WAM Theatre Announces A Summer Of Fresh Play Readings

Producing Artistic Director Kristen Van Ginhoven and the WAM Theatre team have announced the 2023 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series. The series includes three new plays to be performed on three consecutive Sundays in July at The Mount in Lenox. The Fresh Takes Reading Series includes three groundbreaking stories: hollow roots by Christina Anderson, Port of Entry by Talya Kingston, and In Her Bones by Jessica Kahkoska.


The 2023 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series presents new works by women that, in different ways, explore complex and intersection identities that make up contemporary America. The identities that people project onto us, the ones that are handed down to us, and the ones we decide ourselves. Each play stands on its own, but taken together, they weave an interesting tapestry and will evoke exciting post-performance conversations.

"WAM is delighted to present these dynamic new plays in a series and to collaborate with our friends at The Mount again this summer in another partnership that is mission-aligned," said Producing Artistic Director Kristen Van Ginhoven.

The Mount's Executive Director, Susan Wissler shared, "Early in her career, Edith Wharton used playwriting to subvert stereotypes, and she made, at times, what are still considered unexpected endings. We are delighted to host WAM and this series of new writing by women with distinct perspectives on the contemporary American landscape."

The season begins with a staged reading of hollow roots by Christina Anderson, directed by Trenda Loftin, who also works as WAM's BIPOC Staff Advocate, on Sunday, July 16, 2pm. Performed with live musical accompaniment, this dynamic and poetic solo play questions the notion of a "post-racial" society by looking at one woman's quest to understand her identity. The protagonist challenges herself to find a person of color who has a "neutral" identity.

"One person storytelling invites a level of intimacy that excites me," said Loftin. "It invites not only a witnessing of the vulnerability of the character/performer on stage but also, I believe, invites us as viewers into a deeper vulnerability with ourselves. We only have their experience and our own to be with. I love that!" hollow roots premiered at The Public Theater in New York and Christina Anderson been described by Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Paula Vogel as, "one of our most significant and prescient writers." Vogel states that "Christina Anderson's plays grab me by the throat, wound my memory, and change the way I walk through the world."

Next in the series is Port of Entry, a new work written by WAM's Associate Artistic Director, Talya Kingston, directed by Amy Brentano, on Sunday, July 23, 2pm. The play opens in the back office of a small New England airport, where TSA agent Hank is training newbie Chloe on the day a new law-commonly known as "The Muslim Ban"-is suddenly enacted. When Jana arrives on a flight from the Middle East, they all become entangled in the chaotic fallout from this new government mandate. In a rapidly shifting political landscape, this new play questions who is protecting our country and who are they protecting it from?

Playwright Talya Kingston shared that "Port of Entry is an invitation for American citizens to see inside the back offices of the immigration system. The officials work in a combination of mundane bureaucracy and subjective opinion that place immigrants at the whim of political policy." Director Amy Brentano explained that: "the play is honest and humorous at times, and it's direct approach to prevalent complex issues is a welcomed challenge. Theater should leave us with questions."

The final play in the series is Jessica Kahkoska's In Her Bones, directed by Estefanía Fadul (WAM's Kamloopa), happening on Sunday, July 30, 2pm. The story starts with an unexpected blizzard that forces Berkeley freshman Mia into a rural highway gas station in Colorado, where she must confront a past she is both fleeing and seeking out. In Her Bones explores the complicated legacy of crypto-Judaism in the Southwest, illuminating an unlikely alpine tale of faith and family secrets, and how we pass on culture when written records are too dangerous to keep.

"In Her Bones is a love letter to my roots in rural Colorado that explores how place, history, and memory weave together to inform who we are--and how we make sense of the most disparate pieces of our identities and family pasts," said Playwright Jessica Kahkoska. The play (a hit of the 2020 Colorado New Play Summit) will be directed by Kahkoska's longtime collaborator and WAM favorite, Estefanía Fadul.

WAM Theatre's 9th Annual Fresh Takes Reading Series continues its commitment to present ground-breaking stories that are imaginative and thoughtful explorations of complex issues affecting women and girls. Featuring local professional actors and directors, the Fresh Takes play readings continue WAM's commitment to connecting Berkshire audiences to women-identifying playwrights who are contributing to national and international theatre conversations. Each reading will be followed by a brief discussion with the artists.

"WAM is grateful to each of these three directors for being part of our 2023 Fresh Takes series," continued van Ginhoven. "Amy has been part of Port of Entry since its beginning and joins Trenda and Estefania as artists whom we are always delighted to have in our season. We are also thrilled to be sharing a play written by our very own Associate Artistic Director, Talya Kingston, plus stories by two other playwrights whose work we admire. These three plays are perfect for the intimate and stripped-back vibe of a play reading. We can't wait to be absorbed into these complex stories."

The WAM's Fresh Takes Play Pass is now on sale. Join WAM in-person for a season of new groundbreaking readings. Seating is limited at all Fresh Takes readings and expected to sell-out, so your purchase of a Fresh Takes Play Pass will guarantee your seat at the whole series!

Each Pass includes one ticket each to all 2023 Readings, happening at the Mount, Edith Wharton's Home, Lenox, MA. Casting will be announced in the coming months, and single tickets go on sale May 15, so be sure to purchase your pass now!

For tickets and more information about WAM Theatre's 2023 Season, programs, events, and artists, please visit wamtheatre.com

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