WAM Theatre Honored as Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation

WAM Theatre was honored as the Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation by the National Philanthropy Day Committee of the Western MA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals at a luncheon on Wednesday, November 16th at The Log Cabin in Holyoke, MA.

"Excellence comes in all shapes and sizes. This is what I was told when I received the call informing me that WAM Theatre was awarded the Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation award. What a wonderful acknowledgement of our work!" exclaimed WAM Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven. "WAM has been the lucky recipient of an incredible number of awards and accolades this year. We feel lucky that our double philanthropic mission has received such esteemed recognition. As a young, fast growing company, we are incredibly grateful for these votes of confidence in our work and look forward to our continued impact into the future."

This award recognizes WAM for demonstrating outstanding commitment through financial support and through encouragement and motivation of others to take leadership roles toward philanthropy and community involvement.

The National Philanthropy Day Committee received applications from organizations that donate far more funds than WAM, but they were very impressed with how many WAM Team Members and supporters were working so hard to consistently donate money to organizations that benefit women and girls, in addition to creating high quality theatre, and by WAM's unique approach to engaging the community in its philanthropic efforts.

This caps off an exhilarating and successful fall for the seven year-old Berkshire-based theatre company which received three substantial competitive grants, been nominated for a Berkshire Trendsetter Award and a Nonprofit Awareness Day Excellence Award, and mounted an acclaimed co-production with the Berkshire Theatre Group of The Bakelite Masterpiece that enabled them to make their largest donation to date to their 2016 beneficiaries. In addition, van Ginhoven was recently invited to attend the Women's Leadership Conference in San Francisco and nominated by the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association for the Larry Murray Award at the First Annual Berkshire Theatre Awards.

Plans have already been announced for WAM's eighth season in 2017, beginning with auditions on December 10 for the second Girls Ensemble program for ages 13-18, and a remount of their successful 2013 production of Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight by Lauren Gunderson from March 31-April 9 in the Tina Packer Playhouse at Shakespeare & Company. Tickets for this special limited run featuring the entire original cast are on sale through the end of November for just $30. Dates for more WAM 2017 events, such as the fourth season of the Fresh Takes Play Reading Series and the Fall Main Stage production, will be announced early in the New Year.

OUR 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 2016 sponsors include the Adams Community Bank, Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Magazine, Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing, Blue Q, Brabson Library & Educational Foundation, Canyon Ranch, Custom Business Solution, Dylandale Foundation, Feigenbaum Foundation, Garden Gables, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Guido's Fresh Marketplace, International Schools Theatre Association, Interprint, Dr. Jay Wise, DDS & Dr. Casey Jones, DMD, Jon Gotterer DMD, Keator Group, LLC, Lee Bank, Lenox Education Enrichment Fund, Massachusetts Cultural Council, MAXYMILLIAN Technologies, Michele's Salon + Day Spa, Nina Molin MD, No. Six Depot Roastery and Café, Petricca Industries, Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, RB Design Co., The Rookwood Inn, Rouge Restaurant & Bistro, Toole Insurance, A. von Schlegell & Co., The Sherman Investment Group-RBC Wealth Management, the Dr. Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation, and Zabian's Fine Jewelers.

WAM Theatre is also supported in part by grants from the Lenox, Alford-Egremont, Pittsfield Cultural Council, Cultural Council of Northern Berkshires , Washington Cultural Council, Monterey Cultural Council, Stockbridge Cultural Council, West Stockbridge Cultural Council, Richmond 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.

Since 2010, WAM Theatre has donated more than $30,000 to eleven 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

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