WAM is delighted to welcome Max Galdos-Shapiro as our General Manager. He was kind enough to sit down for this blog interview very early in his tenure to give the WAMily a chance to know more about him and the talents and enthusiasm he brings to WAM.

WAM THEATRE: How did you first fall in love with the theatre?

MAX GALDOS-SHAPIRO: My love for the theatre definitely came from my parents. Going to see plays was something I did with my dad. My mom was a dancer and dance therapist, She ran the Kiva Dance collective = a women’s modern dance group – in Waterbury, CT,  for a time and I grew up backstage at those performances. Those experiences were very important in my young life. My parents’ artistry is the base of my love of performing and storytelling.

WAM: What shape has your journey in theatre work taken?

MAX: I went to Simon’s Rock where I took stagecraft and became passionate about it. Then I somehow got drafted into the acting program too! That’s how my theatre background was shaped. I was an ecology & biology major, but I spent about half my time at the Daniel Arts Center, building sets and performing. Before I graduated, one of my professors told me I had enough credits to take a theatre minor on my diploma. Did I want to? I said absolutely! But I still didn’t think of it professionally, theatre was just for fun. Since then many wonderful people have given me some amazing opportunities to see my way into a career.

WAM: When did you first learn about WAM?

MAX: I was introduced to WAM by Juliana von Haubrich, your Associate Artist. She built the set for a show I was teching and also introduced me to Sam Craig. I owe Juliana everything!

WAM: What attracted you to work with us?

MAX: When I first saw the posting for the General Manager position on the WAM Website I didn’t apply because I wasn’t sure I was qualified. Juliana really encouraged me to do it and I so glad she did! The fact that WAM is a small, mission-driven theatre is so powerful to me. There often isn’t an underlying satisfaction to regular theatre work. At WAM everyone is so present and engaged. What is better than doing what I love and helping people, being a force for good and for change? The more I work for WAM, the happier I am.

WAM: Describe your primary responsibilities and your immediate goals for this first year?

MAX My primary responsibilities are to keep the day to day operations working smoothly and take the administrative burden off of Kristen van Ginhoven and Gwen Tunnicliffe. I will coordinate buying supplies, cutting checks, and engaging with WAM’s dedicated volunteer community who do so much to make the company successful. I will also serve as production manager for WAM’s shows, as I did this past fall for The Last Wife.

A year from now I hope to have a handle on the flow of WAM in season and out. I aim to my job as well as possible, and in these early weeks learning is big part of what I’m doing.

WAM: What other work – paid and unpaid – do you do?

MAX: I’m an assistant director and volunteer coordinator for the Flying Deer Nature Center https://www.flyingdeernaturecenter.org/ in New Lebanon, NY. I’ve been working with them on and off for the past five years. We work with all kinds of people, all ages, to get them involved in the outdoors through nature studies, summer camps, animal tracking, storytelling, etc. I love sharing my passion for reading the landscape and interacting closely with nature. Having year-round positions at both WAM and Flying Deer is the best possible situation for me.

WAM: What makes your heart sing?

MAX: I’ll never forget the check presentation ceremony after the final performance of The Last Wife. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before, hearing the Soldier On women’s stories and knowing what WAM’s support meant to them.  Being able to do some small thing for people who have had such a hard time was incredibly moving.

I also love seeing a student at Flying Deer get engaged. Connecting with family, land, and community is so important

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities WAM presents and excited for what the future holds.