Trent Kugler, CATF director of production, points out unique features on the stage of “What Will Happen to All That Beauty?” in the Frank Arts Center on July 11. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — A group of 15 theater enthusiasts gathered in Shepherd University’s Frank Arts Center on July 11, eager to get a glance at what goes on behind-the-scenes at the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF).

The 33-year-old festival features new plays throughout the month of July each year on the campus of Shepherd University, at the Shepherdstown Opera House and at the former home of Christ Reformed United Church of Christ. This year, the new American play on a Black family’s experience with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, “What Will Happen to All That Beauty?” is being featured in the Frank Arts Center Theater. Since the Frank Arts Center Theater is the largest stage used by the festival, its play designs are always the most intricate, making it the obvious choice for the festival’s free backstage tours each year.

“This is my 16th season with the festival,” said CATF Director of Production Trent Kugler, noting he previously served as an adjunct professor, technical director and production manager at Shepherd. “So, I’ve been here at the university for a number of years. I wanted to give you some background on just how a set gets built in theater, how a production comes together and then, to answer any questions you might have about either this season or, since I’ve been here forever, shows in the past.”

Kugler was capable of providing a variety of in-depth information on all manner of what goes on behind-the-scenes at the festival, thanks to the broad expanse of the work he oversees.

“In my role at CATF, I basically oversee anything on stage that isn’t actors,” Kugler said. “I’m in charge of all of the stage managers that actually run the show and all of the crew. I’m responsible for hiring all of the production staff to staff all of the shops. There’s roughly about 50 people that make up all of the production crews themselves — carpentry, scenery, lighting, sound, costumes. Then there are roughly 10 stage managers that I share the responsibility of hiring. Then, the costume designer, lighting designer, sound designer — I share the responsibility with our artistic director, Peggy McKowen, to interview and hire all of those folks and place them in the venues where we think both their aesthetic and the way that they work is best suited for the festival.

“And then, on top of all of that, I’m responsible for all of the scheduling — the actual scheduling of how these get built and when we rehearse — making sure that all fits within acting union regulations,” Kugler said. “During our busiest period, during all of our technical rehearsals when we’re integrating the actors with the scenery and all of that, my office — myself, the production manager and the production management intern — we’re responsible for the lives of about 135 people. We tell them, hour-by-hour, where they’re going to be and what they’re doing.”

Kugler proceeded to lead the group from the theater through one of the Frank Arts Center’s halls, pointing out various classrooms and practice rooms that had been converted for use as office space by CATF’s staff during the summer.

“Typically, in the summer, CATF will take over the music building,” Kugler said.

Kugler then led the way toward the back of the stage, pointing out the costume room and green room. As he stepped up onto the stage, he discussed unique details about its design, such as a wooden bed’s LED-illuminated mattress and a couple of trap doors. He also pointed out that the maple and oak wood used in the set design were sourced from a Charles Town-based business, Shenandoah Planing Mill.

“We’re trying to build strong relationships with local businesses,” Kugler said.

To learn more about the festival, visit https://catf.org/.