WAM Theatre Celebrates Donations To Two Non-Profit Beneficiaries

Every year, WAM Theatre donates a portion of the box office proceeds from their Main Stage productions to agencies that benefit women and girls locally, nationally, or internationally. The success of the world premiere of LADY RANDY enabled the company to present $8,000 to their 16th beneficiary, Tapestry Health Systems. Along with the $1,200 targeted gift to The MoonCatcher Project, this brings WAM's donation total since its founding in 2010 up to $65,700.

Tapestry will use WAM's donation to provide training to staff to improve their services to marginalized communities. "What WAM is doing is remarkable. We are so honored to be a part of this experience," said Katrina Mattson, Health Services Manager at Tapestry's Pittsfield location. "As we grow as an agency, we need to do better for marginalized communities. One of the ways we can do this is do train our dedicated staff in social determinants of health and increase our capacity by learning how to better serve our LGBTQ community, our poor, our undocumented, and others marginalized in today's society."

A targeted donation of $1,000 was earmarked for The MoonCatcher Project, but the total was able to be raised to $1,200 for this worthy cause. WAM's donation will provide more than 200 menstrual kits to MoonCatcher's work in Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Pakistan and India. This brings the WAM beneficiary total to 17.

"We want to be collaborating with other organizations," Ellie von Wellsheim, Founder and Executive Director of MoonCatcher explained. "It's not just MoonCatcher making 200 kits; it's all of us making 200 kits. And that means so much more to us, to you, and to the girls getting these kits."

The 2019 beneficiaries were chosen after a rigorous selection process, including a request for proposals and site visits, overseen by a committee at WAM comprised of Kristen Van Ginhoven (WAM Artistic Director), Dori Parkman (WAM General Manager), Margaret Fluhr (WAM Board Member), Wendy Healey (WAM Board President), and Lia Russell-Self (WAM Associate Producing Director).

Tapestry Health Systems and The MoonCatcher Project are WAM's 16th & 17th beneficiaries. Past recipients include: The Denise Kaley Fund, the LIPPI Program of the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts, the Soldier On Women's Program, the Berkshire Immigrant Center, Suzi Banks Baum's New Illuminations initiative in Gyumri, Armenia, Hands in Outreach, Sisters for Peace, Mother of Peace Orphanage in Illovo, South Africa, the Rites of Passage and Empowerment Program for Girls (ROPE), Shout Out Loud Productions, Berkshire United Way's Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, Edna's Hospital in Somaliland, The Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts, and Women for Women International.

"All of us at WAM are thrilled with the success with LADY RANDY. To launch our 10th anniversary season with the world premiere of a new play by a local female playwright was very fitting and exciting. We are glad our WAMily responded so enthusiastically to the show", shared Kristen Van Ginhoven, WAM's Producing Artistic Director.

In addition, WAM hosted vibrant post-show discussions following each of the three Sunday matinee performances of LADY RANDY. After the April 21 performance, there was a talkback with playwright/actress Anne Undeland and director Jim Frangione. Following the matinee on April 28, WAM Associate Artistic Director Talya Kingston moderated a panel discussion around the theme of re-imagining history featuring Undeland, Anne Schuyler, (Director of Visitor Services, The Mount), Lise Sanders (Professor of Literature and Cultural Studies, Hampshire College) and Naomi Miller (Professor of English and the Study of Women and Gender, Smith College).

On Saturday, May 4th, WAM's Fresh Takes play reading series had a successful reading of Karen Zacarías' NATIVE GARDENS, which was presented in memory of Wendy Rabinowitz.

Finally, after the closing performance on May 5, there was a chance to meet representatives of Tapestry and MoonCatcher and hear more about how WAM's donation will impact their work. This conversation was followed by the check presentation ceremony.

"It is phenomenal to start our 10th season with these inspiring donations." said Kristen Van Ginhoven, Artistic Director of WAM Theatre. "We are thrilled our audiences enjoyed LADY RANDY so much! We are already excited for our second Mainstage production of PIPELINE by Dominique Morisseau, which we will present in partnership with Multicultural BRIDGE October 24th-November 9th."

This season, WAM Education is launching a new Elder Ensemble program for women 65 and older, in tandem with the successful, established Teen Ensemble. Both Ensembles will debut their original devised theatre pieces at the WAM 10th Anniversary Gala on Wednesday, July 24, from 5:30-8:30pm at the Stationery Factory in Dalton.

The second Fresh Takes Play Reading - PARADISE by Laura Maria Censabella - is planned for November 2, during the run of PIPELINE.

For more information about WAM's 10th Anniversary Season visit https://www.wamtheatre.com/2019-season/

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