WAM Theatre Announces Reimagined Fall 2020 Season

Producing Artistic Director Kristen Van Ginhoven, Associate Artistic Director Talya Kingston, and the WAM Theatre team today announced their reimagined plans for WAM's fall 2020 season, offering digital productions in October and November. ROE by Lisa Loomer will run October 17-20, and THE THANKSGIVING PLAY by Larissa Fasthorse will run November 19-22.

"For the past few months, we have been grappling with what our fall season might look like in this current world. It felt important, in a pandemic, in an election year, and at a time when we are having a national reckoning around race, that WAM find a way to tell the stories of our previously announced plays, ROE by Lisa Loomer and THE THANKSGIVING PLAY by Larissa Fasthorse," van Ginhoven said.

"It also felt important to offer as many artists as possible paid work, to be financially smart about our decisions, and to put the well-being of our artists and patrons at the forefront," continued van Ginhoven. "All of this led us to the conclusion that we had to hold these offerings virtually. Blending performance and technology has created the opportunity to collaborate with new artists in the video and website design worlds. As we all reflect on our part towards creating a future that is full of empathy, equity, and belonging, we are working hard to create dynamic, creatively designed digital productions that resonate deeply with our current moment in time. "

The first digital production will be the area premiere of Lisa Loomer's celebrated play, ROE, available online October 17-20. This large ensemble play, directed by van Ginhoven, illuminates the history of one of the most polarizing social issues of the modern era: the Roe v. Wade, U.S. Supreme Court ruling that established a woman's right to an abortion. ROE provides a reminder of the human stories behind the debates and how hard we have to work to compassionately communicate with people with whom we may disagree.

"We are delighted that ROE playwright Lisa Loomer agreed to have WAM move ROE from a live theatre production to a reimagined digital production. We have some extraordinary creative artists and reproductive justice experts working with us to ensure this important story gets told in this election year, when the rights of women continue to be deeply challenged," said van Ginhoven. "We look forward to sharing more about the ROE team in the weeks ahead."

From November 19-22, WAM will present THE THANKSGIVING PLAY by Larissa Fasthorse, a scathingly funny satire where we witness a group of "woke" white teaching artists scrambling to create a pageant that somehow manages to celebrate both Turkey Day and Native American Heritage Month. THE THANKSGIVING PLAY will be directed by WAM Associate Artistic Director Talya Kingston.

"This razor-sharp comedy allows us space to laugh at the stumbling blocks of white activism while, at the same time, deeply considering our positions on this land," says Kingston. Playwright Larissa Fasthorse echoes this sentiment 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."

This performance will create engaging opportunities for our community to deepen local knowledge and connection to the Mohican Tribe, who are the traditional stewards of the land now known as the Berkshires.

Tickets for both events will be available starting September 8, 2020. Please visit WAMTheatre.com for more information.

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