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Contemporary American Theater Festival season worth a watch, or three

By Staff | Jul 28, 2023

I had the pleasure of going to the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) Lunch and Art program last Friday at noon. This was one of the many Talk Theater events that are an integral part of the Contemporary American Theater Festival’s calendar. The Contemporary American Theater Festival, in partnership with Shepherd University, is celebrating its 33rd season in Shepherdstown this year, with a full calendar of new events and plays.

July is probably my favorite month in the Eastern Panhandle, because of the Contemporary American Theater Festival. I admit to bias, however, as I was on the CATF board for nine years and I am now an honorary board member. This is Peggy McKowen’s second year as Artistic Director and her first year choosing the festival’s plays. She worked closely with Ed Herendeen, CATF’s founder, as his Associate Producing Director for many years, so she was prime for the role. All of the plays are world premieres and several are already in the works to be moving on to other theaters for future productions.

The July 21 Lunch and Art event featured conversations with actors Sara Koviak and Anne O’Sullivan, who have brought Jose Rivera’s “Your Name Means Dream” to life. Several people I talked to at the Lunch and Art said they had already seen the play twice and were going to try to see it again.

Many of the Contemporary American Theater Festival’s patrons travel to the festival from both neighboring states and all across the United States. But, every year, I hope to see more community people taking advantage of this opportunity to see professional theater right in their own backyard. The season closes on Sunday, so please consider calling the box office to purchase a ticket at 681-240-2283 or email boxoffice@catf.org or book a ticket at catf.org. The pay-what-you-can previews may be over, but there are still West Virginia resident discounts for some performances! Feel free to email me at bethbatdorf@msn.com, if you have any questions.

I promise you will be happy you made the effort. I promise you inspiration.

Beth Batdorf, of Shepherdstown