The Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF), announced its new season of plays last weekend in an event held at the Marinoff Theater.

“The future calls us,” founder and producing director Ed Herendeen said.

This year’s 25th season of plays will include the world premiere, “World Builders” by Johnna Adams; “Everything You Touch” by Sheila Callaghan; the world premiere, “On Clover Road” by Steven Dietz; the world premiere, “We Are Pussy Riot” by Barbara Hammond and the world premiere, “The Full Catatrophe,” by Michael Weller.

At Saturday’s event the festival board also announced the final draft of its five year strategic plan.

Ann Harkins, vice president of the CATF Board of Trustees, outlined the new plan.

The festival’s mission remains virtually the same as years past: produce and develop new American Theater.

The core values according to Harkins, are fearless art, daring and diverse stories and a profound and ever-evolving relationship between the audience, artists and the work.

The festival’s goals continue to be making great art, inspiring and educating through the theater experience, collaboration and sustainability Harkins said.

Herendeen unveiled details about the new seasons plays and further expressed CATF’s place among art forms.

“The life of a theater is revealed by the work that it does and how it does it artistically. We now have a record of 25 years to be evaluated for who are and what we do and how we do it,” Herendeen said.

The Contemporary American Theater Festival has produced 105 plays thus far. Approximately 14,000 patrons attended last years season of plays according to info provided by the festival.

Herendeen said the festival will seek to reevaluate and reinvent itself this year.

“What do we call ourselves?” he said. “We’re different from other theaters. We’re a festival.”

“The Contemporary American Theater Festival, even at 25 years We’re a work in progress,” Herendeen said.

During Saturday’s event the festival also announced the addition of two new staff members for its 25th year.

Joshua Midgett was announced as general manager and Gabriel Zucker was introduced as new CATF managing director, beginning April 1.

The next season of plays will be held July 10 through Aug, 2, 2015. Preview performances are scheduled to take place July 5 to 9.

This season will include performances and programs for the community as in years past.

Breakfast with Ed and Lunch and Art will once again be held throughout the season.

West Virginia Humanities Council Council sponsored programs will also return including CATF in Context, the CATF Salon and various readings and lectures.

Information about the new seasons of plays will be available on the festivals web site sometime in the next month.

General information is now available at catf,org. Contact the staff at 304-876-3473 and 1-800-999-CATF.