The Contemporary American Theater Festival, running July 10 to Aug. 2 at Shepherd University, is celebrating its 25th year of developing and producing entirely new plays. Nestled in Shepherdstown, W.Va., the festival is a top destination for regional directors and thespians from across the country looking for the next American classic. Associate producing director Peggy McKowen hires and connects production staff, negotiates casting contracts, and manages “the daily activities of getting five shows up in repertory.”
How was CATF originally founded?It’s our 25th season, so we’ve been around for a little while. The festival was started by Ed Herendeen; there were not many places you could get new work done. There was the Humana Festival [of New American Plays], and that was it. Ed is very dedicated to new work, working with the playwright in the room, giving playwrights the opportunity to start new work and not have the pressures of the commercial industry that you might find in another urban center. He was intent on giving playwrights a place to come and do what they do.
How has the festival helped launch certain plays or playwrights?We did the world premiere of Francesca Talenti’s “The
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