LENOX, MA (September 4, 2025) — WAM Theatre is thrilled to announce its 2025 Fall Mainstage production: 1999, an electrifying world premiere production written by the acclaimed playwright Stacey Isom Campbell (Cicadas, The Loophole) and directed by WAM Theatre’s Artistic Director Genée Coreno(Alien Girls, fragments of Outside, Madge Love). This timely and powerful performance features Zoë Laiz (Cry it Out, As You Like It), Caroline Festa (Cry it Out, Peter Pan), and Zurie Adams (What the Constitution Means To Me, Intimate Apparel), all three actors returning to WAM after captivating performances in recent seasons. Performances will take place at Shakespeare & Company with previews starting on October 16th. Tickets are now on sale at wamtheatre.com
“Two emerging women artists set out to make cinema in the spirit of love, collaboration, and vision—only to find themselves up against an industry built on silence, coercion, and exploitation,” Director Genée Coreno shared. “In the wake of Weinstein, Epstein, Diddy, and the ongoing #MeToo revelations, the play asks: what is the personal and generational cost of staying devoted to the art without confronting the system that shapes it?”
Written by Stacey Isom Campbell and directed by Genée Coreno, 1999 is set to premiere this October, promising to empower audiences with its powerful story of moral courage, memory, and art in the wake of Hollywood’s reckoning.
When a student questions the films selected in her course, Emma—a seasoned film criticism professor and producer—is forced to confront a buried secret from 1999. As she reflects on the choices that shaped her career, she wrestles with the legacy of beloved films and the weight of silence. Can she protect her students, honor her art, and still live with the truth?
A finalist for the 2025 Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and the Modern New Works Festival, 1999 is a bold, timely examination of generational divides, creative friendships, and the moral cost of complicity. With a critically acclaimed cast and a powerhouse creative team, this production promises an unforgettable, thought-provoking experience.
Playwright Stacey Isom Campbell shares, “WAM’s mission of centering women’s stories and creating theatre for gender equity aligns with my own values of writing about and for women. 1999 examines how two women’s film careers are irreparably changed by systemic abuses of power. The play also wrestles with the generational tension over what to do with art made by monsters and feels particularly resonate with this moment. In telling this story now, we can celebrate the art women create, and places like WAM who make this possible.”
“We’re thrilled to bring this electrifying world premiere to the Berkshires,” shared Managing Director Molly Merrihew. “This script is a bold, timely drama exploring friendship, mentorship, moral courage, and the high stakes of silence. The play features three dynamic actresses returning to WAM who I know will deliver with vibrancy, depth, and capability.”
Zoë Laiz plays Emma, who tries to satisfy the probing questions of the student Naomi played by Zurie Adams. This questioning of her curriculum, brings back memories of a friend and former artistic partner Teresa played by Caroline Festa.
Bringing us into this play’s first environment, WAM is delighted to have Baron E. Pugh (Scenic Designer), Malory S. Grillo (Costume Designer), Jemma Kepner (Lighting Designer), Ettie Pin (Sound and Video Designer), and Pamela Quirinale (Props Designer).
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.
AT A GLANCE:
1999 written by Stacey Isom Campbell, directed by Genée Coreno, and starring Zurie Adams, Caroline Festa, and Zoë Laiz; with understudy Diana Quetti. Performing at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre at Shakespeare & Company’s Campus (Lenox, MA) October 16 – November 2. Tickets are now available at https://www.wamtheatre.com/1999-2/.
SCHEDULE:
Thursday, October 16 – 7 PM – PREVIEW
Friday, October 17 – 7 PM – ARTIST NETWORKING NIGHT
Saturday, October 18 – 2 PM – PREVIEW
Saturday, October 18 – 7 PM – PREVIEW
Sunday, October 19 – 2 PM – OPENING
Thursday, October 23 – 7 PM – YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NIGHT
Friday, October 24 – 2 PM
Saturday, October 25 – 2 PM
Saturday, October 25 – 7 PM
Sunday, October 26 – 2 PM
Thursday, October 30 – 2 PM
Thursday, October 30 – 7 PM
Saturday, November 1 – 2 PM
Saturday, November 1 – 7 PM
Sunday, November 2 – 2 PM – CLOSING
TICKETS:
Single tickets for 1999 are on sale now, please visit https://www.wamtheatre.com/1999-2/ or contact WAM Theatre by calling (413) 274-8122 for tickets and more information about this production.
For more information about the 2025 Season and WAM Theatre’s programs, events, and artists, please visit wamtheatre.com.
MORE ABOUT 1999 ARTISTS:
Zurie Adams (Naomi)(she/her) is an Afro-Caribbean American performing artist, born in California and raised in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. WAM Theatre: What the Constitution Means To Me Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: Urinetown (MCLA Theatre), The Tempest (MCLA Theatre), Intimate Apparel (MCLA Theatre), Mr. Burns: A post-electric play (MCLA Theatre), Cinderella Syndrome (St. Vincent Girls’ High School) Creative inspiration: With a variety of creative interests, Zurie strives to be in projects focusing on arts advocacy, social justice, and mental wellness. Community Engagement/Activist work: Volunteer Center Program Coordinator (MCLA) Selected training: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (BA), St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (AA) Awards/Proudest Achievement: In 2017, Zurie performed with her high school (St. Vincent Girls’ High School)’s drama group at the Caribbean Secondary Schools’ Drama Festival, in which the group won eight awards including Best Original Production, Best Ensemble, and Best Overall Production for their production of Cinderella Syndrome by Zeno Obi Constance. Final word: Creativity is one of the greatest powers we possess as humans. Connect: Instagram: @zurieadams
Nathaniel Bokaer (Stage Manager)(they/them) is a stage manager and costume designer based in the Berkshires with a passion for mentoring young artists. WAM Theatre: Far, Far Better Things, Be Here Now, Galileo’s Daughter. Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: Nathaniel has worked with Great Barrington Public Theater, Chester Theatre Company, Barrington Stage Company, Berkshire Theater Group, Shakespeare & Company, and CATA, among other regional arts and education organizations. Most recently they stage managed Mr. Joy in Chester and Madame Mozart at Great Barrington Public. Selected training: Bard College at Simon’s Rock (BA, Psychology and Theatre Studies). Etc: a Berkshires local, Nathaniel lives in South County with their wife, son, and dog.
Stacey Isom Campbell (Playwright)(she/her) is an Alaska-raised, Southern-rooted playwright. WAM Theatre: Debut. Selected Theatre Credits: Her plays include: 1999 (O’Neill Center National Playwrights Conference Finalist, Modern New Works Festival, Carolina Playwrights Lab, Florida Rep’s Festival of New Works PlayLab, Valdez Theatre Conference); THE LOOPHOLE (Barter Theatre LORT-production and Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Nomination, Great Plains Theatre Conference); THE CONTROLLER (Henley Rose Playwright Competition Finalist, Seven Devils Playwriting Conference Finalist); BUFFALO CREEK (Rose Henley Playwriting Competition Finalist, The New Harmony Project Finalist. Her short plays include: CICADAS (ATHE’s New Play Development Workshop) and LAUNDRY AT THE COIN & SPIN (The Collective: NY equity-showcase production and publication). Creative inspiration: the women in my life—freaks like me, the walking-wounded like my sister, tough-as-a-rusted-wash-board like my grandmother. Community Engagement/Activist work: volunteer documentary theatre project for domestic violence shelters. Membership/Affiliations: Member of the Dramatist’s Guild, New Play Exchange, and the Playwright’s Center. Selected training: MFA in Creative Writing, emphasis Dramatic Writing at ODU; masterclasses with: Winter Miller, Benjamin Benne, Will Dunne, Dan O’Brien, Erik Ehn, Wendy MacLeod, Heidi Schreck. Proudest achievements: always continuing to learn in my playwriting practice as well as new creative outlets like painting. Connect: www.staceyisomcampbell.com
Genée Coreno (Director)(she/her/hers) is the Artistic Director of WAM Theatre and founder of Fringe and Fur. She is a director, theater-maker, and arts administrator dedicated to bold, socially engaged, cross-disciplinary storytelling. WAM Theatre:fragments of Outside, Alien Girls Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: The New York Times-reviewed Madge Love (Theater Mitu’s Artists at Home Residency & The Exponential Festival), described as “a good-looking production… about the connection between sex, violence, and female suffering at the hands of men.” The Hopelessly Hopeless Story of All Good Girls (The Brick Theater), Is This Clear Enough? (The Poetry Project), a workshop of Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party (Harlem Repertory), Dutchman by Amiri Baraka (UnUrban Cafe), The Future is in Eggs by Eugene Ionesco (A.R.T. NY workshop), and 4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane (Purchase College). Additional Artistic Credits: Genée served as Company Manager for The Public Theater’s first national Mobile Unit tour of Sweat by Lynn Nottage, as well as for Twelfth Night (Under the Radar Festival, Mobile Unit) and the Brooklyn College Play Festival. Her company management work also includes projects with Big Dance Theater, such as Short Form (American Dance Institute, Fusebox, The Kitchen), This Page Left Intentionally Blank (Mass MoCA, CounterCurrent Festival), Cage Shuffle (American Realness Festival, Poet’s House), and 17c. (American Realness Festival). Other: Additionally, she worked in Development at Every Mother Counts, Artistic Associate and Line Producer for Ripe Time’s The World Is Round (BAM Fisher) and a Marketing Intern for Third Rail Projects’ Then She Fell (Art Mill Residency, Art@Renaissance). Selected Training: Genée holds an M.A. in Performance Studies from NYU and a B.A. in Drama Studies from Purchase College. She has trained with Theater Mitu, Song of the Goat, and SITI Company. Connect: www.fringeandfur.org
Caroline Festa (Teresa)(she/her) is an actor and playwright with a passion for new work and physical theatre. WAM Theatre: Cry It Out (Fresh Takes Reading) Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: Peter Pan (Wendy, Tour), Macbeth (Off-Broadway Workshop), The Christians (Syracuse Stage), Clementines (Cherry Lane Theatre – Workshop), and Funny (Headwall Theatre Company). Additional artistic credits: TV/Film: Blue Bloods (CBS), Ships (Official Selection, Soho International Film Festival) Creative inspiration: Caroline is inspired by time outside of the theatre with her dog, friends, and family. She takes most of her inspiration from old movies and the great physical comedians and clowns of our time; such as Lucille Ball, Groucho Marx, and Don Rickles. Community Engagement/Activist work: Caroline has worked as a teaching artist for years, working with students all along the east coast. Arts Education is crucial and Caroline is grateful to witness her students discover their talents, passions and artistic goals. Membership/Affiliations: Caroline is a proud member of AEA. Selected training: Caroline received her B.F.A. from Syracuse University Awards/proudest achievements: Caroline’s most recent play, Funny, received its Off-Broadway workshop premiere through RE/VENUE NYC at A.R.T. New York. Connect: Website: carolinemfesta.com
Malory S. Grillo (Costume Designer) is a Costarrican theater artist-designer based in Massachusetts. Previous WAM Credits: Costume and Props Designer: Galileo’s Daughter, Fragments of the Outside; Costume Consultant: Me & the Sky Cabaret. Selected Theatre Credits: Legally Blonde (Boston Conservatory at Berklee), She Kills Monster (Boston Conservatory), Sugar (Fresh Ink Theater) director and costume designer Allegory of a Young Man, costume and puppet designer Twelfth Night, costume designer The Hatmaker’s Wife, Aurash, Los Olvidados (UMASS Amherst), Costume Designer MACHINAL (University of Costa Rica), Costume Design Assistant The house the Negro insane (CATF), Costume Designer Desconoci2 (La Cebolla Producciones), Writer Maldita Golondrina (Teatro Mélico Salazar Costa Rica), Director and writer Naufragos O… (Metafora Estudio). A passion for theater since 2009, actress, director, writer, designer, makeup artist and art director for short films. Selected training: MFA in Costume Design for Theater, UMASS Amherst, BA Degree from the University of Costa Rica. Awards: Best National Short Play Maldita Golondrina (2020) Teatro Melico Salazar, Costa Rica Connect: maloriegrillo.com
Jemma Kepner (Lighting Designer) is a lighting designer, programmer, and technician based in Western Massachusetts. WAM Theatre: Galileo’s Daughter (Master Electrician); fragments Of Outside (Lighting Designer). Selected Credits Elsewhere: Head Electrician & Programmer (Great Barrington Public Theater); Senior Lighting Technician (Nightwood); Lighting Designer & Technician (The Barn at Lee); Lighting Designer (Five College Dance); Lighting Designer & Technician (DownRight Productions). Creative inspiration: My father inspires me as both computer scientist and leader, as I interface with one of the most technical and computational sides of live artistry through light. Selected training: BA in Theater Design, Technology & Management; Multicultural Theatre Certificate from UMass Amherst (2023). Connect: jemmakepner.com
Zoë Laiz (Emma)(she/her/hers) is a Filipina-Jewish actor hailing from right here in the Berkshires! WAM Theatre: Waxworks, The Revolutionists, Water By the Spoonful, The Oregon Trail Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: The 2 Queers a Lesbian Meets at the Home Depot at A.R.T./NY; Poor Herman at Herman Melville’s Arrowhead; Aftershocks at Theatre for the New City; Pride & Prejudice at Actors’ Shakespeare Project; Pericles with the rig; Eight seasons with Shakespeare & Company, including As You Like It and 4000 Miles. Additional artistic credits: Audiobook: Weeping Under This Same Moon by Jana Laiz Film: American Retail, Gaps, Communication is Key Creative inspiration: Zoë believes in the arts as a wellspring of joy, empowerment, community and critical thinking. She loves the inherent camaraderie of theatre as an art form, and draws inspiration from fellow collaborators and the shared love of play, imagination and story. Community Engagement/Activist work: Zoë teaches storytelling workshops with The Moth for communities across NYC and beyond. Post-Covid, she helped produce Our Stories, Our Songs: a concert of original songs and poems created in collaboration with local Berkshire and Columbia County partners that celebrated our community’s resilience. Membership/Affiliations: Actors’ Equity Association Selected training: Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Shakespeare & Company Connect: www.zoelaiz.com
Baron E. Pugh (Scenic Designer)(he/him) is a Boston-based scenic designer for theater, opera, and other live performance arts. WAM Theatre: debut Off-Broadway: As Time Goes By (Out of the Box), shadow/land (associate designer) (The Public Theater). NYC: King Lear, The Tempest (The Juilliard School, Drama Division). Regional: The Lehman Trilogy (Gulfshore Playhouse); The Anonymous Lover (Opera Philadelphia), Million Dollar Quartet, B.R.O.K.E.N code B.I.R.D switching (Berkshire Theatre Group); Primary Trust, ABCD (Barrington Stage); Trouble in Mind (Hartford Stage); Associate designer for: The Grove, Sojourners, The Bluest Eye (The Huntington Theatre); A Raisin in the Sun, The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, (TheatreSquared); Assassins, The Light, Breath and Imagination, The Wiz (Lyric Stage Company of Boston). Training: Baron received his MFA in Scenic Design from Boston University. Membership/Affiliations: United Scenic Artists Local 829 Connect: @bpscenic
Diana Quetti (Understudy – All Roles) is an actor, singer, songwriter and Berkshire native, Diana is passionate about helping people feel understood and seen through art. WAM Theatre: Debut! Berkshire Country: On The Stage Cabaret at The Colonial Theatre at Berkshire Theatre Group, Berkshire Week’s Signature Pick at Domingo Brunch at Dottie’s, A Christmas Carol (BTG). NYC: Beethoven’s Hair (Off-Broadway), Confirmed (Teatro LATEO). Memberships: AEA. Training: Circle In The Square Theatre School, NC State University. So much love to my family and friends. Connect: www.dianaquetti.com, IG: @dequetti
Pamela Quirinale (Props Designer)(she/her) is a Berkshire based Artist and Art Educator WAM: Debut Selected Artistic Credits: Forty years experience in Painting & Illustration: Scenic Artist, Makeup Artist, Program Covers, and Murals Painter. New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Off-Broadway; Opera, Community theatre and Children’ s Theatre productions in PA, NY, NH, VT, MA, and OH. Selected Training: Carnegie-Mellon University and Pittsburgh Playhouse School of the Theatre. Community Engagement: Volunteer with local historical societies, including at Arrowhead; Painting Instructor at BCC for OLLI. Connect: PamelaQ.Music@gmail.com
WAM TEAM LEADERSHIP:
Genée Coreno (she/her)(Artistic Director) 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 Director Credits:fragments of Outside (The Mount), 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 World is Round (Alchemical Studios), The Stronger & Mother Love (pop-up theater by Blue Flamingo), thisamericanplay (Reading, at Brick Aux), The Possessed Girls of St. Mary’s Producing Credits: 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.
Molly Merrihew (she/her)(Managing Director) 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.
To meet WAM’S Full Team click here.
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, a. von schlegell & co, Baystate Financial Wealth & Wellness Team, Berkshire Health Systems, Berkshire Muse, Berkshire Roots, Berkshire Yoga Dance & Fitness, Black Writers Read, Blue Spark Financial, Blue Q., Brava/Ombra, Doctor Sax House, DownRight Productions, Ed Herrington, Inc., Garden Gables Inn, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Guidos Fresh Marketplace, Handful Photography, Higher Bar, Heller & Robbins Attorneys at Law, Interprint, Mill Town Foundation, Inc., Onyx Specialty Papers, Outdoors Chronicle Photography, Outpost Productions, T Square Design Studio, Toole Insurance, Ventfort Hall, WANDER Berkshires, and the Women’s Fund of Western Massachusetts.