Harpers Ferry resident Cynthia McNanley, right, and her sister-in-law Cathy Hogendobler, of Sterling, Va., hang out in downtown Shepherdstown after seeing "Did My Grandfather Kill My Grandfather?" at the Contemporary American Theater Festival. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The 35th season of the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) came to a close this weekend, leaving many of its attendees with new thoughts and ideas transforming how they perceive the world around them.

For one group of attendees, the season provided them with a number of new conversation topics and opportunities to further deepen their relationship as sisters-in-law.

“I really appreciate the fact that all of these plays are so timely,” said Cathy Hogendobler, of Sterling, Va. “To me, CATF brings to light a lot of things that we normally ignore.”

Hogendobler had just finished attending a showing of “Did My Grandfather Kill My Grandfather?” with her sister-in-law, Cynthia McNanley, of Harpers Ferry. They agreed that the play’s difficult discussions about the Vietnam War were illuminating and a reminder of the reason why they have made attending the festival every year into a tradition they share.

“My husband and I moved from Loudon County to Harpers Ferry in 2017,” McNanley said. “Cathy was thrilled by the news, when she learned where we were moving, because it was so close to the Contemporary American Theater Festival. For the past five or six years, she has stayed with us for a weekend and we’ve gone to see the plays at the festival together.

“I feel like I take away a lot of things that I don’t think about from CATF, that are timely and fit with the popular topics of the day, but that aren’t talked about,” McNanley said, noting the play they had just seen was a prime example of this. “The Vietnam War deeply affected us. It’s important for us to consider how that’s going to affect the wars that we’re in right now.”

Attending the festival with a family member was the way Hogendobler herself was first introduced to CATF. Thirty years ago, her mother encouraged her to attend a season of CATF with her — and from there, Hogendobler has been hooked.

“We find all of the plays profound. We always say that our minds blow up at CATF every year,” Hogendobler said. “CATF is so special. Where else do you get this — new playwrights, current topics and serious thought? And the acting is always marvelous — top notch. I also think it’s genius what they do with the stage design, having only so much money and square footage, which needs to work with the actors.”

The pair have grown to love the festival so much that they have inspired friends and other family members to attend it, too. Last year, some of their extended family members came all the way from Kansas and Oklahoma to attend the festival with them.

“She’s been attending for so long, she just pulls us all along with her,” McNanley said, with a laugh.

For the two of them, attending CATF together has become a beloved tradition that they look forward to continuing for many years to come.

“We’re family, so we’re pretty close already, but this is something special that Cathy and I do together,” McNanley said, mentioning the two of them also attend local theater productions, such those at the Old Opera House, together. “The experience is definitely worth sharing.”