LENOX, MA (May 14, 2025) — WAM Theatre is thrilled to announce casting for the June reading in their 2025 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series: Rooted written by Deborah Zoe Laufer (Be Here Now, The Last Yiddish Speaker), directed by Tatyana-Marie Carlo (Far, Far Better Things, Sueño and Marisol), and features Jayne Atkinson, Jennie Jadow, and Hero Marguerite. The production will run at Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion & Museum in Lenox, MA on Sunday, June 8th at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM. Tickets are now on sale.
Artistic Director Genée Coreno shared about the production, “Rooted explores the constraints of small-town life—and yet, how one gentle gesture, like tending a garden, can expand a person’s entire world. Deborah Zoe Laufer tackles the responsibility that comes with influence and power, especially in moments when communities are searching for meaning.”
WAM can’t wait to share this dynamic piece, featuring an all-star cast— featuring Tony and Drama Desk nominee Jayne Atkinson (WAM’s Ann, Criminal Minds, Madam Secretary), the Critically Acclaimed Jennie M. Jadow (WAM’s Photograph 51, S&Co’s Merry Wives), and local favorite Hero Marguerite (Hartford Stage’s All My Sons, Chesters’ Big Big Sky and Circle Mirror Transformation).
“Laufer asks us to consider how quickly that search can turn into groupthink or blind devotion—and how theatre can serve as an antidote,” continues Coreno, “Her work is imaginative, daring, and expansive. She reminds us that in times of cultural contraction, theatre is a place of dilation and possibility. As women artists, we need that kind of invitation to dream bigger. And there is no one better to bring this vision to life than Tatyana-Marie Carlo—her direction knows no bounds.”
“Rooted invites us into a world among the trees, where solitude and connection, science and belief, are at odds,” director Carlo shared, “It’s a story about resilience, the search for meaning, and the unexpected ways we find our place in the world. I’m thrilled to share this play with WAM audiences and delve into the questions it raises.”
Jayne Atkinson will play the role of Emery, a 60-something who happily spends her days and nights among her plants, in her homemade treehouse, where she blogs about her experiments on the consciousness of plants. Atkinson’s credits include: Ann, MisCast Cabaret (WAM Theatre), Free Willy 1 and 2, The Village (Feature Films) House of Cards, Criminal Minds, Death and Other Details (Television).
Jennie M. Jadow plays the role of Hazel, Emery’s sister, who wishes to leave the tiny, rural town the two have spent their whole lives in. An on again, off again waitress, she’ll grab onto almost anything to make her escape. Jadow’s credits include: Photograph 51, The Droll (WAM Theatre), King Lear (Shakespeare & Company), and Library Lion (Adam Theater).
Suddenly, Emery becomes a viral internet sensation and large crowds start congregating beneath her treehouse praising her. Hazel sees this as their opportunity to finally escape, but when a wounded member of the crowd (Hero Marguerite) is hauled into the treehouse, all bets are off. Marguerite’s credits include: Port of Entry, Paradise (WAM Theatre), Big Big Sky, Circle Mirror Transformation (Chester Theatre Company), and A Christmas Carol (Hartford Stage).
“I wrote Rooted as a sequel to Be Here Now [WAM showcased in 2024]. My dream was that companies would produce the two plays in back-to-back seasons. So I’m thrilled that WAM is doing that!” playwright Laufer shared some information on how the two shows connect, “I hope that audiences remember Luanne, and the small, fictional town in upstate NY where both plays are set. My original intention was to write a trilogy, and wonderful companies like WAM, producing both plays, is the push I need to do that!”
“This piece is for the plant lovers, the small town dreamers, and for all those fascinated by mob-mentality or eco-cults,” added Molly Merrihew, WAM Managing Director. “Our team fell in love with this story and these incredible characters. Rooted is fresh, unconventional, and a story for this moment. The play dives deeply into the inner world of women, exploring the warmth, humor and madness that is the relationship of sisters, alongside the magic that is between humans and nature.”
WAM Theatre is proud to offer equitable ticketing for this production and encourage patrons to select the ticket price that best fits their needs. Tickets range from $26 – $56. WAM invites audience members to choose from one of the suggested price levels. Additionally, WAM offers $5 for EBT card holders.
TICKETS
Single tickets for Rooted are on sale now. For tickets and more information about WAM Theatre’s 2025 Season, programs, events, and artists, please visit www.wamtheatre.com/rooted/.
PASSES
Passes that include performances of Rooted are now on sale. To purchase passes, visit www.wamtheatre.com/2025-season-passes/ or contact WAM Theatre by calling (413) 274-8122. For more information about the 2025 Season and WAM Theatre’s programs, events, and artists, please visit www.wamtheatre.com.
MORE ABOUT ROOTED ARTISTS
Deborah Zoe Laufer (she/her) (playwright, Rooted) is a writer whose plays have been produced at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Geva, The Humana Festival, Everyman, Primary Stages, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and hundreds of other theaters around the world. Plays include:The Last Yiddish Speaker (which received a Lortel Alcove commission, won 2024 The Jewish Play Project, and received an NNPN rolling world premiere), Be Here Now, End Days, Rooted, Informed Consent (NYTimes critic’s pick), Leveling Up, Out of Sterno, The Last Schwartz, Sirens, Meta, The Three Sisters of Weehawken, Fortune, dozens of short plays, and the musicals, Window Treatment, and By Any Other Name, written with composer, Daniel Green. Awards: Deb is a recipient of the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award, the Lilly Award, The ATCA Steinberg citation. Publications: Her plays are published or recorded by Concord/Samuel French, Smith and Kraus, Playscripts, LA Theatreworks, and Premieres. Training and Memberships: She is a graduate of Juilliard, an alumna of the BMI Lehman Engel Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop, a member of Honor Roll, and a Dramatists Guild Council member. Connect:deborahzoelaufer.com
Tatyana-Marie Carlo (ella/she) (director, Rooted) Named a “Broadway 2023 Industry Woman to Watch” by Broadway Women’s Fund, Tatyana-Marie Carlo is a Latiné director from Miami whose work focuses on joyful bilingual theatre making. Theatre Credits: She is currently the Resident Associate of Trinity Repertory Company, and has collaborated as a director with many off-Broadway and regional theaters across the United States, including Intar Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Hartford Stage, Dallas Theater Center, Everyman Theatre, Children’s Theater Company, Dorset Theatre Festival, WAM Theatre, and more. Awards/Achievements: 2019 Matt Harris Directing Fellow at Williamstown Theater Festival. 2021 Drama League Public Works Fellow. Training/Affiliations: Tatyana is an alumni and Adjunct Professor of Brown University’s Directing MFA program, a Core Faculty member at the National Theatre Institute, and proud member of SDC. Connect: A detailed collection of her work can be found at tatyanamariecarlo.com.
Jayne Atkinson (she/her)(Emery, Rooted) has been delighting audiences for over three decades. Her work includes: major theatre productions, feature films and being part of some of the most well known and award winning television of the last 20 years. Her feature credits include: Free Willy 1 and 2, The Village, Syriana, and Baby Ruby opposite Kit Harrington which is currently streaming on Hulu. On television: Jayne played the iconic role of Cathy Durant on the mega hit Netflix series House of Cards in addition to series long arcs on 24 and Criminal Minds. In 2019 she was a Series Regular on the NBC series Bluff City Law. In 2024 she was seen in the Hulu limited series Death and Other Details opposite Mandy Patinkin. In the same year, she also returned to the New York theatre scene in the critically lauded play STILL opposite Tim Daly. Final word: A graduate of Northwestern University and The Yale School of Drama, Jayne resides in the Berkshires with husband and fellow actor Michel Gill.
Jennie M. Jadow (she/her)(Hazel, Rooted) is a Berkshires based actress, arts educator, and producer with a passion and desire for examining how theatre can break open dialogue and radically shift our collective experience. Jennie has a multi-decade career in the performance arts in the Berkshires, New York, and Boston. Often sought after for her physical comedy skills, Jennie is also deeply interested in pushing the boundaries of our complex emotional selves. With rare fluency in both humor and drama, Jennie melds the two to create fully embodied stories. An arts educator dedicated to creating inclusive, accessible and artistically invigorating theatre experiences. Jennie has teaching, directing and choreography experience working with varied populations such as middle and high school students, psychiatric populations, and adjudicated and disenfranchised adolescents. Work with WAM includes: being a past member of the Literary Committee, a current member of the Vision Giving Circle, and producing/appearing in The Droll as part of the Fresh Takes Series. Selected recent interdisciplinary credits include: playing Reagan in King Lear (w/ Christopher LLoyd (Shakespeare & Company), Producer on Library Lion for Adam Theater (Boston, MA), and lead Director for Shakespeare in the Courts (Shakespeare & Company Education Program). Membership/Affiliations: Jennie also serves on the Board of Arlekin Players (Boston, MA) as well as the Berkshire Children’s Chorus, and is a member of the Education & Community Engagement Committee for the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. Jennie is a proud member of Actors Equity. Connect: For more information about Jennie’s current and past work, please visit jenniejadow.com.
Hero Marguerite (she/they)(Luanne, Rooted) is a New England-born-and-raised actor. Past credits with WAM include:Port of Entry and Paradise. Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere:All My Sons (u/s) and A Christmas Carol at Hartford Stage; A Hundred Words for Snow (upcoming), Big Big Sky, and Circle Mirror Transformation at Chester Theatre Company; The Trip to Bountiful at Westport Country Playhouse (staged reading); and Iodine at The Adams Theater. Additional artistic credits: Film credits include Cordelia Lear (Independent); Making Learning Stick Series (Wesleyan University Psychology Department); and Backwater (Independent). Creative inspiration: Inspired by all the artists and activists who paved the way. Membership/Affiliations: Proud member of Actor’s Equity Association Selected training: Hero received a BA in Theater from Smith College (Denton Snyder Prize), the LAMDA classical semester program, and will be pursuing an MFA in Acting from the University of California San Diego this fall. Awards/proudest achievements: Co-Coach of the 2022 Ultimate Frisbee Mixed Division Massachusetts State Champions, The Hartsbrook Hawks. Final word: A huge thanks to WAM and their community for this opportunity and all the powerful work they do. Connect: IG: @heromhb
Sara Recht (she/her)(Stage Manager, 2025 Fresh Takes) is an early-career theatre professional with a passion for storytelling that uplifts marginalized voices and explores identity, vulnerability, and resilience. Current role with WAM: Stage Manager of 2025 Fresh Takes Reading Series. Artistic Background: With a growing background in directing and intimacy coordination, Sara is committed to creating thoughtful, collaborative spaces where artists feel empowered and supported. Creative inspiration: Her work is grounded in a love for new plays, community-driven storytelling, and expanding representation on and off stage.
MORE ABOUT WAM TEAM
Genée Coreno (she/her)(Artistic Director, WAM Theatre) is a director and producer with a passion for devised theater created in collaboration with women, girls, and non-binary artists and designers. WAM Theatre: Artistic Director. Selected Directing Credits: Outside (Culture Lab, LIC), Madge Love (Theater Mitu & The Brick), The Hopelessly Hopeless Story of All Good Girls (The Brick), “Is This Clear Enough?” (The Poetry Project), Dutchman (UnUrban Cafe, LA), Selected Producing Credits: The Possessed Girls of St. Mary’s (Reading, at Brick Aux), thisamericanplay (pop-up theater by Blue Flamingo), The Stronger & Mother Love (Alchemical Studios), The World is Round (BAM Fisher). Select Company Management Credits: Under the Radar Festival (The Public Theater), The Outer Space (The Public Theater), National Mobile Unit Tour of Sweat (The Public Theater), Mobile Unit’s Twelfth Night (The Public Theater), Various Performances (Big Dance Theater). Community Engagement/Activist Work: Former Manager of Development and Engagement at Every Mother Counts and Clinic Escort at Choices; Adjunct Professor at Purchase College, Women and Performance. Training: MA in Performance Studies, NYU; BA in Drama Studies, Purchase College; Embodied Voice: Intensive Vocal Workshop; The Song of the Goat; SITI Company Summer Intensive; Theater Mitu Artist Fellowship (Japan). Creative Inspiration: I’m inspired by large-scale international work that demonstrates a commitment to dance theater practices and film-making. Connect: (website) www.fringeandfur.org. IG: @Genéealyse_c
Molly Merrihew (she/her)(Managing Director, WAM Theatre) is an arts executive and nonprofit leader with over a decade of experience in the nonprofit theatre and the for-profit arts and entertainment sector. She has worked collaboratively with organizations, artists, and clients ranging from grassroots ensembles to multimillion-dollar non-profit institutions and for-profit creative enterprises. Molly is a proud advocate of the Berkshire arts community, and her consulting work has also brought her to Boston and New York City. From activist art in found-spaces, to large scale Shakespearean festivals and award-winning audiobook launches, Molly is energized by passionate artists, creative thinkers, and an innate curiosity to meet new people and learn new things. Recent work experience includes spending the past four years at WAM Theatre as Managing Director. Molly spent eight years at Shakespeare & Company working in PR and Marketing. Molly’s journey with WAM began in 2014, when she spent four years in the role of Artistic Associate, curating and producing the Fresh Takes Play Reading Series. After that, she served on WAM’s Strategic Planning and Hospitality Committees for two years. Before moving to the Berkshires, Molly worked at the Florida Studio Theatre in a variety of capacities including communications and patron services. In addition to her full-time work, Molly has led consulting projects for artist organizations and projects in a variety of roles including lead strategist, project manager, grant reviewer, and copywriter. Molly has an M.S. in Arts Administration with a Graduate Certificate in Fundraising Management from Boston University. She graduated with a B.A. in Theatre and English-Creative Writing from the State University of New York at Potsdam. More recently, Molly completed the ‘Transformational Leadership Program for Non-Profit Leaders’ at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. She is the co-chair of Berkshire County Development Alliance, a member of the Berkshire Business & Professional Women association, and a BRIDGE Race Task Force member.
MORE ABOUT VENTFORT HALL
Ventfort Hall is an imposing Jacobean Revival-style mansion built in 1893 for Sarah Morgan, the sister of J. P. Morgan. Designed by the architects Rotch & Tilden, it is located in Lenox, Massachusetts. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and declared an official project of “Save America’s Treasures,” a Millennium program of Hillary Rodham Clinton and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Ventfort Hall is the home of The Museum of the Gilded Age. Ventfort Hall was one of the approximately seventy-five so-called “Cottages” built in Lenox in the late 19th century when the village became a popular Gilded Age resort. Located on spacious grounds in the heart of the village, we are continuing its restoration, with the first floor completely open to the public along with many of the rooms on the second floor. Through lectures, exhibits, theatrical performances and other events, The Museum of the Gilded Age interprets the great changes that occurred in American life, industry, and society during the Nineteenth Century, a fascinating period of American history.
ABOUT WAM THEATRE
WAM Theatre is a professional theatre company based in Berkshire County, MA, that operates at the intersection of arts and activism. Now celebrating its 16th Season, WAM creates theatre for gender equity and has a vision of theatre as philanthropy. In fulfillment of its philanthropic mission, WAM donates a portion of the proceeds from their Mainstage productions to carefully selected recipients. Since WAM’s founding in 2010, they have donated more than $105,000 to 26 local and global organizations taking action for gender equity in areas such as girls education, reproductive justice, sexual trafficking awareness, midwife training, and more. WAM Theatre has been widely recognized for having a positive impact on cultural and community development in the region. WAM Theatre is certified as a women owned and operated business by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the recipient of the Creative Economy Standout Berkshire Trendsetter Award and previously, was named Outstanding Philanthropy Corporation of the Year by the Western MA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. For more information, visit wamtheatre.com
WAM SUPPORT
WAM Theatre is certified as a women owned and operated business by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. WAM Theatre is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC). WAM Theatre’s Season is also supported in part by grants from Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Brabson Education & Library Foundation, The Feigenbaum Foundation, GKV Foundation, Lee Bank Foundation, Scarlet Sock Foundation; as well as grants from the Alford-Egremont Cultural Council, Lee Cultural Council, Lenox Cultural Council, Otis Cultural Council, Richmond Cultural Council, Sandisfield Cultural Council, Stockbridge Cultural Council, and Washington Cultural Council. WAM’s sponsors include Adams Community Bank, Blue Q., Berkshire Muse, Berkshire Roots, Blue Spark Financial, Baystate Financial Wealth & Wellness Team, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Garden Gables Inn, Guidos Fresh Marketplace, Handful Photography, Higher Bar, Mill Town Foundation, Inc., Heller & Robbins Attorneys at Law, Interprint, Onyx Specialty Papers, Outpost Productions, RB Design Co., T Square Design Studio, Toole Insurance, a. von schlegell & co, and the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts.