WAM Theatre's Production Of ANN Adds Student Performance And Panel Discussions

A one-woman tour-de-force, ANN is a hilarious and spirited portrait of Ann Richards, legendary Governor of Texas. Written by award-winning actress and writer Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men) and starring Jayne Atkinson (House of Cards, Madam Secretary), ANN is an inspiring play that brings us face to face with the complex, colorful, and captivating character, with a personality bigger than the state she governed.

This co-production with Dorset Theatre Festival is selling briskly. Due to this demand, WAM has opened a limited number of public seats for the added Thursday, October 25th 10am student performance.

This is a limited engagement, with only eight performances in total. The Dorset Theatre Festival limited engagement of ANN in August completely sold out, so advance reservations for the WAM Theatre performances are highly recommended.

Panel Discussions on Women in Politics and Theatre as Activism

In a year when so many women are running for office across all platforms, ANN resonates profoundly with our current climate, and WAM has organized two exciting panel discussions, along with a talkback with the star and director, following matinee performances to explore these relevant themes more deeply.

Sunday, October 21, following the 2 pm matinee

Panel Discussion on Women in Politics

A panel of women who have run for elected office will speak about the particular challenges and opportunities for women in politics. This panel will include: Former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift (the only woman to have served as Governor in our state's history) and Stephanie Bosley, recent candidate for the First Berkshire District of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and member of the 2018 LIPPI cohort at the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts (LIPPI is one of the beneficiaries of ANN).

"I loved who [Ann Richards] was. She had that combination of being human, warm and reassuring and at the same time saying, 'Take That Hill!' She was an angel, a general, a mother and a leader. She had an enormous drive for fairness. She felt government should reflect the population and should be peopled by a group who looks like the population. She had a love of life, humanity and the ideals of freedom for all." - playwright Holland Taylor on Ann Richards

Thursday, October 25, following the 10am student performance

Talk-Back with Jayne Atkinson and Director Kristen Van Ginhoven

"It's important to see a woman in a powerful role making good as well as not so good choices. I look for multi-dimensional roles that have a journey of self discovery and emerge stronger and more alive. It's important to me that young people come and see ANN. Many of them will never have heard of Ann Richards before, so it's a chance for them to learn about her work as well as see inside the life of a woman who was a successful and strong political leader." - Jayne Atkinson

"Books have been written, documentaries made but nothing truly captures the life of my mother like ANN." - Cecile Richards, daughter of Ann Richards, and recently retired President of Planned Parenthood.

Saturday, October 27, following the 2 pm matinee

Integrating Activism into Artistic Choices

A panel of artistic leaders from local theatre companies will speak about how they use their season of performances to engage their communities in dialogue about social issues. This panel will include: Amanda Rafuse, the Director of Artistic Outreach for Northern Stage Company, Kristen Van Ginhoven, the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of WAM Theatre, and

Dina Janis, the Artistic Director of the Dorset Theatre Festival who will moderate the panel and open up to questions from the audience.

"What spoke to me so much about this role when I read it was what Ann [Richards] said about fairness. Her whole tone and what she created in Texas - I just fell in love with her, and this is my way of being an activist." - Jayne Atkinson at the Dorset Theatre Festival panel discussion on Women in Politics

In keeping with its double philanthropic mission, WAM Theatre will be donating 25% of the box office proceeds from ANN to its 14th and 15th beneficiaries, The Denise Kaley Fund and the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts' 2018 Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact (LIPPI).

The 2018 beneficiaries were chosen after a rigorous selection process, including a request for proposals and site visits, overseen by a committee at WAM consisting of Kristen Van Ginhoven, Margaret Fluhr (WAM Volunteer), Wendy Healey (WAM Board of Directors), and Lia Russell-Self (WAM Artist).

The Denise Kaley Fund stands alone in their mission to help women living with cancer in Berkshire County pay for the cost of life's necessities as they undergo treatment and heal: heating oil, groceries, car payments and repairs, rent, mortgage payments, babysitting and medical expenses not covered by insurance, to name just a few. WAM's donation will provide emergency grants for women with cancer in Berkshire County.

Since 1997, the Women's Fund has been supporting women and girls in the four counties of western Mass through grant making and leadership programs. Their Leadership Institute for Political and Public Impact, or LIPPI, is a non-partisan initiative that provides women with the tools, mentors, and confidence they need to become our region's community leaders and elected officials. LIPPI trains women in the nuts and bolts of impacting policy from a citizen perspective, and develops leadership confidence through 11 intensive workshops held in over 10 months. WAM's donation will provide scholarships for Berkshire participants in the 2018 LIPPI cohort.

Performances of ANN are scheduled for October 19-28, 2018, at Shakespeare & Company's Tina Packer Playhouse, 70 Kemble Street, Lenox, MA. Preview tickets for the October 19 performance at 7:30pm are $25 & $30. Tickets for the rest of the run start at $35. Mark your calendars because this is a production you will not want to miss! For more information on WAM Theatre and ANN, visit: wamtheatre.com/ann