Cast and Creative Team Announced for WAM Theatre's FRAGMENTS OF OUTSIDE

WAM Theatre has announced the ensemble of performers and designers who are collaborating to create the site-specific performance fragments of Outside. This special, one-time-only performance, conceived and directed by new Artistic Director Genée Coreno, is a celebration of WAM's 15th Anniversary. It will be performed at The Mount (Edith Wharton's Home) in Lenox on August 18, 2024.  Tickets are on sale now.

An international cohort of multi-disciplinary, creative artists is coalescing around Genée Coreno's narrative depicting a family fractured by climate catastrophe. Together, the ensemble is charting a course to salvage the essential hope required as we navigate our transformed future. The creative team behind the latest iteration of fragments of Outside merges New York City-based artists from the original production with Berkshires-based artists, infusing this site-specific rendition with a fresh perspective.

“The creative team of fragments of Outside, from the performers to designers, are dynamic,  insightful, and collaborative artists who are working across-disciplines to maximize the transformative power of theatre,” says Coreno. “Their gentle and sophisticated approach to space, lighting, sound, choreography, puppetry, space and material will enchant and transport, highlighting the performer in space and time as we follow them on their journey to Paradise.” 

The Creative Team includes: Malaysian musician Masatora Goya (2022 American Prize in Instrumental Chamber Music) who is providing original compositions; award-winning North Adams-based puppeteer David Lane (founder of the annual Berkshire Lantern Walk whose work was recently seen at Mass MoCA); Architectural Designer Emily Greco (who collaborated with Coreno on the previous iteration of Outside, as well as Coreno's film Madge Love); Costarican scenic artist and costume designer Malory R. Grillo (recently graduated with an MFA in Costume Design from UMass Amherst) and Lighting Designer and Technician Jemma Kepner (returning to The Mount after working on Nightwood: A Fantastical Journey Through Sound & Light earlier in this year).

"I'm honored to share in this experience with so many wonderful artists,” said Scenic Designer Emily Greco, who is particularly interested in creating pieces inspired by the physical landscape of The Mount. “It's not everyday one has the opportunity to co-create with such a sublime landscape.”

The performing ensemble bring together diverse backgrounds of physical theater training and practices with a shared love for collaborative creation: Hussein Smko (a Kurdish dancer/choreographer based in New York City, Artistic Director of Project Tag who recently debuted at The Joyce Theatre) will be continuing the development of Ashbury/Salvor the Wolf, a dual role he originated in the first iteration of Outside. He is joined by actor, deviser, and movement artist Lia Bonfilio, (company member of Third Rail Project), and actor and immersive performance aficionado Nicole Orabona, (last seen on WAM stages in the Fresh Takes Reading of The New Galileos). 

“As a deviser I love when the environment is rich enough to be another character in the play,” explains Bonfilio while recently walking around The Mount. "I'm so excited to have the opportunity to animate this magical place. It lends itself very well to the kind of dream-like physical storytelling that Genée creates.”

Two accomplished devised/physical theater performers round out the performing ensemble in the roles of Soothsayers. Originally from Germany, Louise Heller is a classically trained actor and writer (Gertrude in Hamlet at Hudson Theatre Works) now based in the Berkshires. TAMIR is an actor and dancer. Last seen on WAM stages in the Fresh Takes Reading of Escaped Alone, she is perhaps best known in New England for her solo performances including: In the Land of Israel, I Belong Elsewhere and Now.

“I have long loved devised theater for its uniquely communal spirit, the way in which creative artists say yes to each other in their minds, bodies, and souls to create something new,” said Heller. “When I first auditioned for Genée, I immediately felt that those yeses would be easy, delightful, heartfelt, and productive under her direction.”

For more information about the 2024 Season and WAM Theatre's programs, events, and artists, please visit wamtheatre.com

 

fragments of Outside

A special one-night-only 15th Anniversary benefit performance

Written & Directed by Genée Coreno

Sunday, August 18th, 2024

at The Mount, Edith Wharton's Home

2 Plunkett St, Lenox, MA

Performance: 4:00PM-5:00 PM

Terrace Cocktail Party: 5:00-7:00 PM

Tickets

Gold ($500): Terrace Cocktail Party, Performance, Event Gift Bag, and Special Invitation to an Open Rehearsal 

Silver ($250):  Terrace Cocktail Party, Performance, and Special Invitation to an Open Rehearsal 

Bronze ($100): Performance Only Ticket 

*All ticket levels include specialty drinks from Higher Bar

Tickets are on sale at: www.wamtheatre.com/outside/

Limited availability to this one-time only event. 

MORE ABOUT THE CAST

Lia Bonfilio (June in fragments of Outside) is an actor, deviser, and movement artist who is passionate about collaboration and has a penchant for playing fiery women. WAM Theatre: debut. Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: A View From the Bridge (Soop Theater, Francesco Campari, Dir.), Sweet&Lucky (Denver Center, Zach Morris Dir.), Then She Fell (Third Rail Projects), LUNGS (Arts on Site, Melissa Aquiles, Dir.); Film Credits: Telephone (Velocity Creative, Oren Brimer, Dir.), Will You Please Hit Me (Jack and Melissa Productions, Jack Frederick, Dir.), Sheng (Stonestreet Studios, Steven Chen, Dir.) Professional Dance Credits: Lucky Plush Productions, Mordine and Co. Dance Theater, Joe Goode Performance Group. Membership/Affiliations: Company member at Third Rail Projects since 2012. Selected Training: Lia is a graduate of the Terry Knickerbocker Acting Conservatory Program and received a BFA in dance from Columbia College Chicago. Lia is thrilled to join this rich artistic community! Connect: liabonfilio.com @liabonfilio

Hussein Smko (Ashbury/Wolf in fragments of Outside) is a self-trained Kurdish dancer, choreographer, and director based in New York City. WAM Theatre: debut. Selected Dance Credits: Hussein's works have graced prestigious festivals and residencies, including the One Journey Festival, the Kennedy Center, Battery Dance Festival, CUNY Dance Initiative, Laguardia Performing Arts Center, Rough Draft, Bethany Art Center, the Watermill Center, Rockefeller Center, and the Chicago Cultural Center's Surviving the Long Wars. Recently, he was a featured dancer in Pontus Lidberg's On the Nature of Rabbits, which started as part of the Guggenheim Museum's Works & Process series and officially premiered at The Joyce in early 2024. Selected Artistic Credits: Smko has appeared in plays like Iphigenia Point Blank, OUTSIDE, and the film “As It Ends, It Begins”. Smko's impact is featured in Dana Mills' book “Dance and Activism”. Smko appeared as an actor and dancer in Incomplete by Sasha Korbut and Strays by Or Schraiber. “The Performance”, a documentary directed by Alfredo Chiarappa and produced by Caterina Clireci, offers an in-depth look into Smko's artistic journey. Awards: DEL Choreography award. Membership/Affiliations: In 2019, he founded Project Tag, a dynamic dance theater company. Sarah, a physical theater piece co-created by Smko and Khalil Ayed is set to premiere in 2024. Final Word: Looking forward to what Genée will do next with OUTSIDE. Connect: Project Tag.

Louise Heller (Soothsayer in fragments of Outside) is an actor, writer, and researcher based both in the Berkshires and New York City. WAM Theatre: debut.  Selected Theatre Credits: Hamlet (Hudson Theater Works), Beatrice (Cell Theater), The Royal Family (Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey), The Mount (The Mount), O Negative (Hudson Guild Theater), Therapy Session with Myself (Kraine Theater), Schwarz Gemacht (Jersey City Theater Center), Marco Millions (devised theater, Target Margin Theater). Creative Inspiration: For this devised theater piece, Louise draws on years of experience in devised theatre, playwright lab work, and improvisation as a permanent member (lieutenant) of the Letter of Marque theater company. Selected Training: The Barrow Group Professional Conservatory , Shakespeare & Company One Month Intensive. Final Word: Louise is truly thrilled to be part of this WAM performance. Connect: http://louise-heller.com

Nicole Orabona (Catherine in fragments of Outside) is an award-winning actor, director, producer, and committer to the bit. Previous WAM Theatre Credits: Nora in The New Galileos (Fresh Takes), Teaching Artist (devising theatre online) TV: Law & Order (recurring), Fleishman is in Trouble (Hulu); Theatre: POV: You Are an AI Achieving Consciousness (cirqueSaw), World Builders (Opera House Arts), Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Emit Theatre) Directing: Lady Scientists (also writer with Nathan Leigh), No Mercy, For Your Consideration (Moxie Arts), Let's Start a Zine (to-by-for). Creative Inspiration: Nicole is inspired by the power of a stupid idea, exploring the intersections of digital and analog, and by works that challenge the traditional spectator and performer relationship. Membership/Affiliation: Co-Founder and Producer of cirqueSaw Productions, Proud member of SAG-AFTRA, AEA, and Ring of Keys. Selected Training: Boise State University (BA), Frantic Assembly, Siti Company, Punchdrunk Enrichment. Awards/Proudest Achievements: For "POV: You are an AI Achieving Consciousness": Young-Howze Theatre Award for Immersive Production of the Year 2023 (Winner), No Proscenium: Editor's award for Special Recognition for Merging Technology & Immersive Performance (Winner), Best Immersive Experiences of 2023 (Listed), Outstanding Remote Experience and Reader's Special Award (nominated), 2024 Young-Howze Creatives of the Year (with Nathan Leigh), 2023 R.Evolución Latina Doreen Montalvo “Do It Anyway” scholarship finalist, Member of 2024 A4A Pittsfield Capacity Building Grant Cohort. Final Word: "If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe" - Carl Sagan. Connect: www.nicoleorabona.com // IG: @knuckle_sando

TAMIR (Soothsayer in fragments of Outside) is an actress/playwright/dancer. Previous WAM Theatre Credits: Escaped Alone (Fresh Takes Play Reading). Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: Created five one-woman shows In the Land of Israel (based on the book by Amos Oz), I Belong Elsewhere (nine women's stories of alienation, at request of author Amos Oz), Poetry on Prayer (an interfaith celebration of poetry from around the word on the subject of prayer), The Way of the Heart (ecstatic poetry and Sufi teaching stories of Rumi with Persian music), Now (addresses suicide). Performed at La MaMa, Village gate, over fifty theaters around the country. Favorite roles include: Bernarda in Bernarda Alba, the title role in Medea and Maria Callas in Master Class. TV: Fleishman is in Trouble, Law and Order, Tarab (Independent film) shown at BAFF, RAMY – Hulu, Jessica Jones – Netflix. Voice-over Credits: TAMIR has recorded over twenty books of fiction and poetry. Selected Training: Masters in playwriting and MA in TESOL. Acting training includes: Ada Brown Mather, Shakespeare & Co Intensives, Voice training with Kristen Linklater and Vocal Awareness with Arthur Joseph. Awards: Now nominated for Berkie – excellence in solo performance. Barrymore Award for best ensemble Vilna's Got a Golem. Pinnacle Diamond, best supporting actress in the film Tarab. Member of Berkshire Voices playwriting group. Final Word: “Years ago I was part of Anna Halpern's SF Dancers' Workshop and we created devised theatre that was site specific and also performed at the Mark Taper Forum in LA. It feels like walking through the looking glass to be doing so again with the shimmering Genée.” Contact: www.actresstamir.com

MORE ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM

Genée Coreno is a director and producer with a passion for devised theater created in collaboration with women, girls, and non-binary artists and designers. WAM Theatre: Artistic Director.  Selected Directing Credits: Outside (Culture Lab, LIC), Madge Love (Theater Mitu & The Brick),  The Hopelessly Hopeless Story of All Good Girls (The Brick), “Is This Clear Enough?” (The Poetry Project), Dutchman (UnUrban Cafe, LA), Selected Producing Credits: The Possessed Girls of St. Mary's (Reading, at Brick Aux), thisamericanplay (pop-up theater by Blue Flamingo), The Stronger & Mother Love (Alchemical Studios), The World is Round (BAM Fisher). Select Company Management Credits: Under the Radar Festival (The Public Theater), The Outer Space (The Public Theater), National Mobile Unit Tour of Sweat (The Public Theater), Mobile Unit's Twelfth Night (The Public Theater), Various Performances (Big Dance Theater). Community Engagement/Activist Work: Former Manager of Development and Engagement at Every Mother Counts and Clinic Escort at Choices; Adjunct Professor at Purchase College, Women and Performance. Training: MA in Performance Studies, NYU; BA in Drama Studies, Purchase College; Embodied Voice: Intensive Vocal Workshop; The Song of the Goat; Siti Company Summer Intensive; Theater Mitu Artist Fellowship (Japan). Creative Inspiration: I'm inspired by large-scale international work that demonstrates a commitment to dance theater practices and film-making. Connect: (website) www.fringeandfur.org. IG: @Genéealyse_c 

Emily Greco (Scenic Designer for fragments of Outside) is an Architectural Designer and Construction Manager from Brooklyn, New York. WAM Theatre: Debut. However, she has worked with Genèe Coreno on various projects, including the previous iteration of Outside at Culture Lab in Queens, New York. Selected Artistic Credits: Alongside Genèe, Emily presented Madge Love (2021) for the Exponential Film Festival to critical acclaim from the New York Times. The production was selected as Best LQBTQ Film at the Paris Film Festival in 2021. Other recent works include Bioadapted (2023) dir. Tjaša Ferme for Culture Lab, for which the set received praise from the Times for its “sleek design”, and SARAH (2023) dir. Hussein Smko at Laguardia Performing Arts Center in Queens, New York. Other Projects: When Emily is not collaborating on theater and dance sets, she manages architectural woodworking for large scale hospitality and residential projects. Education: Emily has an MFA in Interior Design from Pratt Institute, a BFA in Sculpture from SUNY Purchase College, and a BA in Art History from SUNY Purchase College.

Malory R. Grillo (Costume/Props Designer for fragments of Outside) is a Costarrican Scenic artist-designer based in Western Massachusetts, currently specializing in Costume Design. Previous WAM Credits: Costume Consultant, Me & the Sky Cabaret. Selected Artistic Credits: Costume designer: Allegory of a Young Man, Twelfth Night, Aurash, Los Olvidados (UMASS Amherst), MACHINAL (University of Costa Rica), The house the Negro insane (CATF), Desconoci2 (La Cebolla Producciones). Writer: Maldita Golondrina (Teatro Mélico Salazar Costa Rica). Director and writer: Naufragos O… (Metafora Estudio). A passion for theater since 2009, Actress, director, writer, designer, makeup artist and art director for short films. Selected Training: MFA in Costume Design for Theater, UMASS Amherst, BA Degree from the University of Costa Rica.  Awards: Best National Short Play Maldita Golondrina (2020) Teatro Melico Salazar, Costa Rica. Connect: maloriegrillo.com

Masatora Goya (Composer for fragments of Outside) is a composer, born in Malaysia and raised in Japan, finding a shape and flow in intangible emotions. WAM Theatre: Debut. Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: OUTSIDE (Culture Lab LIC), Echo and Narcissus (Shortened Attention Span Musical Festival), Dog Life (Smithfield Little Theatre) Selected Training: DMA in Composition - Five Towns College, ASCAP/Columbia Film Scoring Workshop, BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop Awards/Proudest Achievements: 2022 American Prize in Instrumental Chamber Music Final Word: Inspiration comes from what can be felt but is intangible. Connect: www.masatoragoya.com

Jemma Kepner (Lighting Design for fragments of Outside ) is a lighting designer and technician based in Western Massachusetts who aspires to create collaborative art to captivate the eye, mind, and heart. WAM Theatre: Debut. Theatre Credits Elsewhere: Kepner recently worked as a Lighting Technician on Nightwood: A Fantastical Journey Through Sound & Light  at The Mount, Edith Wharton's Home. Prior professional credits have spanned Follow Spot Operator at The Huntington for their season-opener, Prayer for a French Republic,  Head Electrician for Cabaret at Barrington Stage Company, to Electrician and Follow Spot Operator for multiple shows at the Weston Theater Company, to Lighting Designer for a touring new cabaret musical, My Evil Twin, directed by Ron Bashford, written by Harley Erdman, composed by Eric Sawyer. Other Recent Credits Include: Lighting Designer and Production Electrician for some of the UMass Theater Departments' largest mainstage performances: Orlando by Sarah Ruhl directed by Iris Sowlat (Production Electrician), Aurash by Bahram Beyzai'e directed by Behnam Alibakshi (Lighting Designer), and Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim directed by Rudy Ramirez (Production Electrician). Education/Awards: A recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) with a Bachelor's in Theater, focusing on Design, Technology & Management, Jemma also earned a Certificate in Multicultural Theater Practice. Jemma's time at UMass was noted by numerous awards, receiving the Humanities & Fine Arts William F. Field Award, the Frank Prentice Rand Scholarship, and the Remsen Design & Technology scholarship. Contact: www.jemmakepner.com

David Lane (Puppetry for fragments of Outside) is a theatre maker and artist based in North Adams, Massachusetts. WAM Theatre: Debut. Selected Artistic Credits Elsewhere: David was a co-creator and the lead designer of Iniskim, an illuminated, night-time puppet performance celebrating the return of Buffalo to Banff National Park and presented by the National Arts Center's Grand Acts of Theatre. David founded the annual Berkshire Lantern Walk, a community festival of light, in collaboration with the New England Puppet Intensive and Clark Art Institute. His latest project is a puppet adaptation of Emile Zola's The Belly of Paris which will premiere in 2026. Education: David studied Drama at the University of Calgary with the likes of Clem Martini and improv guru Keith Johnstone, and earned an MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College in New York. He trained extensively with Calgary's Green Fools Theatre Society before helping to co-found The Old Trout Puppet Workshop, co-directing several of their inaugural shows. Teaching: David has been a guest director and instructor at a number of colleges including SUNY Albany, Siena College and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA). In 2016, his original clown play "The Painting", was selected to be presented at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Region One, earning a “Best Ensemble” prize. Awards: He is a two-time Jim Henson Foundation grant recipient for his original play "The Chronicles of Rose", which tells the story of Rose Valland who helped save countless European paintings from being lost forever during WWII. Contact: www.davidlane-theatre.com

ABOUT THE MOUNT

The Mount is a National Historic Landmark and cultural center that interprets the intellectual, artistic, and humanitarian legacy of Edith Wharton (1862-1937). Wharton wrote over 40 books in 40 years, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Age of Innocence.

The Mount is the literary hub of the Berkshires and hosts lectures and panels by national authors and scholars both on-site and online. Seasonal cultural offerings on property include an annual outdoor sculpture show, music, and children's programming. The gardens and grounds are open free to the public daily May 11 through Dec 31. For more information, visit: EdithWharton.org.

ABOUT WAM THEATRE

WAM Theatre is a professional theatre company based in Berkshire County, MA, that operates at the intersection of arts and activism. Now celebrating its 15th Anniversary Season, 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 recipients. Since WAM's founding in 2010, they have donated more than $100,000 to 26 local and global organizations taking action for gender equity in areas such as girls education, reproductive justice, sexual trafficking awareness, midwife training, and more. 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. For more information, visit www.wamtheatre.com

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