Kristen Van Ginhoven News

Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven, Associate Artistic Director Talya Kingston, and the WAM team are proud announce the cast for their spring Main Stage production, the world premiere of Lady Randy by Anne Undeland. After two preview performances, the production opens April 20, 2019, at Shakespeare & Company's Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, and runs through May 5.

Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven, Associate Artistic Director Talya Kingston, and the WAM team are proud to launch their much-anticipated Elder Ensemble - a performance group for a diverse cohort of women over 65 years. In July 2019, this group will spend three weeks creating an original performance using devised theatre methods. An informational workshop will be held on March 2nd, 2019, from 11am-1pm at Lenox Yoga.

WAM Theatre is pleased to announce the appointment of four new board members. Carolyn Butler, Margaret Fluhr, Ellen Ring, and Diane Scott join newly elected Board President Wendy Healey, Vice President Arwen Lowbridge, Secretary Lynn Festa, and WAM Co-Founder and Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven, to lead the Berkshire-based company into its second decade.

Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven, Associate Artistic Director Talya Kingston, and the WAM team are thrilled to announce expanded programming and new collaborations for their 10th anniversary season.

Every year, WAM Theatre donates a portion of the box office proceeds from their fall Main Stage production to agencies that benefit women and girls locally, nationally, or internationally. The success of ANN enabled the company to present their largest donation ever - $15,000 split evenly between 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). Each organization will receive $7,500.

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.

Dorset Theatre Festival, under the leadership of Artistic Director Dina Janis, closed its 41st Festival Season at the beginning of September with a sold-out special engagement of Holland Taylor's play ANN at the Dorset Playhouse. As part of the closing weekend, Dorset presented a special post-show panel discussion featuring local female politicians and hosted the third annual Women Artists Writing Group retreat.

The WAM Theatre Fresh Takes Play Reading Series concludes its 2018 season with Escaped Alone by Caryl Churchill at 3:30 pm on Sunday, September 16, at a new location - the Old Town Hall, home to the West Stockbridge Historical Society at 9 Main Street in that town. WAM Theatre is very proud to be able to include this iconic feminist playwrights work in our Fresh Takes Play Reading Series. This is the first time this play, that premiered two years ago at London's Royal Court Theatre, will be presented to Berkshire audiences.

Dorset Theatre Festival presents Holland Taylor's ANN, directed by Kristen van Ginhoven. Two-time Tony nominee JAYNE ATKINSON ("House of Cards," "Madam Secretary") will play Ann Richards, the former Governor of Texas known for a personality as large as the state from which she hailed. The play also features Tony Award-Winner JULIE WHITE (The Little Dog Laughed) as the voice of Ann Richards' assistant, Nancy Kohler.

It was a picture perfect Berkshire evening on Wednesday, July 25, as WAM Theatre supporters packed the bucolic grounds of the Berkshire Equestrian Center in Richmond. They celebrated and supported the company's ninth season at WAM's sold-out Midsummer Cocktail Party Benefit, hosted by Berkshire favorite Ty Allan Jackson.

Chester Theatre Company (CTC) is proud to present Amherst native Annie Baker's The Aliens in the historic Chester Town Hall, 15 Middlefield Road in Chester, MA from August 9 through August 19, 2018.   Jasper and KJ, both suffering from 'failure to launch,' have created their own universe behind a local coffee shop, where the dumpster smells last week's lattes. Enter Evan, an impressionable new employee/high school student intrigued by the pair's unconventional charm. While the two impart their 'wisdom' on their new, young friend, life's great pleasures like literature and music are savored along with its bitter brew.  

The rolling fields of the Berkshire Equestrian Center Richmond, MA, will create the perfect backdrop for WAM Theatre's annual Midsummer Cocktail Party Benefit on Wednesday, July 25, at 5:30pm. A few tickets are still available at all three levels of support - $75 for Allies, $150 for Advocates, and $250 for Activists.

Dorset Theatre Festival, under the leadership of Artistic Director Dina Janis, Producing Director Will Rucker, and Executive Director Marissa Hutton, is proud to announce the full lineup and casting for their inaugural Pipeline Series-four one-night-only presentations. All presentations will take place at the Dorset Playhouse (104 Cheney Rd, Dorset, VT 05251).

Dorset Theatre Festival, under the leadership of Artistic Director Dina Janis, Producing Director Will Rucker, andExecutive Director Marissa Hutton, is proud to announce casting for the 41st season. All performances will take place at the Dorset Playhouse (104 Cheney Rd, Dorset, VT 05251).

The WAM Theatre 2018 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series continues with Honor Killing by Sarah Bierstock at 3:30pm on Sunday, June 10, at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe in West Stockbridge. Former Fresh Takes curator Molly Merrihew will direct this hard-hitting political play that recently completed its premiere production at Florida Studio Theatre.

WAM Theatre is proud and excited to announce openings in their summer 2018 Girls Ensemble devised theatre program. Now in its third year, the program is open to young people ages 13-18 from throughout the Berkshire region. In keeping with WAM's mission to support local artists and through the generosity of WAM's education program sponsors, Girls Ensemble participants will be paid a stipend for their artistic work.

WAM Theatre announced that tickets are now on sale for their fall main stage production of Ann by Holland Taylor, starring Jayne Atkinson (TV's House of Cards, Madam Secretary), and directed by WAM's Artistic Director, Kristen van Ginhoven. Tickets were originally slated to go on sale mid-summer, but due to anticipated demand for this limited engagement, WAM has decided to open up sales now.

WAM Theatre's Artistic Director Kristen van Ginhoven today announces plans for the company's 2018 season. The Berkshire-based professional theatre company celebrates its ninth year with a main stage co-production with Dorset Theatre Festival (Dorset, VT) starring Jayne Atkinson, a thought-provoking series of play readings, a premiere presentation of comedienne Alison Larkin's one-woman show, and various other special events, including hosting BerkChique for the first time and continuing with the Girls Ensemble education program.

Chester Theatre Company has announced its 2018 summer season which is set for June 21 to August 19. More performances, an American Premiere, a special theatre event, and the return of many favorite artists mark CTC's 29th season.

Producing Artistic Director Daniel Elihu Kramer has announced Chester Theatre Company's 2018 Summer Season, which will feature an American Premiere, a Pulitzer Prize winning play, and a play written by a Pulitzer Prize winner and 2017 MacArthur Fellow.