayes nomination – Outstanding Ensemble
(Insurrection).  KRISTEN ANNE FERRARO (Eleanor) WAM Theatre: Understudy,
Katherine/Mary, The Last Wife. Elsewhere: Past favorite roles include, To
Kill a Mockingbird: Scout (National Tour), Falsettoland: Jason, Me and My
Girl: Sally, My Fair Lady: Eliza, Singin’ in the Rain: Lina, The
Philadelphia Story: Tracy, The Code Breaker: Bernice, Hamlet: Ophelia,
Annie Get Your Gun: Dolly, Graceland: Rootie. Film/TV: Saturday Night Live,
She Came From the Woods, Professor Marsten and The Wonder Woman, The
Catcher Was a Spy, Daddy’s Home 2, The Burning Woman. Training: The
Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater, Bay Path University. Awards: New
England CTA, Best Actress: Artichoke, Best Supporting Actress, Graceland.
Et cetera: Delighted to work on another brilliant piece by Kate Hennig and
with WAM, Kelly, Kristen and the entire cast. Online:
kristenanneferraro.com <http://www.kristenanneferraro.com/>THOM GARVEY
(Ted) WAM Theatre: Debut. Elsewhere: Playmaker’s Repertory: Phillip
Orphans, Tournel A Flea in Her Ear, Vladimir, Waiting for Godot
(understudy), Flute/Thisby A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Antonio The Marriage
of Figaro, Smirnov (The Boor). NYC Theater:Jack The Importance of Being
Earnest, Costard Love’s Labour’s Lost, Sir Lucius O’Trigger The Rivals. TV:
Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos, Law and Order: SVU, Loving. Directing:
Blade to the Heat, Getting Out, The Elephant Man, Lonestar/Laundry and
Bourbon, All in the Timing, The Sorrows of Stephen. Teaching: NYU,The New
School, Baruch College, The Strasberg Institute. Training: MFA U-North
Carolina, Chapel Hill.  Member: AEA, SAG-AFTRA.DAVID JOSEPH (Thom) WAM
Theatre: The Last Wife. Elsewhere: David has been at Shakespeare & Company
for twelve seasons, past roles include: The Wharton Comedies, George Bailey
in It’s a Wonderful Life, Lysander in A Midsummer Nights Dream, Elyot in
Private Lives,  Dorante in The Liar, Sebastian in The Tempest, Clown 2 (12
Characters) in 39 Steps.  Other recent roles include Michael in Can You
Hear Me Baby (NYC & The Goodwill Theatre), George in WORD PLAY at
Playwrights Horizons, (NYC), Johnny in Hotel California (NYC), Coleman in I
Married The Icepick Killer at Stella Adler Theatre (NYC). David is in
post-production for the feature film he produced and starred in, Penny
Land. Damsel by Douglas Burgdorf, another feature film, premiered at the
Spain International Film Festival. Other Film credits: Romeo in Romeo &
Juliet for The Boston Symphony Orchestra,  Ang Lee’s Taking
Woodstock,Glowing Screens Magdalena’s Brain. Et cetera: David recently
earned a Best Actor nomination for playing Charlie Chaplin in The Consul,
The Tramp, and America’s Sweetheart at Oldcastle Theatre. In 2008 and 2010,
David sang the National Anthem at Fenway Park.ALICIA PIEMME NELSON (Bess)
WAM Theatre: The Last Wife. Elsewhere: Buck Hill Productions (Measure for
Measure, As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, The Winter’s Tale), Bay
Area Children’s Theatre (Judy Moody & Stink, The Rainbow Fish Musical, Five
Little Monkeys), Boston University (Don Juan Comes Back from the War, The
Cherry Orchard, Mad Forest, The Duchess of Malfi, The Tall Girls).
Training: BFA Acting – Boston University, Physical Theatre/Clowning –
Accademia dell’Arte. Awards: Theatre Bay Area Award – Outstanding Actor in
a Featured Role In a Musical (2017). Online: ampnelson.com
<http://ampnelson.com/>LIA RUSSELL SELF (Mary) WAM Theatre: Teaching Artist
Assistant for WAM’s Girls Ensemble Spring 2017 and Teaching Artist for
Education programs for Emilie and The Last Wife. Assistant Director, The
Last Wife. Elsewhere: 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 Hubbard Hall (Cambridge,
NY), Riverwolf Productions (Amherst, MA), The Berkshire Fringe (Pittsfield,
MA), and Plays in Progress (Hudson, NY), most recently directing sixth and
seventh graders in The Tempest. A trained physical actor and avid writer,
Lia is also a co-founder of 84 Productions, an all-arts company dedicated
to intersectionality.RYAN WINKLES (Maurice) WAM Theatre: The Old Mezzo
(Joe); Fresh Takes readings: Photograph 51, Blue Stockings, The Tall Girls.
Elsewhere: Shakespeare & Company: Henry V (Henry V), It’s a Wonderful Life
(Jazzbo), Complete Works(Ryan), Mother Courage (Swiss Cheese), Love’s
Labour’s Lost (Dull), The Tempest (Ferdinand), King Lear (Edgar), As You
Like It (Silvius), Hound of the Baskervilles (Sir Henry), Irma Vep
(Jane/Lord Edgar), The Learned Ladies (Trissotin), Richard III (Tyrrel/1st
Murderer), Twelfth Night (Sir Andrew), Othello (Roderigo), A Midsummer
Night’s Dream (Flute), Antony & Cleopatra (Pompey/Eros), Merry Wives
(Fenton), Julius Caesar NE Tour (Cassius), Macbeth NE Tour (Banquo).
Regional: Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse: Visitors (Stephen); Elements Theatre
Company: Merchant of Venice (Bassanio); Ark Theatre Company: Babylon
Revisited (Lincoln); Madison Rep: Muskie Love (Claude); Milwaukee Chamber
Theatre: Christmas Memory (Buddy), Misalliance (Bentley); Mrs Packard (Male
Witnesses) . Film/TV: Doug Trumbull’s UFOTOG; Time Traveling Bong (Comedy
Central); Paper Birds (French Press Films). Training: Ryan holds a BA from
FSU, an MFA from UW-Madison, and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity.ABOUT
THE PLAYWRIGHT: KATE HENNIGWAM Theatre: The Last Wife. 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: KELLY GALVINWAM Theatre: Artistic Associate
(2012-2014), The Last Wife, Emilie remount (Associate Director), Blue
Stockings reading, Fresh Takes 2014 (Curator/Producer). Elsewhere:
Shakespeare & Company (Love’s Labor’s Lost (upcoming)), The Clean House
reading, Bankside Preludes), Southwest Shakespeare (Photograph 51), Boston
Playwrights’ Theatre (Memorial), The Theater at Woodshill (Much Ado About
Nothing), Boston University (The Cherry Orchard, The Caucasian Chalk
Circle, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Duchess of Malfi, The Tall Girls).
Assistantships: Asolo Rep, Bedlam, Orlando Shakespeare, Shakespeare &
Company. Observership: Huntington Theatre. Artistic Development & Directing
Internship: Arena Stage. Awards: 2018 Asolo Repertory Theatre Directing
Fellow. Training: MFA, Boston University. BA, Wellesley College.OUR SEASON
SPONSORSOur 2018 sponsors include Adams Community Bank, Annie Selke,
Baystate Financial, Berkshire Bank Foundation, Berkshire Magazine,
Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing, Blue Q, Brabson Library & Educational
Foundation, Canyon Ranch, The Charles H. Hall Foundation, CMW Retirement
Plan Services LLC, Custom Business Solutions, The Dylandale Foundation, The
Feigenbaum Foundation, Frankie's Ristorante Italiano, the Garden Gables
Inn, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace,
International Schools Theatre Association, Interprint, Lee Bank, Maggie
Barry, Massachusetts Cultural Council, J.H. Maxymillian, Inc., Methuselah
Bar and Lounge, Natracare, No. Six Depot Roastery and Café, Onyx Specialty
Papers, Inc., RB Design Co., The Rookwood Inn, The Dr. Robert C. and Tina
Sohn Foundation, The Rogovoy Report, Rouge Restaurant & Bistro, Salisbury
Bank, T Square Design Studio, Toole Insurance, a. von schlegell & co.WAM
Theatre is also supported in part by grants from the Alford-Egremont
Cultural Council, Lee Cultural Council, Lenox Cultural Council, New
Marlborough Cultural Council, Pittsfield Cultural Council, Cultural Council
of Northern Berkshires, Otis Cultural Council, Richmond Cultural Council,
Sandisfield Cultural Council, and the Washington Cultural Council – local
agencies that are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state
agency. ABOUT WAM THEATREBased 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. Since
2010, WAM Theatre has donated more than $41,500 to thirteen 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
www.WAMTheatre.com <http://www.wamtheatre.com>*

-- 
Gail M. Burns

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

My gender pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Our 9th Season:
Fresh Takes <http://www.wamtheatre.com/fresh-takes-2018/> | Alison Larkin
LIVE! <http://www.wamtheatre.com/alison-larkin-live/> | WAM Gala 2018
<http://www.wamtheatre.com/wam-gala-2018/> | ANN
<http://www.wamtheatre.com/ann/>


Make a donation now <https://www.wamtheatre.com/donateonline/> to WAM
Theatre!
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