WAM Theatre Announces 2025 Performance Season

WAM Theatre has announced their 2025 Season. WAM Theatre’s 2025 Season underscores the power, impact, and urgency of women’s leadership in the arts. Through the transformative power of storytelling, women artists ignite conversations, mobilize communities, and shape empowered futures for women and girls.

The performance season includes Cry It Out, Rooted, Where We Stand, Alien Girls, and the Regional Premiere of Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous. Passes are on sale now, and single tickets go on sale at the end of March. 

“WAM is demonstrating the importance of uplifting women artists who continue to innovate and pioneer groundbreaking theatre. We must champion one another—in art and in life—to ensure that women’s voices remain bold, visionary, and unstoppable," says Artistic Director Genée Coreno. “We intentionally designed our 16th season to spotlight living American female playwrights who challenge us to consider the artist’s—and the individual’s—responsibility to the community in times of political uncertainty. Now more than ever, we are reminded that theatre is an essential part of a democratic society—a powerful tool of assembly that unites us when we are divided."

The season features expanded offerings in the spring, summer, and fall. With two mainstage productions, three Fresh Takes play readings, and a dynamic community program—including documentary films, thought-provoking panels, and creative exchanges with women-led theatre companies. WAM Theatre’s 2025 season kicks off during Women’s History Month with a screening of The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause Documentary, followed by a dynamic, two-part panel discussion, Creative Resistance: Women’s Impact Through Art and Activism on the heels of International Women’s Day. 

"Our programming activates the space between women, bringing to life the relationships and conversations portrayed in this season's plays. Despite differences in class, generation, culture, and perspective, the characters find connection and, through each other, a deeper sense of self-regard. Their relationships remind us of the radical feminist tradition of solidarity. Wherever women gather, change follows," says Coreno. 

The momentum continues with WAM’s Fresh Takes Play Reading Series, featuring three bold and thought-provoking works: Cry It Out by Molly Smith Metzler, Rooted by Deborah Zoe Laufer, and Alien Girls by Amy Berryman. In June, WAM presents Where We Stand by Donnetta Lavinia Grays to the intimate setting of Lenox Town Hall, inviting audiences into an electrifying storytelling experience. The season culminates in October 2025 with a full production of Pearl Cleage’s Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous—a celebration of resilience, activism, and the unapologetic, inter-generational voices of women.

“Art is the light, the rally call, the balm for despair, and the champagne bubbles of celebration,” exclaims Managing Director Molly Merrihew. “The theatre is our gathering place - a space where we silence the world's noise and immerse ourselves in the magic of storytelling. This season shimmers with the resilience of friendship, the frenzy of mob mentality, the allure of eco-cults, the brilliance of building a creative life, and the fierce embrace of mothering. It’s a tapestry of care, class, and community—woven with moments that will surprise you, stir you, and send you into fits of laughter. We can’t wait to share it with you.”

WAM THEATRE’S 2025 SEASON

WAM Theatre’s 2025 season begins with two community events in celebration of Women’s History Month. 

First, WAM is proud to partner with WANDER Berkshires and Berkshire Pride for a screening of The (M) Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause featuring a special talkback facilitated by Berkshire-based certified Menopause Coach, Edi Pasalis. Event on Sunday, March 2 at 3 PM at WANDER Berkshires (Pittsfield, MA).

This documentary centers on the lived experiences of women across the U.S. Menopause has ramifications beyond just an individual woman’s well-being. The far-ranging results of women enduring untreated menopause include billions of dollars in lost wages, upended careers, family disruptions, and emotional chaos. With evidence-based information, the film empowers women to make informed health decisions and aims to remove the stigma surrounding menopause and aging.

Facilitator Edi Pasalis shared why this event matters, “As a WAM Theatre board member, I see this event as perfectly aligned with our mission to amplify women's experience and spark meaningful conversation. As a menopause educator and advocate, I hope it not only breaks the silence around menopause, it empowers everyone going through - or anticipating - the transition to know they are not broken, not alone, and have support close at hand. Let's turn toward this powerful time of life and discover its gifts together.” 

Our second March event Creative Resistance: Women’s Impact Through Art and Activism, is a networking event with two panel discussions, moderated by Eden-Reneé Hayes (CEO of Pluralism Solutions) & Sarah LaDuke (WAMC), for women, leaders, and future change makers in celebration of International Women’s Day hosted in partnership with Berkshire Community College and presented at BCC’s Connector Room (Pittsfield, MA) on Wednesday, March 12 at 2pm and 5pm.

Join us in a celebration of creativity, resilience, and leadership as we recognize the transformative power of women leading the charge for gender equity in Western, MA. This powerful day highlights the work of artists, advocates, and community organizations making a profound impact in the Berkshires. Through storytelling, dialogue, and shared experiences, we will celebrate the changemakers— who work tirelessly to transform challenges into opportunities, and build a more positive future for women and girls in Berkshire County and beyond. Featuring Genée Coreno (WAM Theatre), Shirley Edgerton (R.O.P.E), Dr. Frances K. Hurley (International Advisor, Child Development), Shela Levante (Berkshire County Commission on the Status of Women), Molly Merrihew (WAM Theatre), Jane Ralph (Construct, Inc.), Sarah Real (Hot Plate Brewing Co.), Shanique Rodriguez (Mass Voters Table), and Ilana Steinhauer, FNP-BC (V.I.M), these remarkable leaders will discuss how they use art and activism as tools to empower communities, shape policies, and reimagine what is possible.

Shela Levante, Keynote Speaker urged, “We know that, to address the issues our county, state, and nation face, women and gender non-conforming individuals must be engaged and uplifted, and their voices prioritized. Only then can we shift the narrative about gender equity, have opportunity and access to political power, influence and ultimately achieve gender justice.”

Our Fresh Takes Play Reading Series begins with a staged reading of Cry it Out by Molly Smith Metzler (Netflixs’ Maid and Orange is the New Black, The May Queen), directed by Molly Merrihew (The Flora and Fauna, Water By The Spoonful), performed on Sunday, May 4, at 2 PM and 7PM at Hot Plate Brewing Co. (Pittsfield, MA). 

Isolated in a sleepy suburb, Jessie, once a corporate lawyer, is now in milk-stained yoga pants attempting to comfort a screaming newborn. She’s desperate for a friend and soon spies a fellow new mom, her neighbor Lina. The two start meeting for coffee over naptime in their adjoining yards and a fast friendship is made. The laughter comes quickly in their shared space and newborn haze, when a well-intended stranger interrupts asking if his wife can join. Cry It Out is a chaotic comedy with an edge, grappling with the absurdities of motherhood, the power of friendship, and the effect class holds on parenting in America.

Playwright Molly Smith Metzler spoke about the show sharing, “Everything is cracked open by the experience of having a child, everything—your marriage, your identity and then in a lot of cases, your body. The play creates a place for these characters to connect and be open about that.” 

WAM’s Fresh Takes Play Reading Series continues on June 8 with Rooted by Deborah Zoe Laufer (Be Here Now, The Last Yiddish Speaker), directed by Tatyana-Marie Carlo (Far, Far Better Things, La Egoísta) with staged readings at 2 PM and 7 PM at Hot Plate Brewing Co. (Pittsfield, MA). 

Rooted introduces us to Emery and her sister, Hazel, who have never left their tiny, rural town for all their 60-some years. This is “A-ok” with Emery who happily spends her days among her plants, in her homemade treehouse, where she blogs about her experiments on the consciousness of plants. But when she becomes an overnight viral internet sensation, large crowds start congregating beneath her home, and calling Emery their savior. Hazel, a recently fired waitress, sees this as their opportunity to finally escape the run-down town. When a young protester is hurt and hauled into the treehouse, all bets are off. Rooted is a magical and quirky comedy that centers the relationships of nature, art, and human connection. Asking us all how we might heal.

Playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer was delighted to have WAM produce her works two years in a row, “I wrote Rooted as a sequel to ‘Be Here Now’. My dream was that companies would produce the two plays in back-to-back seasons. So I'm thrilled that WAM is doing that! I hope that audiences remember Luanne, and the small, fictional town in upstate NY where both plays are set. My original intention was to write a trilogy, and wonderful companies like WAM producing both plays is the push I need to do that!

June also brings WAM’s first Main Stage Production of the 2025 Season Where We Stand. Written and created by Donnetta Lavinia Grays (Kudzu Calling, Last Night and the Night Before) and directed by Jackie Davis (Notes from the Field, The Wiz) this solo-community exploration is noted as, “A Pied Piper story that doubles as a boldfaced allegory about class and community, Where We Stand is rich in its language” by The New York Times.

An imaginative and soulful storyteller spins a tale of a lonely soul tempted by the devil’s kindness on a fateful trip to the crossroads. A Kilroy’s List Pick and a winner of the Whiting Award for Drama, Where We Stand is an epic fable of penance filled with humor, heart, and music, that explores an individual pushed to the edge. Outcast by society, the exile is left in the hands of the audience who ultimately must decide their fate as they wrestle between mercy and justice. 

“I am excited that WAM has taken on the challenge of Where We Stand, especially at this fragile moment in our nation when community feels so very vital to our survival and collective purpose," remarked creator Donnetta Lavinia Grays. Where We Stand will be performed at the Lenox Town Hall June 26-29.

WAM Theatre’s final Fresh Takes Play Reading Series brings a finalist from the 2024 O'Neill National Playwrights Conference. Alien Girls written by Amy Berryman (Walden, God's Flesh) and directed by Genée Coreno (fragments of Outside, Madge Love) will have staged readings at Hot Plate Brewing Co. (Pittsfield, MA) on Sunday, July 13 at 2 PM & 7 PM.

Tiffany is pregnant. Her best friend, Carolyn, is trying to be happy for her. When Carolyn’s true feelings become public in the form of a personal essay that goes viral, is the fallout irreparable? Time traveling through decades of friendship between two writers on the brink of huge life changes, Alien Girls is a meta-theatrical, dark comedy about the joys and challenges of creating art, cultivating friendships, and building a life of meaning. Fresh off the Center Theatre Group’s year long Writer's Workshop, and written by the playwright dubbed "intelligent and compassionate” by NY Magazine, this hot new play is not to be missed.

Playwright Amy Berryman asked, "Can women have it all? What does it mean to be a mother? Can friendship between women survive the huge life changes that happen in your thirties in modern-day America? All these questions were on my mind when I started writing the thorny friendship between Carolyn and Tiffany in Alien Girls, my queer metatheatrical dark comedy about the societal pressures put on women to make a choice between creating life and creating art."

The Summer brings one more WAM event you won’t want to miss! Mark your calendars now for WAM’s Brunch Benefit on Sunday, July 27th. Details on this celebratory gathering to come.

Autumn brings our second Main Stage Production, the regional premiere of Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous written by Pearl Cleage (Blues for an Alabama Sky, Flyin' West), and directed by Cloteal L. Horne (Play Here[___], On The Exhale).

A lifetime ago, actress Anna Campbell and her manager and confidant Betty ignited a major theatrical controversy with a performance piece named Naked Wilson. After decades of self-imposed exile to outrun critics, they receive an invitation to perform at a women’s theatre festival. Uncertain of what kind of reception she will get upon her return, Anna’s insecurity grows. Enter Pete Watson, an ambitious, young artist who is unabashed about her work in the adult entertainment industry. Anna flys off the handle when it’s shared that Pete is her replacement, and is not sure if she can come to terms with this affront by opening night. With humor, artistic-homage, and grace, this play packs a punch as it explores artistic ownership, generational identity, and jungle-red nail polish. Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous weaves a tale of self-discovery and the enduring power of the performing arts.

Playwright Pearl Cleage shared the inspiration behind this work, "Writing this play was for me an act of bearing witness to long nights of passionate conversation with other black female theater makers about what it meant to be a black woman writing plays. First shattered and then sheltered by the unapologetic truth of Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide when the Rainbow is Enuf, we dedicated ourselves to shaping and sharing a body of creative work that did not depend on how the ferociously talented men of our generation saw us, but how we saw and heard and loved our equally ferocious, equally talented and way more magical selves. Of course we talked about August Wilson. How could we not talk about him? But only among ourselves did we feel safe to critique him and critique him we did, fussing and fuming until we realized it wasn't his job to create female characters as fabulous as we were. Only we could do that. And so, we did. And so, we still do. It is my pleasure to share a formerly private conversation that was pivotal to the creative expansion of the American theater. I invite you in."  Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous will be performed in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre on the Shakespeare & Company campus October 23 - November 2.

TICKETING

“Our audiences have been asking us for years to put tickets on sale earlier– we are thrilled to finally deliver on that request,” said Merrihew. “We have three types of ticket passes on sale now– the Fresh Takes Pass, Mainstage Pass and All Access Pass. These new passes allow our community to plan further in advance, ensure they have access to shows before they sell-out, and importantly help support the theatre pre-production. Often our biggest months of expenses happen before our shows are presented; purchasing early means bolstering the sustainability of our work– and ensures our creative teams can keep dreaming big in the rehearsal room.” 

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