Two Productions this Weekend at WAM Theatre

At a time of year when theatre offerings are scant, WAM Theatre offers two productions from which to choose this weekend. From April 6-9 you can see WAM's acclaimed remount of Emilie: La Marquise du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight at the Tina Packer Playhouse at Shakespeare in Company in Lenox; and on April 8 you can catch the final public performance of the 2017 WAM Girls Ensemble production What's That Sound? at 7:30 pm at the Spectrum playhouse in Lee.

This is the second and final week of the limited run remount of Emilie..., which earned standing ovations and much praise on social media in its opening weekend:

This was one of the best nights I have had at the theatre....Well done!!!!

Phenomenal performance from WAM Theatre! Moving, fresh, enlightening, humorous and so imaginative and powerful.

EMILIE puts forth a level of excellence in acting, production design, direction, and writing rarely witnessed on our local stages.

I'm not only honored to have WAM re-mount Emilie..., I'm inspired. WAM truly manifests my belief that theatre actively and intentionally changes hearts, minds, and the future of a thoughtful and empathetic nation.

"We are so excited that the entire original cast and the majority of the creative team were able to reassemble for this remount," said van Ginhoven, "Giving another life to this audience favorite and critically acclaimed production has been a dream since 2013. Thanks to some early support from Greylock Federal Credit Union and others, this dream is becoming a reality."

In keeping with WAM's double philanthropic mission, a portion of proceeds will be donated to this production's beneficiary: Flying Cloud Institute. WAM's donation will support scholarships for public school girls who attend Flying Cloud's after school Girls Science Clubs, so girls who show promise and interest in science can join the Young Women in Science summer programs where they conduct experiments with women scientists and engineers working in laboratories at Bard College at Simon's Rock and Berkshire Community College.

Performances this week are scheduled for 3 pm on April 6, 7:30 pm April 7 & 8, and 2 pm April 8 & 9. For additional information and tickets, visit: http://www.wamtheatre.com/emilie-remount-2017/ or call the Shakespeare & Company box office at 413-637-3353

Then our 2017 Girls Ensemble cohort will wrap up their experience with a final, free public performance of their devised theatre piece What's That Sound? on Saturday, April 8 at 7:30 pm at the Spectrum Theatre, 20 Franklin Street in Lee.

The original show the girls have developed centers on a group waiting to board a bus to go to a protest. They all bring a lot of baggage, metaphorically and literally. As they chat, questions are posed about identity, race, gender, fear, age, history, and protest. Suitable for ages 10 and up. The performance is free of charge and open to the public.

Beginning in January, four young women ages 13-18, selected by audition, met on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons to create this new piece of devised theatre under the leadership of WAM teaching artists Amy Brentano, Barby Cardillo, and their assistant, Lia Russell-Self. Devised theatre is a collaborative process where the participants use different theatre techniques to create original material around a chosen starting point. Participants in this cohort hale from Pittsfield, Dalton, Lee and Richmond.

This year's Ensemble members are: Iris Courchaine (Lee High School); Debora Lytle (Reid Middle School); Hailey Mack (Richmond Consolidated); Dylan Redd (Wahconah Regional High School).

As an International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA) endorsed project, this cohort of the WAM Girls Ensemble was able to attend the ISTA Festival in Atlanta, Georgia in March. For one long weekend they joined students from international schools around the world and spent three days devising theatre around the theme of race, inclusion, prejudice, and oppression.

Upon their return they embarked on a tour of local schools.

The WAM Girls Ensemble is comprised of girls aged 13-18 selected by audition from throughout Berkshire County. Under the leadership of WAM teaching artists, the girls use different theatre techniques to create material around their chosen starting point, sharing the girls' own perspectives and stories as part of the process. For more information: http://www.wamtheatre.com/out-of-school-program-girls-ensemble/

AT A GLANCE

Emilie: La Marquise Du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight

by Lauren Gunderson

Directed by Kristen van Ginhoven

Beneficiary: Flying Cloud Institute

Presented by WAM Theatre

at the Tina Packer Playhouse at Shakespeare & Company

Kemble Street, Lenox, MA

Tickets: $10-$40

For tickets visit www.WAMTheatre.com

Or call the Shakespeare & Company box office at 413-637-3353

Performances

April 6 at 3 pm

April 7 & 8 at 7:30 pm

April 8 & 9 at 2 pm

Cast

Suzanne Ankrum as Soubrette

Brendan Cataldo as Gentleman

Joan Coombs as Madam

Kim Stauffer as Emilie

Oliver Wadsworth as Voltaire

AT A GLANCE

What's That Sound?

Created and Performed by The WAM Girls Ensemble

Led by Teaching Artists Amy Brentano, Barby Cardillo, and Lia Russell-Self

Featuring Iris Courchaine, Debora Lytle, Hailey Mack, and Dylan Redd

Saturday, April 8 at 7:30 pm

at the Spectrum Theatre, 20 Franklin Street in Lee

ADMISSION FREE!

What's That Sound? is suitable for ages 10 and up.

SEASON SPONSORS

WAM Theatre is funded in part by Mass Humanities, which receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities; and by the Massachusetts Cultural Council Cultural. Our 2017 sponsors include Adams Community Bank, Berkshire Magazine, Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing, Blue Q, Brabson Library & Educational Foundation, Canyon Ranch, Custom Business Solutions, The Dylandale Foundation, The Feigenbaum Foundation, Futures Education, the Garden Gables Inn, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Guido's Fresh Marketplace, In Touch Printing, International Schools Theatre Association, Interprint, Dr. Jay Wise, DDS & Dr. Casey Jones, DMD, Lee Bank, Massachusetts Cultural Council, MAXYMILLIAN Technologies, Methuselah Bar and Lounge, No. Six Depot Roastery and Café, RB Design Co., Redfin, The Rookwood Inn, Rouge Restaurant & Bistro, The Dr. Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation, 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, Dalton 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, Stockbridge Cultural Council, Washington Cultural Council, and West Stockbridge 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 seven 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.

Photo credit: David Dashiell

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