LENOX, MA (June 24, 2025) — WAM Theatre is thrilled to announce casting for the July installment of its 2025 Fresh Takes Play Reading Series: Alien Girls, written by Drama League Nominated and 2024 O’Neill Finalist Amy Berryman (Walden, The New Galileos, God’s Flesh), directed by WAM’s Artistic Director Genée Coreno (Fragments of Outside, Madge Love). This heartfelt and cosmic piece showcases some of the Berkshires’ finest talents: Berkie Nominee for Best Actress Sarah Keyes (Survival of the Unfit, The Skin of Our Teeth), Nicole Orabona (Fragments of Outside, Romeo & Juliet), and Naire Poole (Hollow Roots, Comedy of Errors).
This compelling new work will be presented at Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion & Museum in Lenox, MA, with two performances on Sunday, July 13 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Tickets are now on sale. www.wamtheatre.com/alien-girls/
Tiffany (Poole) is pregnant, and her best friend Carolyn (Orabona) is trying to be happy for her. But when Carolyn’s true feelings go viral in the form of a personal essay, the fallout threatens to upend their decades-long friendship. Traversing time and the evolving dynamics of their bond, Alien Girls is a meta-theatrical dark comedy that explores the joys and tensions of building both art and life—and the consequences of choosing one over the other. A trio of characters Joy, Gina, and Milan will be played by Keyes that appear throughout Tiffany and Carolyn’s relationship evolution.
With Alien Girls, Amy Berryman tenderly delves into the questions many of us carry quietly—too afraid to speak them aloud. Berryman asks, “Can women have it all? What does it mean to be a mother? Can friendship between women survive the huge life changes that happen in your thirties in modern-day America?”
“All these questions were on my mind when I started writing the thorny friendship between Carolyn and Tiffany in Alien Girls,” said Berryman. “Alien Girls is my queer, metatheatrical, dark comedy about the societal pressures put on women to make a choice between creating life and creating art.”
WAM Artistic Director Genée Coreno reflects on the upcoming reading, “This story leapt off the page, under my skin, and into the more tender spaces of my heart. I knew I had to direct this play. Berryman offers a poignant exploration of modern motherhood—especially for women discovering themselves as artists.” Coreno continues, “Alien Girls speaks to those navigating the intricate terrain between creativity, identity, and the lives we choose to lead and not to lead—those parallel selves that continue to orbit our present.”
WAM Theatre’s Fresh Takes Play Reading Series spotlights new plays that provoke dialogue around social justice and gender equity. Alien Girls exemplifies the theatre’s mission to amplify underrepresented voices and perspectives and to celebrate the complexity of women’s lives, choices, and creativity.
“Berryman welcomes bold, complex, and multi-layered women to center stage,” says WAM Theatre’s Managing Director Molly Merrihew, “I love how her work exemplifies WAM’s commitment to supporting vibrant, female artists who are breaking the mold to illuminate the invisible bonds between women, art, and the worlds we carry within us. WAM is honored to support the ongoing development of this poignant piece, and welcome an incredibly talented group of Berkshire artists to bring it to life.”
AT A GLANCE
Alien Girls written by Amy Berryman, directed by Genée Coreno, and starring Sarah Keyes, Nicole Orabona, and Naire Poole. Performing at Ventfort Hall (Lenox, MA) on Sunday, July 13, 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm. Tickets are now available at www.wamtheatre.com/alien-girls/
TICKETS
Single tickets for Alien Girls are on sale now. 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. For tickets and more information about WAM Theatre’s 2025 Season, programs, events, and artists, please visit wamtheatre.com.
MORE ABOUT ALIEN GIRLS ARTISTS
Amy Berryman (she/her/hers) (Playwright, Alien Girls) is a playwright, screenwriter, actor, and teaching artist originally from Seattle by way of West Texas. Selected Theatre Credits: Her play Walden had its world premiere on London’s West End in May 2021 at the Harold Pinter Theatre, produced by Sonia Friedman and directed by Ian Rickson. Walden was also produced at TheaterWorks Hartford in August 2021, directed by Mei Ann Teo, and most recently premiered off-Broadway in November 2024 at Second Stage, directed by Whitney White. Additional Artistic Credits: include Alien Girls (O’Neill Finalist 2024), God’s Flesh (MTC/Sloan Commission), The New Galileos (O’Neill Finalist 2019), Three Year Summer, The Treatment, Epiphany, or What Would You? (finalist for Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries, O’Neill Semi-Finalist 2020); and The Whole of You. Membership/Affiliations: Amy was a member of Center Theatre Group’s Writers’ Workshop 2023/24 and was awarded a MacDowell Fellowship 2023. Connect: amy-berryman.com
Genée Coreno (she/her) (Director, Alien Girls) 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
Sarah Keyes (she/her) (Joy, Alien Girls) is a Berkshires-based theatre maker, producer, and educator with a passion for new play development. WAM Theatre: WAM Debut! Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: Survival of the Unfit (Great Barrington Public), 10×10 (u/s Barrington Stage Company); The Skin of Our Teeth (TFANA); Sense & Sensibility, Ragtime, Native Son, Life of Galileo, Constellations (PlayMakers Rep); Hair, Little Bunny Foo Foo (Parallel 45); The Mysteries (The Flea); Usual Girls (EST Bloodworks); Horse Girls (Ars Nova Ant Fest); Measure for Measure, Macbeth (Scranton Shakespeare Festival). Additional Artistic Credits: Film: In Transit, Bears, Tell That to the Winter Sea, Good Grief, Invisible Girl. Publishing: “An Actress Prepares: How Typecasting for Women in Theatre Perpetuates Cycles of Trauma” 2020 Edition of Texts & Presentations. Creative Inspiration: Sarah finds inspiration in communion with other women, Mother Nature, and by exploring the vast interior landscapes within ourselves through storytelling, movement, and song. Community Engagement/Activist Work: Proud mentor for the Discovery Program with Girls, Inc of the Berkshires. Abortion/IUD Doula. Instructor for “Applied Theatre: Performance with Purpose”, a winter study course at Williams College. Membership/Affiliations: Member of AEA. Selected Training: BA Fordham University Lincoln Center; MFA University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (Acting) Awards/Proudest Achievements: Berkie Nominated for “Best Supporting Actress” 2024. Devoted cat mom. Final Word: Gratitude, always – sincere thanks to WAM and the team. Connect: IG: @sarahbethkeyes Website: www.sarahkeyes.com
Nicole Orabona (they/she)(Carolyn, Alien Girls) is an award-winning actor, producer, and committer to the bit who splits their time between NYC and The Berkshires WAM Theatre: Fragments of Outside; The New Galileos (Fresh Takes), Teaching Artist (devising theatre online) Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: POV: You Are an AI Achieving Consciousness and Void Main (cirqueSaw), World Builders (Opera House Arts), Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Emit Theatre) Additional Artistic Credits: TV/Film: On-screen you can see them opposite Claire Danes in Hulu’s “Fleishman is in Trouble,” recurring as Det. Arielle Lehane on “Law and Order,” or in the upcoming season of “Poker Face” with Natasha Lyonne. Co-Artistic Director of cirqueSaw Creative inspiration: Nicole is inspired by the power of a stupid idea, exploring the intersections of digital and analog, and by works that challenge the traditional spectator and performer relationship. Community Engagement/Activist work: Creator and curator of community zines donating over $1,000 to social justice organizations. Volunteer with I Need an A. Membership/Affiliations: Proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and Ring of Keys Selected Training: Boise State University (BA), Frantic Assembly, SITI Company, Punchdrunk Enrichment Awards: For POV: You are an AI Achieving Consciousness: Young-Howze Theatre Award for Immersive Production of the Year 2023 (winner), No Proscenium: Editor’s award for Special Recognition for Merging Technology & Immersive Performance (Winner), Best Immersive Experiences of 2023 (listed), Outstanding Remote Experience and Reader’s Special Award (nominated) 2024 Young-Howze Creatives of the Year (with Nathan Leigh) 2023 R.Evolución Latina Doreen Montalvo “Do It Anyway” scholarship finalist. Member of 2024 A4A Pittsfield Capacity Building Grant Cohort. Connect: www.nicoleorabona.com // IG: @knuckle_sando
Naire Poole (she/they) (Tiffany, Alien Girls) Naire is a Virginian-born theatre artist with a focus on personal and interpersonal transformation that extends into structural transformation. She is grounded in exploring work that challenges oppressive ideologies and expands joy within marginalized groups. WAM Theatre: Hollow Roots Other Select Credits Film: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Wet Things. Theatre: Comedy of Errors, Romeo & Juliet, OAK, Mud, The Cake. Currently in creation with: Billiards VMSOA. Training: MFA FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actors.
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
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.
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.