Wam Theatre

WAM THEATRE ENGAGES COMMUNITY BY PRODUCING THEATRICAL EVENTS FOR EVERYONE AND DONATES A PORTION OF THEIR PROCEEDS TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK TO BENEFIT THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND WORLDWIDE.

SEE SCHEDULE OTHEATRICAL EVENTS:WAM THEATRE BEGAN ITS 12TH SEASON WITH AN ONLINE FRESH TAKES PLAY READING OF LETTERS TO KAMALA BY RACHEL LYNETT, DIRECTED BY NICOLE BREWER. IN THE TENSE LEAD UP TO THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, PLAYWRIGHT RACHEL LYNETT CONJURED THREE FEMALE AMERICAN POLITICAL LEADERS OF THE PAST TO SHARE THEIR WISDOM, PERSPECTIVE, AND WRY HUMOR WITH VP CANDIDATE KAMALA HARRIS.IN APRIL, WAM PRODUCED A VIRTUAL READING OF THE SENSATIONAL NEW PLAY THE LIGHT BY LOY A. WEBB, DIRECTED BY COLETTE ROBERT. A SURPRISE PROPOSAL GIFT PUTS THE FUTURE OF GENESIS AND RASHAD'S RELATIONSHIP AT RISK WHEN THEY ARE FORCED TO CONFRONT A DEVASTATING SECRET FROM THE PAST. WAM'S READING FEATURED REAL-LIFE BOSTON COUPLE ELLE BORDERS AND BRANDON G. GREEN.IN JUNE, WAM STREAMED MADELINE SAYET'S STUNNING WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY FILM ADAPTATION, PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY. MADELINE'S STORY ECHOES A JOURNEY TO ENGLAND BRAVED BY NATIVE ANCESTORS IN THE 1700S FOLLOWING TREATISE BETRAYALS AND FORCES US TO CONSIDER WHAT IT MEANS TO BELONG IN AN INCREASINGLY GLOBALIZED WORLD. THE SPECIAL LIMITED ENGAGEMENT WAS A BENEFIT FOR WAM, WITH PROCEEDS DEDICATED TO FURTHERING AND DEEPENING OUR ACCOUNTABILITY WORK.IN THE FALL, 1000 PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THE US PREMIERE OF KAMLOOPA: AN INDIGENOUS MATRIARCH STORY BY KIM SENKLIP HARVEY, WINNER OF CANADA'S PRESTIGIOUS GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE DRAMA, DIRECTED BY ESTEFANA FADUL. THE COVID-SAFE LIVE PERFORMANCES OF THE NEW COMEDY WAS PRESENTED AT SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY'S ELAYNE P. BERNSTEIN THEATRE IN LENOX, MA, AND THEN STREAMED DIGITALLY ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. THE HIGH ENERGY PLAY FOLLOWS TWO URBAN INDIGENOUS SISTERS AND THEIR ENCOUNTER WITH A LAWLESS TRICKSTER, AS THEY EXPLORE WHAT IT MEANS TO HONOR WHO THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY COME FROM. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS A CENTRAL PART OF WAM THEATRE'S ACTIVIST MISSION. WE PROGRAM WORKSHOPS, CLASSES AND CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE CONTEMPORARY MOMENT. IN 2021, COMING TOGETHER IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER COVID-19 HIT, WE TOOK INSPIRATION FROM THE INDIGENOUS PRACTICE OF STORIES AS MEDICINE (TAUGHT TO US BY MADELINE SAYET) AND FACILITATED THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMMING:STORY-CIRCLE WORKSHOPS WITH AFFINITY GROUPS OF BERKSHIRE COMMUNITY MEMBERS: COLLEGE STUDENTS, PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS, PARENT-ARTISTS, AND ELDERS (WOMEN 65+), PROVIDING CREATIVE SPACE FOR REFLECTION ON THEIR PANDEMIC EXPERIENCES FOR OVER 40 COMMUNITY MEMBERS.A WEEK-LONG CREATIVE DRAMA WORKSHOP WITH 3-5 GRADE STUDENTS FROM SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. AFTER A DISRUPTED SCHOOL YEAR, MANY OF THESE STUDENTS HAVE FALLEN BEHIND ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY, AND NEEDED A CREATIVE SPACE TO RECONNECT WITH EACH OTHER AND THEIR OWN POTENTIAL AS LEARNERS.KAMLOOPA MATERIALS AND CONVERSATIONS (DESIGNED IN COLLABORATION WITH INDIGENOUS CONSULTANTS) THAT INCLUDED: A STUDY GUIDE, VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH THE PLAYWRIGHT AND ARTISTS, LOBBY DISPLAYS, AND A ZOOM SEMINAR ON "PRESENTING INDIGENOUS THEATER" LED BY KAMLOOPA STAGE MANAGER AMANDA NITA LUKE.