Kristen Van Ginhoven News

Berkshire Theatre Group and Artistic Director/CEO Kate Maguire are excited to announce music, comedy and community additions to the fall and winter seasons.

WAM Theatre has announced the cast for the last of their 2016 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series, Grand Concourse by Heidi Schreck, directed by Sheila Siragusa. The reading will take place on Sunday, September 11 at 3 pm at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe, 6 Depot Street in West Stockbridge, MA.

Following the success of their inaugural collaboration during the 2016 April vacation week, WAM Theatre is once again teaming up with IS183 Art School to offer an August Theatre Workshop for girls ages 8-12, August 22-26. The workshop will again be led by WAM Theatre Teaching Artist Barby Cardillo. WAM has modeled this program on the successful theatre arts workshop for girls at Girls Inc., now in its third year.

WAM Theatre is pleased to announce the cast for the fourth in their 2016 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series, Samsara by Lauren Yee, directed by WAM Theatre Co-Founder Leigh Strimbeck. The reading will take place on Sunday, August 21 at 3 pm at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe, 6 Depot Street in West Stockbridge, MA.

Thunderstorms rumbled through Richmond in the afternoon, but by 6:30 pm it was a picture perfect Berkshire evening on Thursday, July 14. Jugglers and a brass band welcomed the supporters of WAM Theatre as they packed the bucolic grounds of Hilltop Orchards in Richmond to celebrate and support the company's seventh season at the company's successful Stars in the Orchards Benefit Night.

Chester Theatre Company and WAM Theatre are pleased to announce they will be partnering for a free reading of Lauren Gunderson's smart, sly play The Revolutionists, directed by WAM Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven. The reading will take place Thursday, July 28 at 2 p.m. in the intimate setting of Chester's Historic Town Hall, 15 Middlefield Road in Chester, MA. There will be a talkback following the reading. 

 Tickets are selling well for "Stars in the Orchard," WAM Theatre's 2016 benefit, a magical midsummer night's cocktail party hosted by Hilltop Orchards in Richmond, MA on Thursday, July 14 at 6:30pm - rain or shine! The entertainment begins the moment guests arrive at the 200-acre apple orchard with the exuberant sounds of the Expandable Brass Band playing at the twilight cocktail hour.

WAM Theatre has announced the cast for the third in their 2016 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series, The Oregon Trail by Bekah Brunstetter, directed by Estefania Fadul. The reading will take place on Sunday, June 19 at 3 pm at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe, 6 Depot Street in West Stockbridge, MA.

Tickets are now on sale for "Stars in the Orchard," WAM Theatre's 2016 benefit, a magical midsummer night's cocktail party hosted by Hilltop Orchards in Richmond, MA on Thursday, July 14 at 6:30 pm - rain or shine! The entertainment begins the moment guests arrive at the 200-acre apple orchard with the exuberant sounds of the Expandable Brass Band playing at the twilight cocktail hour.

WAM Theatre has announced the cast for the second in their 2016 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series, Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler, directed by Kelly Galvin. The reading will take place on Sunday, May 15 at 3 pm at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe, 6 Depot Street in West Stockbridge, MA.

One night to write…one day to play. The clock starts ticking when the playwrights' fingers hit their keyboards and ends with a final bow from 50+ theatre artists who have convened for just 24 hours to create and present five new works.  Back by popular demand, the 24-Hour Theatre Project, a staple of past WAM seasons, returns to the Performing Arts Center at the University at Albany tonight, April 2.

WAM Theatre is pleased to announce the cast for the opening event in the 2016 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series, The Last Wife by Kate Hennig, directed by WAM Artistic Associate and Fresh Takes Curator Molly Clancy. The reading will take place on Sunday, April 17 at 3 pm at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe, 6 Depot Street in West Stockbridge, MA.

One night to write…one day to play. The clock starts ticking when the playwrights' fingers hit their keyboards and ends with a final bow from 50+ theatre artists who have convened for just 24 hours to create and present five new works.  Back by popular demand, the 24-Hour Theatre Project, a staple of past WAM seasons, returns to the Performing Arts Center at the University at Albany on April 2.

WAM Theatre is excited to announce the line-up for its third season of their popular Fresh Takes Play Readings on select Sunday afternoons at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe in West Stockbridge. Each reading is followed by a talkback with the actors and director, and this year WAM is teaming with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Berkshire Community College to offer companion classes with WAM Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven on the Monday following each reading.

WAM Theatre's Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven announced plans for the company's 2016 season today. The Berkshire-based professional theatre company celebrates its seventh year with some notable special events, a thought-provoking series of play readings, and an exciting new collaboration for the fall mainstage production.

WAM Theatre is excited to announce its plans for continuing and expanding their education programming for their seventh season, including new collaborations with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College (OLLI) and IS183 Art School.

Berkshire Theatre Group and Artistic Director/CEO, Kate Maguire, have announced the 2016 Summer Theatre Season and an assortment of lively presented acts at The Garage and The Colonial Theatre. An announcement with casting will be made within the next several weeks.

 Multicultural BRIDGE, WAM Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Group and Yvette "Jamuna" Sirker are joining together to present a reading of Facing Our Truth, a collection of six 10-minute plays by Winter Miller, Marcus Gardley, Dominique Morrisseau, Mona Mansour & Tala Manassah, Dan O'Brien with Quetzal Flores, and A. Rey Pamatmat.  Reflecting on race relations in the United States, this collection of one-acts was inspired by events surrounding the Trayvon Martin case.  Berkshire Theatre Group hosts the event at The Colonial Theatre (111 South Street), February 6, 2015 at 7:30PM with a moderated panel and community discussion to follow.

 Previews for WAM Theatre's mainstage production of Holy Laughter by Catherine Trieshmann start on Thursday, October 29 and run through Saturday, October 31 at 7:30 pm at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center at 36 Linden Street in Pittsfield. Tickets for preview performances are just $18. This developmental workshop production officially opens at the 2 pm performance on Sunday, November 1, and continues performances Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 2 & 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 2 pm through November 22. The production is recommended for ages 13 and up.

As rehearsals begin for WAM Theatre's fall MainStage production of HOLY LAUGHTER the company is basking in the glow of a successful season of 'Fresh Takes' Play Readings. Curated by WAM's Artistic Associate Molly Clancy, all five of this year's plays were penned by living female playwrights,  directed by women and featured many local professional theatre artists.