[Capdist-announce] PRESS RELEASE: WAM Theatre Announces Cast of THE THANKSGIVING PLAY

[Gail Burns]

October 1, 2020



Contact: Gai Burns, Marketing and Publicity Associate

www.wamtheatre.com <http://www.wamtheatre.com/#_blank>

pr at wamtheatre.com; 518.243.9627

Press Photos can be found here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wamtheatre/albums/72157713011116997

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WAM Theatre Announces Cast of THE THANKSGIVING PLAY

Digital production goes online in November

LENOX, MA (October 1, 2020) —  Producing Artistic Director Kristen van
Ginhoven, Associate Artistic Director Talya Kingston, and the WAM Theatre
team today announced the cast for the second digital production of their
re-imagined fall season- the wickedly funny satire THE THANKSGIVING PLAY by
Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation), directed by Kingston. THE
THANKSGIVING PLAY will be available online November 19-22. Tickets go on
sale on October 7 at wamtheatre.com.

In this fast-paced satire, good intentions collide with absurd assumptions,
as a troupe of white Liberal teaching artists scramble to devise a grade
school theatre performance that somehow manages to celebrate Turkey Day,
while also honoring Native American Heritage Month.

“Comedic acting requires both thoughtful precision and brave leaps of the
imagination,” shared Kingston. “WAM is very excited to be working with this
ensemble of smart and talented actors.  Additionally, they all have
experience in education, so they inherently understand the damaging foibles
of the well-intentioned teacher that this play satirizes so brilliantly.”

The cast features: Carissa Marie Dagenais (Silverthorne Theater’s
Pride at Prejudice) as Alicia, Molly Parker Myers (Bridge Street Theatre’s The
Moors and Redwood Curtain) as Logan, Rylan Morsbach (WAM’s The Old Mezzo
and Fresh Takes Readings of Photograph 51 and Blue Stockings) as Caden, and
Tom Truss (Liz Lerman/Dance Exchange) as Jaxton. For more information on
THE THANKSGIVING PLAY cast visit their full bios here
<https://www.wamtheatre.com/showsandevents/the-thanksgiving-play/the-thanksgiving-play-cast-creative-team/>
.

FastHorse further explains the place of comedy in activist theatre saying:
“Laughter gives us energy. Laughter gives us more time. It actually adds
time to your life, so I’m giving you information AND I’m giving you more
time to change the world.”

WAM Theatre is thrilled to be presenting this dynamic ensemble cast in a
digital production that will also include illustrations by Katari L. Wilson
(Sicangu Lakota Nation).   “A talented emerging artist, Katari has the
ability to take ideas and concepts and create images that tell multiple
stories at once.  She has been a joy to work with” says Kingston.

“WAM is humbled to close our re-imagined fall 2020 season with this
resonant story.” said WAM Producing Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven.
“ We imagine that, like many of us at WAM experienced when reading it, our
white audience members will recognize themselves in this play. You will
very likely cringe as you laugh! This comedy affirms the very serious and
necessary work white people are, hopefully, all doing of examining the
harmful, and sometimes traumatic, consequences of our good intentions.”

In addition to FastHorse, Kingston, and Wilson, the creative team includes
stage manager Hope Rose Kelly and production designer Juliana von Haubrich,
both of whom have long affiliations with WAM.

Tickets for THE THANKSGIVING PLAY running November 19-22, go on sale
Wednesday, October 7.

WAM’s digital production of ROE has a limited 4 day run and opens October
17th, get your tickets today. For more information about ROE or THE
THANKSGIVING PLAY or WAM Theatre’s other 2020 programs please visit
www.WAMTheatre.com <http://www.wamtheatre.com>.



THE THANKSGIVING PLAY

by Larissa FastHorse (she/her)

Online November 19-22, 2020

Cast:

Carissa Marie Dagenais (she/her) - Alicia

Molly Parker Myers (she/her) - Logan

Rylan Morsbach (he/him) - Caden

Tom Truss (he/him) - Jaxton

Creative Team:

Hope Rose Kelly (she/her) - Stage Manager

Juliana von Haubrich (she/her) - Scenic Design & Production Management

Katari L. Wilson (she/her) - Illustrator

Talya Kingston (she/her) - Director

TICKET INFO

Tickets for THE THANKSGIVING PLAY  go on sale Wednesday, October 7 on
wamtheatre.com

For more information on THE THANKSGIVING PLAY visit:

https://www.wamtheatre.com/showsandevents/the-thanksgiving-play/


ABOUT THE CAST

CARISSA MARIE DAGENAIS, she/her, (Alicia) WAM Theatre: debut. Elsewhere:
Pride at Prejudice (Silverthorne Theater), How I Learned to Drive (Ghost Light
Theater), (In)Dependent: The Heroin Story, Frankenstein, The Merchant of
Venice (The Academy of Music), Little Red Riding Hood, The Princess Knight,
Rapunzel (Paintbox Theater), Skyscraper, Abundance (Northampton Center for
the Arts), Crisscross (Double Take Fringe) New York: To Protect, Serve and
Understand, Blind Dreamers Meta/Pina (Irondale Theater), Maria, Young
Playwrights for Change Festival (NYU), The Importance of Doing Art (Poet’s
Den Theater)  Education: BA in Theater from Smith College and an MA in
Drama Therapy from NYU. Et Cetera: Carissa works as a drama therapist in
Northampton, MA.

MOLLY PARKER MYERS*, she/her, (Logan) WAM Theatre: debut. Elsewhere:
Selected Roles include: Bananas in House of Blue Leaves, Emilie in Emilie:
La Marquise de Chatalet Defends her Life Tonight (Wellesley Rep), Huldey in The
Moors, Geneva in Redwood Curtain (Bridge Street Theatre), Bella in Lost in
Yonkers, Sally in Talley’s Folly, Sarah in The Norman Conquests Trilogy,
Donna in Mamma Mia (Winnipesaukee Playhouse), Papermaker, The Ladies Man
(Shadowland Stages), The Immigrant (Chenango River Theatre),
Constellations (Tangent
Theater).  Radio/Recordings: Audiobook Narrator, multiple titles Training:
Mount Holyoke College (BA), Karen Kohlhaas, M. Chekhov Studio Online:
@mollyparkermyers and mollyparkermyers.org  Et cetera: Molly is a former
preschool teacher, adjunct professor of musical theatre history, and clown.
Mom to Hazel and Flora.

RYLAN MORSBACH*, he/him, (Caden) WAM Theatre: The Old Mezzo, Photograph 51,
Blue Stockings Fresh Takes Play Reading Series). Elsewhere: Love’s Labour’s
Lost (Shakespeare and Company), Shrek The Musical!,  The Music Man, A
Christmas Carol, The Homecoming, Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, (Berkshire
Theatre Group) Atlantis Lost (BTG PLAYS! Touring Show), As You Like It
(Suffield Players), I Am My Own Wife, You Can't Take It With You (Hubbard
Hall), Scaramouche Jones (Pauline Productions). Training: University of
North Carolina Wilmington (BA Theatre, BFA Creative Writing), Barrow Group
NYC.

TOM TRUSS (Jaxton), he/him, WAM Theatre: debut  Dance: Tom toured with the
Liz Lerman/Dance Exchange (’89-’93), ran his own dance company (’94-’01),
was a community artist at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival (’94-’99) and
taught at American Dance Festival (’93-’98).  Education: MFA in Acting from
the University of Texas, MFA in Choreography from the University of Iowa
and a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the College of
Wooster.  He is an AmSAT certified teacher of the Alexander Technique.
Awards:  Best Choreography - Austin Critics Table Awards (HAIR), Best
Actor- Austin Critics Table Awards (The Idiot), Best Actor Nominee- B. Iden
Payne Awards (The Idiot).   Et Cetera: Currently Tom has a podcast with his
nephew called Ask Your Gay Uncle <https://www.askyourgayuncle.com/>.  He is
also creating a solo show called Behind the Tapestry that examines how a
family finds resilience when tragedy strikes, and is devising a multimedia
evening length duet called ReWritten about the love relationship between
Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville.

*members of Actors Equity Association

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

LARISSA FASTHORSE, she/her, (playwright)  WAM Theatre: debut Plays: The
Thanksgiving Play, Cow Pie Bingo, Urban Rez, Native Nation, Landless,
Average Family, Teaching Disco Squaredancing to Our Elders: a Class
Presentation, and Cherokee Family Reunion.  She has written commissions for
Yale Rep, Cornerstone Theatre Company, Artists Rep Portland, Children’s
Theatre Company of Minneapolis, AlterTheater, Kennedy Center TYA, Native
Voices at the Autry, Perseverance Theater Company and Mountainside
Theatre.  She developed plays with Kansas City Rep, Artist Rep Portland,
Arizona Theater Company, the Center Theatre Group Writer’s Workshop and
Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor. Awards: the PEN/USA Literary Award for Drama,
NEA Distinguished New Play Development Grant, Joe Dowling Annamaghkerrig
Fellowship, AATE Distinguished Play Award, Inge Residency, Sundance/Ford
Foundation Fellowship, Aurand Harris Fellowship, and numerous Ford and NEA
Grants.  Film/TV: Larissa has had pilot scripts in development with Fox and
TeenNick. Etc: She is a current member of the Playwrights' Center Core
Writers, Playwright’s Union, Directors Lab West 2015, Theatre
Communications Group board of directors and is an enrolled member of the
Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Sicangu Lakota Nation.

TALYA KINGSTON, she/her,  (Director) WAM Theatre: Talya is WAM’s Associate
Artistic Director and oversees the Fresh Takes Play Reading Series and the
Community Engagement programming.  Talya directed WAM readings of Swallow,
Paradise, Campus Unrest and has served as the Production Dramaturg for Lady
Randy, ROE.  Elsewhere (Directing): Institution (Play by Play Festival),
Revolt (The Foundry), The Lonely Soldier Project (immersive testimonial
theatre), Elemeno pea, The Metal Children, Collapse (Beer and a Play), Of
Who We Used to Be (Hampshire College), The Mother of Modern Censorship
(UMass), (Dramaturgy): Necessary Targets, Write On! Teen Playwrights
Series, My Hartford Teen Performance Ensemble Oral History Project
(Hartford Stage), Helmet (New York Fringe Festival), Seriously...What Did
You Call Me? written and performed by Onawumi Jean Moss (Ko Festival), Gum,
Christmas Carol, Bovver Boys,The Last Five Years, Life is a Dream, Late Style
(UMass, Amherst).  Publications:Theater Journal, Scene Magazine, The Moving
Voice, European Stages, Howlround and The Valley Advocate. Training: MFA
University of Massachusetts, Directing Fellow at Julliard. Etc. Talya is
the North-East Regional Vice President of LMDA and a member of the
Northampton Playwrights Lab.

HOPE ROSE KELLY*, she/her,  (Stage Manager) WAM Theatre: Ann, The Last Wife,
Holy Laughter, Fresh Takes 2014 & 2015, 24-Hour Play Festival 2013 & 2016.
Elsewhere: Hartford Stage Company, Shakespeare & Company, Montana Repertory
Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Public Theatre in Maine, Stonington Opera
House, McCarter Theatre, Wilma Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Hangar
Theatre, CLOC. Training: B.A. in Drama - Ithaca College, M.A. in
Renaissance and Medieval Theatre History - University of Toronto. Et
cetera: Member of Actors’ Equity Association (Delegate for Greater Albany
Liaison area) and Stage Managers’ Association: serving as Editor in Chief
on the Board, Chair of the International Cohort, and Vice Regional Rep for
New England/Upstate NY. #blacklivesmatter #WeMakeEvents

KATARI L. WILSON, she/her,  (Illustrator) WAM Theatre: debut.  Katari
Wilson is a Sicangu Lakota Woman. Her goal as an artist is to create
something that will bring positive attention to the Native American
Community. She was born, raised and still resided on the Rosebud
Reservation. Through her business “Random Art By K. Wilson”, Katari sells
original art pieces in the form of t-shirts, postcards, vinyl stickers and
framed prints.  She also wrote and illustrated a series of children’s books
called “The Adventures of Tyler” which features fictional and non-fictional
adventures her toddler has taken. Online:
www.facebook.com/RandomArtByKWilson

JULIANA VON HAUBRICH, she/her,  (Scenic Design and Production Management)
Juliana has designed shows for The Arena Stage & Dallas Theatre Center (Ann,
2019); Dorset Theatre Festival/WAM Theatre (Ann, 2018); Shakespeare &
Co. (Heisenberg,
The Waverly Gallery); WAM Theatre (Melancholy Play, Old Mezzo, Emilie, Holy
Laughter, In Darfur, Last Wife, Ann, Lady Randy); Chester Theatre (I And
You, Disgraced, Curve of Departure), WAM/Berkshire Theatre Group (Bakelite
Masterpiece), The Adirondack Theatre Festival (The Whale). In NYC, Juliana
designed for The Acting Company (Pudd’nhead Wilson, Taming of the Shrew),
and The Juilliard School (La Cenerentola, Richard II). In LA, she designed
for Echo Theatre Company (Uncle Vanya, Ghosts in the Cottonwood). Juliana
also worked in television for TNT (Babylon5), BBC (Bugs), and Paramount (Star
Trek NG/Voyager). Juliana holds an MFA in Scenic Design from Calarts and is
a member of United Scenic Artists Union 829 and IATSE. Online:
JvonHdesigns.com <http://jvonhdesigns.com/>.


WAM 2020 Sponsors

WAM’s 2020 sponsors include Adams Community Bank, Berkshire Hand to
Shoulder Center, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Blue Q, Blue Spark
Financial, Brabson Library & Educational Foundation, Canyon Ranch, Chez
Nous, Custom Business Solutions, The Dylandale Foundation, Greylock Federal
Credit Union, Haven Cafe and Bakery, Health Professional Coaching, Heller &
Robbins, Interprint, J.H. Maxymillian, Inc., Lake House Inn. Lee Bank,
Massachusetts Cultural Council, Onyx Specialty Papers, Outpost Productions,
RB Design Co., The Rookwood Inn, T Square Design Studio, Toole Insurance,
and a. von schlegell & co.

WAM Theatre is also supported in part by grants from the Massachusetts
Cultural Council, as well as grants from the Alford-Egremont Cultural
Council, Lee Cultural Council, Lenox Cultural Council, Pittsfield Cultural
Council, and the Sandisfield Cultural Council – local agencies supported by
the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

ROE is sponsored in part by Maggie and Don Buchwald, Berkshire Taconic
Community Foundation, the Brabson & Library Educational Foundation and Mass
Humanities.

WAM’s 2020 Season of Events is sponsored in part by Carolyn Butler.

ABOUT WAM THEATRE

WAM Theatre is a professional theatre company based in Berkshire County,
MA, that operates at the intersection of arts and activism. WAM creates
theatre for gender equity and has a vision of theatre as philanthropy.

In fulfillment of its philanthropic mission, WAM donates a portion of the
proceeds from their Mainstage productions to carefully selected
beneficiaries. Since WAM’s founding in 2010, they have donated more than
$75,000 to 19 local and global organizations taking action for gender
equity in areas such as girls education, teen pregnancy prevention, sexual
trafficking awareness, midwife training, and more.

In addition to Mainstage productions and special events, WAM’s activities
include innovative community engagement programs and the Fresh Takes Play
Reading Series. To date, WAM has provided paid work to more than 400
theatre artists, the majority of whom are female-identifying.

As a civic organization that embraces intersectional feminism (feminism
that acknowledges how multiple forms of discrimination overlap), WAM
understands that to address one piece of systemic discrimination means we
have to address them all. This is on-going personal and professional work
at WAM for the staff and board.

WAM Theatre has been widely recognized for having a positive impact on
cultural and community development in the region. WAM is the recipient of
the Creative Economy Standout Berkshire Trendsetter Award and previously,
was named Outstanding Philanthropy Corporation of the Year by the Western
MA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Kristen van
Ginhoven, WAM’s Producing Artistic Director, was honored by the Berkshire
Theatre Critics Association (BTCA) with the prestigious Larry Murray Award,
presented at the discretion of the BTCA Board to a person or theatre
project that advances social, political, or community issues in Berkshire
County.



For more information, visit www.WAMTheatre.com <http://www.wamtheatre.com>

###




-- 
Gail M. Burns (She/Her/Hers)

*Marketing + Publicity Associate*
https://www.wamtheatre.com/
413-458-4246

*Our 2020 Season!*
THE SUFFRAGE PROJECT <https://www.wamtheatre.com/suffrage-project/> | ROE
<https://www.wamtheatre.com/roe/> | THE THANKSGIVING PLA
<https://www.wamtheatre.com/thanksgiving-play/>Y


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