WAM’s 2026 Season Begins!
Featuring Jennie M. Jadow, Marcy McGuigan, & Mei MacQuarrie
Lenox, MA (March 30, 2026) — WAM Theatre proudly presents ROOTED, a warm-hearted and imaginative comedy by acclaimed playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer, directed by Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill. Kicking off the WAM Theatre 2026 season and running May 1 – May 16, 2026, the production will take place at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre and runs approximately 90 minutes as a mainstage performance. Tickets are on sale now.
WAM is proud to present this dynamic production featuring a powerhouse cast: critically acclaimed Jennie M. Jadow (WAM’s Fresh Takes Reading, Rooted and The Droll, Shakespeare & Company’s King Lear), WAM debut artist Marcy McGuigan (Looped, Lombardi, 42nd Street National Tour), rising Boston-based talent Mei MacQuarrie (Lyric Stage Company’s Yellow Face, Kim’s Convenience at The Huntington), and understudied by veteran performer Cate Damon (Johnny Got His Gun at Cherry Lane Theatre, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf at Maltz Jupiter Theatre).
Quirky, warm-hearted, and unexpectedly profound, ROOTED is a comedy about connection, belief, and the messy human longing for purpose. Back by popular demand after a sold-out WAM Theatre reading, ROOTED invites audiences into a whimsical world where plants heal, community curdles, and each woman must decide how — and what — she chooses to believe.
“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,” notes WAM Theatre’s Artistic Director Genee Coreno. “Deborah Zoe Laufer tackles the responsibility that comes with influence and power, especially in moments when communities are searching for meaning. She asks us to consider how quickly that search can turn into groupthink or blind devotion—and how theatre can serve as an antidote. 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 Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill—her direction knows no bounds.”
In the play, Emery (Marcy McGuigan) is perfectly content living in her treehouse, tending to her plants and sharing her research online. Her sister Hazel (Jennie M. Jadow) is less enchanted— stuck working long hours at the only diner in town to support them both. Meanwhile, Luanne (Mei MacQuarrie) is searching for something -anything, to give her life meaning.
When Emery’s YouTube videos unexpectedly spark a devoted following — and then, somehow, a full-blown cult — all three women are thrown into a new kind of chaos. As strangers gather beneath the treehouse, chanting and singing, Emery must confront what it means to be seen, believed in, and responsible for others.
“ROOTED seems particularly timely now,” said playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer. “At its heart it’s a play about our desperate need for connection and something to believe in, and how those desires can lead us to make deep friendships, or to blindly follow power-hungry leaders. And funny. It’s funny. And that’s important too.”
Laufer also shared her excitement about the play’s continued life alongside its companion work: “Personally, I’m grateful that WAM has given readings to both ROOTED and its partner play, BE HERE NOW. When I wrote those plays it was my dream that theaters would produce them in subsequent seasons, and an audience would know those characters over time.”
The production will be directed by Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill, a longtime supporter of WAM’s initiatives. “I am honored to be working with Genee and Erin and the wonderful team at WAM,” says Mancinelli-Cahill. “I have always had a deep respect for WAM’s mission that supports all kinds of opportunities for women and girls. Now, having this chance to be a part of their world, I am astonished at the care to ensure that all are heard and appreciated in the process of making art.”
Mancinelli-Cahill added, “For me, ROOTED is an irresistible story of three women—complicated, fun, and irascible—who want to make life better and actually succeed. I was hooked from the moment I discovered the play is very funny and blends a timely message about life on our planet and humans’ deep desire for connection: all carried out in a treehouse that has magical charm. With a deeply talented design team and cast, I believe Deborah Zoe Laufer’s story needs to be told now to help gently remind us that change is possible when we listen and truly see one another.”
ROOTED premiered at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in February 2022 and has since been produced at theaters across the country, including Lyric Stage (Boston), Horizon Theatre (Atlanta), Theatre Lab (Boca Raton), Oil Lamp Theatre (Glenview), Amphibian Stage (Fort Worth), Opera House Arts (Stonington), and in 2025 was brought to the Berkshires through WAM Theatre’s Fresh Takes Reading Series.
The performance will run from May 1 through May 16, featuring a schedule of evening and matinee presentations alongside a series of special events. Previewing on Friday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m. with Artist Network Night, the program continues on Saturday, May 2 with a 2:00 p.m. pre-show plant exchange and a 7:00 p.m. evening performance, followed by a Press Opening on Sunday, May 3 at 2:00 p.m. Additional evening performances will take place on May 6, 7, and 9 at 7:00 p.m., with a post-show panel discussion scheduled for Friday, May 8 at 2:00 p.m. The following week includes a special Mother’s Day pre-show brunch on Sunday, May 10 at 2:00 p.m., as well as performances on Thursday, May 14 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Programming concludes with a post-show artist talkback on Friday, May 15 at 2:00 p.m., two performances on Saturday, May 16 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and the closing performance on the evening of May 16.
MORE ABOUT ROOTED ARTISTS
Deborah Zoe Laufer (she/her) (Playwright) 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
Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill (she/her) (Director) has worked in NYC and regional theatres around the country, producing and directing new work, classics and musicals. She has served on the staff of Ensemble Studio Theatre and as Producing Director of Urban Stages in NYC, before taking the helm at Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany, where she served as Producing Artistic Director for three decades. She is honored to be making her WAM debut, directing ROOTED. Favorite directing credits include Once, The Lehman Trilogy, Red, Secret Garden, Intimate Apparel, Terra Nova, Beautiful, the Carole King Musical, Ring of Fire, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley and A Sherlock Carol to name a few. Maggie enjoys discovering and directing plays that illuminate the great diversity of our world, while celebrating the capacity and perseverance of the human spirit. She has served on the board of Herbert Berghoff Studios, the Albany-Colonie Chamber of Commerce and Discover Albany. She was named a Woman of Excellence and is the recipient of the Distinguished Career Award from the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce and the Norman S. Rice Award for Art, Culture and Education. Proudest achievements include writing and co-writing eight plays for young audiences, based on history and classic literature, that have reached thousands of students every year since 1995, as part of Capital Repertory’s On the Go school tours. Maggie is proud to be part of WAM’s long-standing commitment to support and create opportunities for women around the world to lead better lives.
Jennie M. Jadow*(she/her) (Hazel) 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.
Marcy McGuigan* (Emery) is thrilled to be making her WAM debut with ROOTED. As a young actress in New York Marcy was a fellow member of the Acting Company in the Dramatic Writing Program at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts with playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer. She also had the privilege of collaborating with Maggie Cahill on TheSisters Rosensweig, Other Desert Cities and Christmas Carol at Capital Rep. This production feels full circle. The Roots we grow in the Theatre do bear fruit! Human Race Theatre Company: Tallulah Bankhead in an acclaimed performance of Looped and DayTony nominated Marie in Lombardi. Portland Stage: Greg Lam’s Last Ship to Proxima Centauri (World Premier), Red Herring, Christmas Carol, Rough Crossing. Alabama Shakespeare: Steel Magnolias, Into the Breeches. Flat Rock Playhouse: Boeing Boing, Cabaret, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, 9 to 5, Dixie Swim Club, Separate Beds. Ivoryton Playhouse: Hank Williams Lost Highway, Swingtime Canteen, Once, Stand By Your Man. Geva: Sister Act. Arrow Rock Lyceum: Bright Star, Swingtime Canteen, Hairspray, Annie. NYC: The Divine Sister, The Piper, Meet Me in St. Louis, Shanghai Moon, Swingtime Canteen. Nat’l Tour: 42nd Street (Carbonelle Nomination). TV/Film: Humor Me, Inside Amy Schumer, People in New Jersey, GTA 4, Ghost Stories. Thank you to my Rocks Leslie Giammanco and Judy Boals. I am so Grateful to Maggie Cahill, The WAM Team and The WAM Audience. Without You We Actors are all merely Dreamers.
Mei MacQuarrie (she/her) (Luanne) is a theater and film actress based in Boston, with a passion for new work, continuous learning, and collaborating on projects that help people feel seen and discover a leader within themselves. WAM Theatre: Debut! Selected Theatre Credits: At the Wedding (Studio Theatre Worcester), Yellow Face (Lyric Stage Company), Baltimore (UMass Amherst). Other projects she has collaborated on include Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) (CHUANG Stage/Seoulful Productions, Elliot Norton Award Nominee) and Kim’s Convenience (The Huntington). Mei has worked in various positions with Company One Theatre, Fresh Ink Theatre, and the Providence Performing Arts Center. Film: Join the Club (Dir. Melissa Dimetres) Selected Training: B.S. in Biology, Minors in Theater and Violin Performance from UMass Amherst Final Word: Thank you to WAM for the opportunity, family and friends, and Iya Judyie Al-Bilali. Connect: Instagram: @mei_mac
Cate Damon* (Understudy) Off Broadway: JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN (Mary)–Cherry Lane Theatre; Regional: WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF (Martha)–Maltz Jupiter Theatre; INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP (Josephine)—The Public Theatre; WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME (Heidi U/S w/performances)–CapRep; RANCHO MIRAGE (Pam), JACK AND JILL (Jill)–New Rep, Boston; VANYA, SONIA, MASHA AND SPIKE (Sonia), MISS MAYBELLINE’S NOCTURNAL FLIGHTS OF FANCY (Elaine)–Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse; I HAVE SEEN HORIZONS–Stonington Opera House; STEEL MAGNOLIAS (M’Lynn), THE GLASS MENAGERIE (Amanda), MAMMA MIA (Donna), HARVEY (Veta)–Majestic Theater; WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF (Martha), GOD OF CARNAGE (Veronica), RABBIT HOLE (Becca), NOISES OFF (Belinda)–New Century Theatre. Film: THE GOD QUESTION (Jane Hurst). Cate is a proud member of the professional actors’ unions AEA and SAG AFTRA. Go union!
MORE ABOUT WAM TEAM
Nathaniel Bokaer* (they/them) (Stage Manager) 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.
Stella Schwartz (Costume Designer) Pronouns: she/her Stella is a Berkshire based artist and educator. WAM Theatre: The Last Wife (costume designer) Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: costume designed for Shakespeare & Company, Chester Theatre, Pittsfield Shakespeare in the Park, Berkshire Playwrights’ Lab, Kick Wheel Theatre Ensemble, Smith College, BCC Players, and MCLA. Additional artistic credits: costume technician supporting visiting artists at Williams College and MASS MoCA (2013-2018) Community Engagement/Activist work: Fall Festival costumer for Shakespeare & Company (2011-2018), shelter advocate at Elizabeth Freeman Center (2016-2018). Membership/Affiliations: Company artist with Shakespeare & Company, Massachusetts Teachers Union. Selected training: Fitchburg State (M.Ed in Curriculum and Teaching), Smith College (BA in Classics). Awards/proudest achievements: Final word: In addition to costume design, Stella also enjoys teaching English to her multilingual students at Taconic High School in Pittsfield, MA.
Nora Marlow Smith (she/her) (Scenic Designer) is a Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary theatre designer. She is delighted to return to her homeland of Western Mass and make her WAM debut with longtime friend and collaborator Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill and the rest of this amazing creative team. Previous professional credits include: Once and A Sherlock Carol at Capital Repertory Theatre, The Onion: A New Opera with Amherst College, continued work with New York companies MetaPhysed and The Mill Theatre, and many others. In addition to maintaining a design practice, Nora is an Assistant Professor of Theatre Design and Technology at Adelphi University and a volunteer with the Prover Project protecting the vulnerable shorebirds of New York City. She holds an MFA in Stage and Costume Design from Northwestern University and a BA in English Literature from Mount Holyoke College. Keep an eye out for more work from Nora this summer on Sweeney Todd with Proctor’s Collaborative School for the Arts, Annie at the Arrow Rock Lyceum, and in Central City Colorado with Le Nozze Di Figaro. @noramarlow
Jane Shaw (Sound Designer) is a sound designer and composer. Jane is thrilled to be back in the Berkshires! She enjoyed five seasons at Jacob’s Pillow, and her first LORT job was with Maggie at Capital Rep. She is an avid, if disorganized, gardener. WAM Theatre: debut. Selected Theatre Credits Elsewhere: In NYC, Jane designed Archduke (Roundabout), Prosperous Fools (Theatre for a New Audience), Zack (The Mint), and projects with Playwrights Horizons, Rattlestick, MTC, Repertorio Español, National Black Theater, and NYTW. Regional work includes Amadeus (Pasadena Playhouse), A Christmas Carol (Guthrie, composer), Leopoldstadt (Huntington, Shakespeare Theatre Company), Rope (Hartford Stage), and productions at Studio Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare, Long Wharf, the Alley, Arena Stage, Cleveland Playhouse, the Old Globe, and Gulfshore Playhouse.Membership/Affiliations: Local USA 829, TSDCA (Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association). Training: Harvard University, Yale School of Drama.Website: https://www.janeshaw.com/
Madeleine Hebert (She/They) (Lighting Designer) is a New York City based Lighting Designer. WAM Theatre: Debut, Selected Artistic Credits: Mother Play (Shakespeare & Company), Servant of Two Masters (Westfield State University), One season at Santa Fe Opera as a lighting supervisor, One season at San Francisco as an Assistant Lighting Designer (intern) and just finished as Assistant Lighting Director at New York City Ballet for their Winter 2026 Season. Creative Inspiration: How the science behind sight works because of light. Selected Training: Westfield State University BA, Ohio University MFA, Hemsley Lighting Internship. Connect: Instagram: @_mad.lighting_ Website: www.mad-lighting.com
David Lane (Puppet Design) is a theatre maker and artist based in North Adams, Massachusetts. WAM Theatre: Fragments of Outside. Selected Artistic Credits Elsewhere: David fell into puppetry when he and a friend accidentally joined a circus troupe and built a Punch and Judy show in an effort to avoid being jettisoned from the company for consuming too much lunch. He is a co-creator and lead designer of Iniskim: Return of the Buffalo, an intercultural theatre event under the artistic direction of Amethyst First Rider and produced by the Canadian Academy of Mask and Puppetry. Dave runs a yearly puppet design laboratory at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), and along with Peter and Nan Balkwill, he co-facilitates the New England Puppet Intensive, a twelve day laboratory in puppetry arts. He is a co-creator of the immersive opera experience, Cave of Dreams, which premiered last September in Rat’s Nest Cave in Southern Alberta. His newest project based on Émile Zola’s The Belly of Paris will premiere this November at the Adams Theater. Contact: www.davidlane-theatre.com
*Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. All actors and stage managers in this production are contracted through AEA.
QUICK LOOK:
Presented by: WAM Theatre
Written by Deborah Zoe Laufer
Director: Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill
Dates: May 1 – May 16, 2026
Location: Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, Lenox, MA
Run Time: Approximately 90 minutes
Cast:
- Jennie M. Jadow (Hazel)
- Marcy McGuigan (Emery)
- Mei MacQuarrie (Luanne)
- Cate Damon* (Understudy)
Tickets: Single and season passes are on sale now. For more information about ROOTED, visit: https://www.theatricalrights.com/show/rooted/
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Friday, May 1 @ 7pm (Artist Network Night)
Saturday, May 2 @ 2pm (Pre-Show Plant Exchange)
Saturday, May 2 @ 7pm
Sunday, May 3 @ 2pm (Press Opening)
Wednesday, May 6 @ 7pm
Thursday, May 7 @ 7pm
Friday, May 8 @ 2pm (Post-Show Panel Discussion)
Saturday, May 9 @ 7pm
Sunday, May 10 @ 2pm (Pre-Show Mother’s Day Brunch)
Thursday, May 14 @ 2pm
Thursday, May 14 @ 7pm
Friday, May 15 @ 2pm (Post-Show Artist Talkback)
Saturday, May 16 @ 2pm
Saturday, May 16 @ 7pm (Closing Performance)
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 Beacon 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, Berkshire Muse, Berkshire Roots, Blue Spark Financial, Baystate Financial Wealth & Wellness Team, Greylock Federal Credit Union, 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, Dr. Sax House, BerkChique, Outpost, Outdoor Chronicles Photography, WANDER, Downright Productions, Brook Farm Inn, Parent Artist Advocacy League, and WomenArts.