About WAM Theatre

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WAM Theatre Mission Statement

WAM Theatre has a double philanthropic mission. Every time an audience comes together for a theatrical event, a community is formed. WAM Theatre engages that community by 1) producing theatrical events for everyone, with a focus on women theatre artists and/or stories of women and girls 2) donating a portion of proceeds from those events to organizations that lift up the lives of women and girls locally and worldwide.


A TEDxAlbany talk about WAM Theatre by Kristen van Ginhoven, Artistic Director

Inspired by those who take action to turn the oppression of women worldwide into opportunity for change, WAM Theatre is a theatre company with the following two objectives:

1. To raise funds to create and be involved in theatrical events that benefit women and girls worldwide.
2. To donate a portion of proceeds from those events to charitable organizations that benefit women and girls worldwide.

WAM Theatre provides philanthropy through the arts by using theatre to benefit women and girls worldwide. Our sponsors support women and girls by supporting the arts. Double Philanthropy.

Statement of Purpose

To promote the arts by creating, commissioning, and presenting theatrical works that explore social issues related to women and girls, and to distribute proceeds derived from donations and from the public presentations of these theatrical works to not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizations with missions that feature advocacy and assistance with regard to the empowerment and combating the oppression of women and girls.

Non-Profit Status

WAM Theatre is an official non profit 501 (c) 3 organization.

Photo 1: WAM’s gift presentation of $1500 to the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts, our first local beneficiary in 2010 for our production of “Melancholy Play”. Pictured: Carla Oleska, CEO, Shonda Pettiford, Board President-Women’s Fund, Kristen van Ginhoven, co-Founder and Artistic Director, Leigh Strimbeck, co-Founder and Artistic Advisor-WAM Theatre.

Photo 2: WAM’s gift presentation of $1750 to the Berkshire United Way Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, beneficiary for our 2011 production of “The Attic, The Pearls and Three Fine Girls”. Pictured: WAM Board Member’s  Jim Benson and Nick Webb, Kristen van Ginhoven, WAM Artistic Director, Kristen Hazzard, President and CEO of Berkshire United Way, Frank La Frazia, co-chair of the sexual education TPPI subcommittee, Nina Garlington, BUW Director of Resource Development, Pam Malumphy, co-chair of the TPPI Parental Engagement subcommittee, Jonah Slattery, BUW Executive Assistant and Karen Cole, Coordinator of the Pittsfield Prevention Partnership.