WAM Theatre Announces Four New Board Members

Producing Artistic Director Kristen Van Ginhoven, Managing Director Molly Merrihew, and the WAM Board have announced the appointment of four new members to their Board of Directors. Donna Haghighat, Megan Sandberg-Zakian, Kim Stauffer, and Nicole M. Young-Martin will be joining Board President Wendy Healey, and members Erica Barretto, Toni Buckley, Carolyn Butler, and Margaret Fluhr.

"We are overjoyed to add these four new members to our Board this year," said Molly Merrihew, WAM Managing Director. "They each bring a unique perspective and expertise to WAM that will aid in our growth, especially as we come out of the pandemic and return to a full season of offerings."

Donna Haghighat currently serves as the Executive Director of the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts. Under her leadership, the Women's Fund has successfully launched The Young Women's Initiative for girls and young women of color in Springfield, focused on gender and racial equity and moved from direct programming to partnerships and community investing.

Megan Sandberg-Zakian is a theater director, author, and facilitator with a passion for the development of vital new American plays for the stage and the ear. She has directed several productions for WAM over the years, including the 2016 Fall Mainstage production of Holy Laughter, and the upcoming Fresh Takes Play Reading of The New Galileos by Amy Berryman. She has recently directed shows at the New York Theatre Workshop, the Huntington Theatre, and the California Shakespeare Theatre.

Kim Stauffer performed the role of Emilie in Emilie: La Marquise Du Chatelet Defends Her Life Tonight in WAM Theatre's 2013 production and 2017 remount. Her additional Berkshire credits include Barrington Stage Company and Chester Theatre Company; and her regional work as an actor has taken her to New York Classical Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre Company (DC), Actors' Theatre of Louisville, and beyond. As a Director, she has had the privilege of working with Berkshire Playwright's Lab, UAlbany Theatre, and Union College Theatre. She is a passionate educator who serves as Head of Acting in the UAlbany Theatre Program.

Nicole M. Young-Martin is a writer, performer, producer, musician, nonprofit manager and educator with over 25 years of experience as a practicing artist and over 10 years of working in higher education and the nonprofit sector. Young-Martin serves as the producer and host of the web series, Black Writers Read, teaches literature, developmental writing, and theatre for Bard Microcollege Holyoke, and works as the Community Investments Manager for the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts. Having attended WAM productions in the past, she is very excited to take on this new role with the WAMily.

The new trustees join WAM's stalwart Board Members Erica Barreto (multicultural educator, arts administrator, and creative placemaker currently working at MCLA), Toni Buckley (higher education administrator and storyteller working as the Director of Alumni Relations at Berkshire Community College), Carolyn Butler (not-for-profit fundraiser of twenty years with a focus on arts, culture and social services), Margaret Fluhr (clinical social worker for 37 years). The Company is honored for their service and passion for WAM's arts activism mission. To learn more about WAM Theatre's Board Members visit https://www.wamtheatre.com/our-board/.

WAM is also grateful for the recent service of Arwen Lowbridge (Financial Planner and Advisor at Baystate Financial), Diane Scott (Director of Artist Services at the Mid-America Arts Alliance) and Ellen Ring (retail specialist of 30 years) who recently completed their terms on the WAM Board. Their assistance and expertise was vital to WAM's success and sustainability during the pandemic.

"We are honored to welcome these new board members to WAM in 2022," said Wendy Healey, Board President. "As part of our Accountability plan, WAM's Governance Committee was charged with actively transforming our traditional board structure to support WAM as an intersectional feminist and anti-racist theatre organization. We're thrilled to add these artists and nonprofit leaders to our board as part of that effort, and we look forward to continuing to reimagine board roles with their participation."

If you have expertise to share and are interested in speaking to WAM about volunteer opportunities including participation in a WAM Committee working alongside our team and board please contact WAM via email at info@wamtheatre.com.

WAM recently announced their 2022 Performance Season centering different versions of empowerment through four groundbreaking theatrical stories and a cabaret benefit performance that will take place in venues across the Berkshire region. The season includes: The New Galileos by Amy Berryman, Bright Half Life by Tanya Barfield, a MisCast Cabaret, Escaped Alone by Caryl Churchill, and Cadillac Crew by Tori Sampson. For tickets and more information visit wamtheatre.com.

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