Having lived in the Berkshires of Massachusetts for just over a year and having spent some of that time in Boston, meeting and working with very talented women theatre artists there, I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface of the pool of inspiring women artists that live in or near the Berkshires.

Last year around this time, I sent out an introduction email to Juliane Boyd, founder and artistic director of Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, MA. My many years of building a life in the theatre and networking in new areas kept me realistic about the chances of her responding, so imagine my surprise when, not only did she respond, but we had a meeting together which resulted in her organizing the chance for me to be assistant director to Jesse Berger for ‘Sleuth’ during the summer 2009 season! She has been incredibly welcoming and helpful and for someone who is working hard to build a career in a new country and a new area, that sort of welcome makes all the difference.

A week or so ago, while researching on the internet, I learned about Wendy Woodson, Artistic Director and founder of Present Company Inc, which is a non-profit organization committed to creating and presenting provocative and topical performance works now based in Amherst, MA, where Ms. Woodson is Chair and Professor of Theatre and Dance at Amherst College. I’d love to meet with her!

A few weeks ago, again while researching on the internet, I came across Staci Klein, founder and Artistic Director of Double Edge Theatre, in nearby Ashfield, MA. Their goal is to elevate the creation and understanding of artistic expression and cultural mutuality between artists and their communities. The work documented on their website looks innovative and exciting and again, I find myself thinking how I’d love to work with her! Ironically, Leigh has had contact with them in the past while working with the NEA and said she was completely inspired by the work she saw produced by Double Edge.

Then there is Cindy Parrish and Meg Agnew, of Heroic Girlz, a film which started as a stage play where four 11 year old girls journey to the past to explore their futures by becoming four historical American women heroes. Leigh and I met with the two of them just before the holidays and left completely inspired by their venture and their passion.  Maria Sirois put me into contact with Cindy and Meg. I met Maria and the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts Annual Dinner last November and was completely inspired by her. Again ironically, Leigh has known Meg for years! Cindy and Meg then put us in touch with SuEllen Hamkins, who will be writing a guest blog for us soon. SuEllen, along with Renee Schultz, authored ‘The Mother-Daughter Project: How Mothers and Daughters can Band Together, Beat the Odds, and Thrive through Adolescence.‘.

Recently, Leigh received a notice of a Clown Workshop for Women, being put on by members of Walking the Dog Theatre, another super interesting theatre nearby.  Through the notice, we discovered the Claiming our Voices website and made contact with the founder of Claiming our Voices, Mary Campbell Chase, another welcoming and inspirational woman. Via email, through Mary, I have been introduced to Jamuna Yvette Sirker, who is a playwright, actor, director, producer and choreographer. Through researching Jamuna, I discovered Enchanged Circle Theatre, an educational theatre company in Holyoke, MA, with Priscilla Kane Hellweg at the helm, along with a team of intriguing teaching artists, many of whom are women.

So, through going to events, emailing people, researching on the internet and social networking, I am discovering an enormously long list of intriguing and inspiring women theatre artists and just plain intriguing and inspiring women! I know I haven’t even scratched the surface of discovering all the women theatre artists working in or near the Berkshires of Massachusetts and I hope WAM Theatre will be part of many future collaborations.

As I continue my research, please let me know via the comments below about women theatre artists in this area. I’d love to keep making my list longer……

Written by Kristen van Ginhoven, Co-Artistic Director of WAM Theatre. www.kristenvanginhoven.com