[Capdist-announce] PRESS RELEASE: WAM Theatre Celebrates Donations to Two Non-Profit Beneficiaries

[Gail Burns]

May 7, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Gail Burns, Marketing and Publicity Associate

www.wamtheatre.com

pr at wamtheatre.com; 413.274.8122

Press Photos can be found at:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre2/albums/72157705686170354

WAM Theatre Celebrates Donations to Two Non-Profit Beneficiaries

LENOX, MA [May 7, 2019] — Every year, WAM Theatre donates a portion of the
box office proceeds from their Main Stage productions to agencies that
benefit women and girls locally, nationally, or internationally. The
success of the world premiere of LADY RANDY enabled the company to present
$8,000 to their 16th beneficiary,  Tapestry Health Systems. Along with the
$1,200 targeted gift to The MoonCatcher Project, this brings WAM's donation
total since its founding in 2010 up to $65,700.

Tapestry will use WAM’s donation to provide training to staff to improve
their services to marginalized communities. “What WAM is doing is
remarkable. We are so honored to be a part of this experience,” said
Katrina Mattson, Health Services Manager at Tapestry’s Pittsfield location.
“As we grow as an agency, we need to do better for marginalized
communities. One of the ways we can do this is do train our dedicated staff
in social determinants of health and increase our capacity by learning how
to better serve our LGBTQ community, our poor, our undocumented, and others
marginalized in today’s society.”

A targeted donation of $1,000 was earmarked for The MoonCatcher Project,
but the total was able to be raised to $1,200 for this worthy cause. WAM’s
donation will provide more than 200 menstrual kits to MoonCatcher’s work in
Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana,
Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Pakistan and India. This brings the WAM beneficiary
total to 17.

"We want to be collaborating with other organizations,” Ellie von
Wellsheim, Founder and Executive Director of MoonCatcher explained. “It's
not just MoonCatcher making 200 kits; it's all of us making 200 kits. And
that means so much more to us, to you, and to the girls getting these kits."


The 2019 beneficiaries were chosen after a rigorous selection process,
including a request for proposals and site visits, overseen by a committee
at WAM comprised of Kristen van Ginhoven (WAM Artistic Director), Dori
Parkman (WAM General Manager), Margaret Fluhr (WAM Board Member), Wendy
Healey (WAM Board President), and Lia Russell-Self (WAM Associate Producing
Director).



Tapestry Health Systems and The MoonCatcher Project are WAM’s 16th & 17th
beneficiaries. Past recipients include: The Denise Kaley Fund,  the LIPPI
Program of the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, the Soldier On
Women’s Program, the Berkshire Immigrant Center, Suzi Banks Baum's New
Illuminations initiative in Gyumri, Armenia, Hands in Outreach, Sisters for
Peace, Mother of Peace Orphanage in Illovo, South Africa, the Rites of
Passage and Empowerment Program for Girls (ROPE), Shout Out Loud
Productions, Berkshire United Way’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative,
Edna’s Hospital in Somaliland, The Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts,
and Women for Women International.



“All of us at WAM are thrilled with the success with LADY RANDY. To launch
our 10th anniversary season with the world premiere of a new play by a
local female playwright was very fitting and exciting. We are glad our
WAMily responded so enthusiastically to the show”, shared Kristen van
Ginhoven, WAM’s Producing Artistic Director.



In addition, WAM hosted vibrant post-show discussions following each of the
three Sunday matinee performances of LADY RANDY. After the April 21
performance, there was a talkback with playwright/actress Anne Undeland and
director Jim Frangione. Following the matinee on April 28, WAM Associate
Artistic Director Talya Kingston moderated a panel discussion around the
theme of re-imagining history featuring Undeland, Anne Schuyler, (Director
of Visitor Services, The Mount), Lise Sanders (Professor of Literature and
Cultural Studies, Hampshire College) and Naomi Miller (Professor of English
and the Study of Women and Gender, Smith College).



On Saturday, May 4th, WAM’s Fresh Takes play reading series had a
successful reading of Karen Zacarías’ NATIVE GARDENS, which was presented
in memory of Wendy Rabinowitz.

Finally, after the closing performance on May 5, there was a chance to meet
representatives of Tapestry and MoonCatcher and hear more about how WAM’s
donation will impact their work. This conversation was followed by the
check presentation ceremony.

“It is phenomenal to start our 10th season with these inspiring donations.”
said Kristen van Ginhoven, Artistic Director of WAM Theatre. “We are
thrilled our audiences enjoyed LADY RANDY so much! We are already excited
for our second Mainstage production of PIPELINE by Dominique Morisseau,
which we will present in partnership with Multicultural BRIDGE October
24th-November 9th.”

This season, WAM Education is launching a new Elder Ensemble program for
women 65 and older, in tandem with the successful, established Teen
Ensemble. Both Ensembles will debut their original devised theatre pieces
at the WAM 10th Anniversary Gala on Wednesday, July 24, from 5:30-8:30pm at
the Stationery Factory in Dalton.

The second Fresh Takes Play Reading - PARADISE by Laura Maria Censabella -
is planned for November 2, during the run of PIPELINE.

For more information about WAM’s 10th Anniversary Season visit:

https://www.wamtheatre.com/2019-season/

About Tapestry

Founded in 1973 by women committed to the belief that high quality,
confidential, and affordable reproductive health care was a necessity,
Tapestry is rooted in the principles of compassionate, confidential,
non-judgmental care for all. Since its inception, the agency has been the
sole provider of low cost, federally-funded (Title X) reproductive health
care and family planning services in Berkshire County. Each year
reproductive health education, counseling, and clinical care is provided to
approximately 1,100 people in Berkshire County. In 2018, a majority of
these people were female (82%), aged 25 or less (73%), and were
economically disadvantaged (70%). As the only provider of confidential,
family planning services in Berkshire County, the agency prioritizes
clinical services for young people, uninsured and underinsured individuals,
regardless of income, race, gender identity or sexual orientation.

Today, Tapestry provides services which include sexual and reproductive
health care, syringe access and disposal, overdose prevention and
education, overdose reversal medication access and training, PrEP
(Pre-exposure prophylaxis for individuals at high risk for HIV and
providing new mothers and their children with nutritional education and
support, including 24-hour-a-day breastfeeding help throughout all of
Western Massachusetts. https://www.tapestryhealth.org/

About MoonCatcher

The MoonCatcher Project provides kits containing free reusable, washable
menstrual pads, as well as classes on menstruation management and
reproductive health, to school girls in the poorest communities worldwide.
These kits provide a way for girls to stay in school while menstruating,
giving them a greater chance of completing their education.
http://www.mooncatcher.org/

WAM 10th Anniversary Sponsors

WAM’s 2019 sponsors include Adams Community Bank, Annie Selke, Berkshire
Gas, Berkshire Hand to Shoulder Center, Berkshire Magazine, Berkshire
Sterile Manufacturing, Blue Q, Blue Spark Financial, Brabson Library &
Educational Foundation, Canyon Ranch, Chez Nous, Custom Business Solutions,
Dr, Jay Wise, DDS and Dr. Casey Jones, DMD, The Dylandale Foundation,
Frankie's Ristorante Italiano, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Guido’s Fresh
Marketplace, Haven Cafe and Bakery, Health Professional Coaching, Heller &
Robbins, Interprint, J.H. Maxymillian, Inc., Lee Bank, Maggie Barry, NEPR,
Massachusetts Cultural Council, Only in My Dreams Events, Onyx Specialty
Papers, OUTPOST, RB Design Co., The Rogovoy Report, The Rookwood Inn,
Salisbury Bank, T Square Design Studio, Toole Insurance, and a. von
schlegell & co.

WAM Theatre is also supported in part by grants from the Alford-Egremont
Cultural Council, Cultural Council of Northern Berkshires, Hinsdale-Peru
Cultural Council, Lenox Cultural Council, New Marlborough Cultural Council,
Otis Cultural Council, Richmond Cultural Council, Sandisfield Cultural
Council, Sheffield Cultural Council, Washington Cultural Council, West
Stockbridge Cultural Council– local agencies that are supported by the
Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

LADY RANDY was sponsored in part by an anonymous donor and PIPELINE is
sponsored in part by Carolyn Butler.

ABOUT WAM THEATRE

Based in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, WAM Theatre is celebrating its
10th anniversary of being a place 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 provided paid work to more than 200 theatre
artists and donated more than $65,7000 to 17 local and global organizations
taking action for women and girls in areas such as girls education, teen
pregnancy prevention, sexual trafficking awareness, midwife training and
more. 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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