WAM Theatre Sets New Fresh Takes Season

WAM Theatre has announced the line-up for its second season of Fresh Takes Staged Readings at No. Six Depot Roastery and Café in West Stockbridge. The first series last year sold out all five readings, and whetted the appetites of area audiences for more professional readings of plays that explore the lives and experiences of women and girls. Each reading is followed by a talkback with the actors and directors.

WAM Artistic Associate Molly Clancy is curating the 2015 series. "The Fresh Takes readings are very intimate in the wonderful art gallery space at No. Six Depot," Clancy explained, "So the post-show discussion are very conversational, like a book club. We really want to create that dialogue with our audience and get to know them better. And we want to show them what kind of theatre WAM produces, even during months when we don't have a major production scheduled."

All of this year's plays were penned by living, female playwrights and include the 2012 Pulitzer Prize winner Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegría Hudes, and Silence by Moira Buffini, which earned the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for best English-language play by a woman. The June reading, Noms de Guerre, will be part of the Lift Ev'ry Voice Festival and playwright Jacqueline E. Lawton will be in the Berkshires to participate.

This season Clancy has selected plays that have had successful productions or readings elsewhere, but are new to the Berkshire audience. "These plays tell stories that are relevant, provocative, and contemporary. This is also a way for WAM to test out plays we are considering for the future, which is exciting for our audience to get a 'sneak peek' and offer their feedback."

Another focus of the Fresh Takes series is to feature local actors and directors, artists audiences have grown to love on area stages over the years. The series opens on April 19 with popular actress Tod Randolph directing Silence, and in June stage and film star Jayne Atkinson will be directing Noms de Guerre. 2014 Fresh Takes curator Kelly Galvin will direct Three Tall Girls by Meg Miroshnik in May; Clancy herself will take the directorial reins on Water by the Spoonful in August, and WAM Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven will direct the final Fresh Takes offering, The Effect by Lucy Prebble, in September

Fresh Takes Staged Readings

Fresh Takes, WAM Theatre's play-reading series held in the gallery space at No. Six Depot Roastery and Café, 6 Depot St., West Stockbridge, MA, on the following Sundays at 3 pm: April 19, May 17, June 14, August 16, and September 13.

Curated by WAM Theatre's Artistic Associate Molly Clancy, Fresh Takes will give a stage to ground-breaking works - which have been successfully presented elsewhere but are new to our Berkshire audiences - that tell women's stories. Featuring local established and emerging actors and directors, the series will explore the work of provocative contemporary voices.

There are only 25 tickets available per reading. Tickets are $20, which includes a post-show discussion and the opportunity to meet the cast and director. Refreshments will be available for purchase at No. Six Depot Roastery and Café. See www.WAMTheatre.com for more information.

Information on all five shows is below, for the casting breakdown and more information visit: http://www.wamtheatre.com/fresh-takes-casting-breakdown-2015/

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