WAM Theatre is pleased to announce the launch of its Ballot Ballad Youth Civic Engagement Program at Lenox Library for middle school students (ages 11-14). This 5 week pilot of the program will focus on women in American History and will explore one of the biggest “what ifs” in our country’s founding: “What if women had been in the room where it happened?” We will also examine the history and current landscape of civic engagement in Massachusetts and the United States. Participants will take part in ensemble-based theater taught by WAM Theatre Teaching Artist, Kelly Galvin, and craft original performance pieces. Open and free of charge to all who are interested.
Ballot Ballad is an interdisciplinary civics curriculum developed by WAM Artistic Director Genée Coreno in collaboration with Lisa Donovan of Berkshire Cultural Asset Network and Leslie Appleget of BERK12’s Portrait of a Graduate program. Ballot Ballad integrates art and advocacy to empower students with knowledge of their voting rights through collaboration and creative expression. Using theater, storytelling, and songwriting techniques students craft original performance pieces that blend personal narrative with collective advocacy to become engaged citizens who understand the broader importance of civic engagement.
“Partnering with the Lenox Library to share a module of Ballot Ballad feels especially meaningful. Libraries are pillars of knowledge; places of education, curiosity, and access; and we’re honored to bring this work into such an essential community space,” Artistic Director Genée Coreno said, “At WAM, a core part of our work is representation—ensuring young people can see themselves reflected in history and in the stories we tell. When students learn about the many women and girls who have created pathways to earning, learning, and expression it does more than inform, it models possibility. It helps them believe that kind of agency and impact is possible in their own lives. Through this program, students engage honestly with the history of the United States, who has been included, who has been left out, and imagine how we move forward together.”
This year’s session will be led by Teaching Artist Kelly Galvin, who said, “by imagining bold, brilliant women from our history, we pull up a chair for them and discover what becomes possible when their voices enter the conversation. I’m excited to lead this collaboration as we question the stories we’ve inherited and dream up new ones. And I love the joyful, fearless spaces WAM creates, where we can begin building a more inclusive, equitable world by imagining it together.”
Lenox Youth Librarian Vanessa Justice expanded, “We are excited to partner with WAM Theatre on the Ballot Ballad program this summer! I think these are important topics for the youth of Lenox (and the surrounding areas) to explore. They see what is happening in the world and should be able to inquire and talk about serious issues in a safe and creative space. I anticipate that they will learn from each other, from Kelly, and about themselves as well. It is easy to think of history as finite, something that happened to other people. But we are making our own history every day and it’s up to us to decide how we want to be remembered. I can’t wait to see what they create!”
No theatre experience is required to participate. The criteria for participation is enthusiasm , creative impulse, and the openness to new experiences. Parents, counselors, teachers, and community leaders are also encouraged to nominate students who would thrive in this kind of collaborative creative environment.
At A Glance
Ballot Ballad: WAM Theatre Youth Civic Engagement Program
Tuesdays: June 30, July 7, 14, & 21
4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Performance/Showing: Tuesday, July 28, 2026
6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Hosted at the Lenox Library (18 Main St, Lenox, MA 01240)
More info: wamtheatre.com/engage/ballot-ballad/
Application deadline: June 15, 2026
Email: Info@wamtheatre.com to register
MORE ABOUT WAM’S TEACHING ARTISTS
Kelly Galvin (she/her) is a director, producer, and nonprofit leader who is passionate about making theater with artists of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. As a director, she has worked with theaters including WAM, Shakespeare & Company, Gloucester Stage, Great Barrington Public, Catskill Mountain Shakespeare, and Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. She was an assistant director at the Guthrie, Asolo Repertory Theatre, and Orlando Shakes. In 2016, she directed the development production of Livian Yeh’s Memorial, which received an honorable mention on the 2017 Kilroys List. She has held fellowships with Asolo Rep and Arena Stage.
Kelly is the former Program Director at Community Access to the Arts (CATA) in Great Barrington, where she teaches Devised Theater Ensemble and directs CATA’s Annual Performance. A company artist with Shakespeare & Company since 2008, she has directed on the Company’s mainstage and in its award-winning education programs, serving as a teaching artist for six years in the Fall Festival of Shakespeare and Shakespeare & Young Company. She currently serves as the Artist Trustee on Shakespeare & Company’s Board. Kelly holds an MFA in directing and a certificate in arts administration from Boston University and a BA in political theory from Wellesley College. She is proudly based in the Berkshires and was named one of the Berkshires’ 40 Under 40 in 2025.
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.