- Contemporary American Theater Festival
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Contemporary American Theater Festival 
Festival LogoLocation(s) Shepherdstown, West Virginia, United States Foundation 1991 Founded by Ed Herendeen Date(s) July 6–29, 2012 Type of Play(s) New American plays Official website The Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) is an American annual professional-theatre festival held at Shepherd University, located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. It specializes in premieres and second or third productions of new plays, producing five plays each summer in repertory.
Contents
History
A 2010 NPR segment stated: "For 20 years, in the oldest town in West Virginia, new plays have had a home and a loyal audience. The Contemporary American Theater Festival at Shepherd University is a dream for the writers of those plays."[1]
The festival was started in 1991 "on a wing and a prayer and a $90,000 budget" by producing director Ed Herendeen.[2] It was modeled after the Williamstown Theatre Festival, located in Williamstown, Massachusetts.[3] It has the goal of producing and developing new American theater, specifically plays that deal with contemporary issues and strive to challenge and entertain audiences. In addition to finding new scripts which could be either premieres or on a second/third production, the festival has also commissioned works since 1998.[4] Through the summer of 2011, the festival produced 90 new American plays including 34 world premieres, 7 of which were commissions.[5]
Facilities
The CATF Frank Center Stage interior
The CATF Studio Theater exterior
The CATF Contemporary Arts Center exteriorHoused on the university's campus, it uses three performance spaces. The first is the Frank Center Stage, a conventional proscenium performance space without a curtain. The second, Studio Theater, is a black-box facility within Sara H Cree Hall.[6] The newest space is a smaller black box housed in the recently opened Center for Contemporary Arts.[citation needed]
Notable productions
- Breadcrumbs and Lidless, 2010 Festival.
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- These two plays (by Jennifer Haley and Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, respectively) are currently under consideration by the American Theatre Critics' Association for the ATCA/Steinberg New Play Award.[7] In the 36-year history of the prize, it marked only the second time that a single theater company has had two of its production considered.[citation needed]
- Farragut North, 2009 Festival
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- This play was adapted for the screen as The Ides of March starring George Clooney and Ryan Gosling[citation needed]
- My Name is Rachel Corrie, 2007 Festival.
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- This production was notable because of the controversy surrounding the play (see the play's article in Wikipedia for details of the controversy). The festival playbill contained a two-page ad "My Name is Rachel Corrie Does Not Tell the Whole Story: Don't Be Misled" which included photos of six other women named Rachel who were killed by Palestinian suicide bombers.[8] A member of the festival's board of trustees resigned in protest and several regular patrons decided not to attend the festival in response to the selection of this work.[9] The Artistic Director "was flooded with letters urging the board members to remove the play".[10] The actual production was without incident and no drop in attendance.[11]
- Compleat Female Stage Beauty, 1999 Festival
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- This production was notable as it was one of the early works commissioned by the festival[5] which then went on to be regularly produced and was adapted by the playwright (Jeffrey Hatcher) into a film version Stage Beauty starring Claire Danes, Billy Crudup and Tom Wilkinson.[12]
- Carry the Tiger to the Mountain, 1998 Festival
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- This play by Cherylene Lee – and the festival's first commissioned work[5] – focused on the beating death of Vincent Chin in 1982 Detroit. The play's production became the impetus for a state-wide discussion on race and served as the backdrop to the governor's year-long efforts on this issue, which began with a town-hall discussion, in the theater, following a production of the play. The festival was recognized for its role as catalyst for this important dialogue with the 1999 "Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts."[13]
Complete production history
The following is a complete list of the festival's productions.[5]
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- 2011 Festival
- From Prague by Kyle Bradstreet*, Race by David Mamet, Ages of the Moon by Sam Shepard, We Are Here by Tracy Thorne, The Insurgents by Lucy Thurber**
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- 2010 Festival
- Breadcrumbs by Jennifer Haley*, The Eelwax Jesus 3-D Pop Music Show Book & Lyrics by Max Baker, Music by Lee Sellars*, Inana by Michele Lowe, Lidless by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, White People by J.T. Rogers
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- 2009 Festival
- Dear Sara Jane by Victor Lodato*, Farragut North by Beau Willimon, Fifty Words by Michael Weller, The History of Light by Eisa Davis*, Yankee Tavern by Steven Dietz
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- 2008 Festival
- The Overwhelming by J. T. Rogers, Pig Farm by Greg Kotis, Stick Fly by Lydia R. Diamond, A View of the Harbor by Richard Dresser*, WRECKS by Neil LaBute
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- 2007 Festival
- 1001 by Jason Grote, Lonesome Hollow by Lee Blessing*, The Pursuit of Happiness by Richard Dresser, My Name is Rachel Corrie from the writings of Rachel Corrie, edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner
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- 2006 Festival
- Augusta by Richard Dresser*, Jazzland by Keith Glover**, Mr. Marmalade by Noah Haidle, Sex, Death, and the Beach Baby by Kim Merrill*
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- 2005 Festival
- The God of Hell by Sam Shepard, American Tet by Lydia Stryk*, Sonia Flew by Melinda Lopez, Father Joy by Sheri Wilner*, Augusta by Richard Dresser+, Jazzland by Keith Glover++, On the Verge or The Geography of Yearning by Eric Overmyer~
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- 2004 Festival
- Homeland Security by Stuart Flack, Flag Day by Lee Blessing*, Rounding Third by Richard Dresser, The Rose of Corazon: A Texas Songplay by Keith Glover**, Amazing by Brooke Berman~, Father Joy by Sheri Wilner+
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- 2003 Festival
- Whores by Lee Blessing*, The Last Schwartz by Deborah Zoe Laufer, Bright Ideas by Eric Coble, Wilder by Erin Cressida Wilson, Flag Day by Lee Blessing+, The Clandestine Crossing by Keith Glover+
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- 2002 Festival
- Thief River by Lee Blessing, Silence of God by Catherine Filloux**, The Late Henry Moss by Sam Shepard, Orange Flower Water by Craig Wright*, Rounding Third by Richard Dresser+, Melissa Arctic by Craig Wright+
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- 2001 Festival
- Tape by Stephen Belber, The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa by John Olive*, The Occupation" by Harry Newman*, The Pavilion by Craig Wright, Carol Mulroney by Stephen Belber+, Orange Flower Water by Craig Wright+, Silence of God by Catherine Filloux++
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- 2000 Festival
- Hunger by Sheri Wilner*, Mary and Myra by Catherine Filloux*, Miss Golden Dreams, A Play Cycle by Joyce Carol Oates*, Something in the Air by Richard Dresser
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- 1999 Festival
- Compleat Female Stage Beauty by Jeffrey Hatcher**, Coyote on a Fence by Bruce Graham, Tatjana in Color by Julia Jordan*, The Water Children by Wendy MacLeod, Flo's Ho's by Julia Jordan++
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- 1998 Festival
- BAFO by Tom Strelich, Carry the Tiger to the Mountain by Cherylene Lee**, Gun-Shy by Richard Dresser, Interesting Times by Preston Foerder**
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- 1997 Festival
- Below the Belt by Richard Dresser, Demonology by Kelley Stuart, Lighting Up the Two Year Old by Benjie Aerenson, CATF Dance Ensemble
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- 1996 Festival
- Bad Girls by Joyce Carol Oates*, Octupus by Jon Klein*, The Nina Variations by Steven Dietz, The Nose by Elizabeth Egloff, Tough Choices for the New Century by Jane Anderson
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- 1995 Festival
- Beti the Yeti by Jon Klein, Maggie's Riff by Jon Lipsky, Psyche Was Here by Lynne Martin*, Voir Dire by Joe Sutton
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- 1994 Festival
- Forgiving Typhoid Mary by Mark St. Germain, Shooting Simone by Lynne Kaufman, Spike Heels by Teresa Rebeck, What are Tuesdays Like? by Victor Bumbalo*,
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- 1993 Festival
- A Contemporary Masque by Stephen Bennet, Alabama Rain by Heather McCutchen, Black by Joyce Carol Oates, Dream House by Darrah Cloud
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- 1992 Festival
- Static by Ben Siegler, Still Waters by Lynn Martin*, The Baby Dance by Jane Anderson, The Swan by Elizabeth Egloff
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- 1991 Festival
- Accelerando by Lisa Loomer, Welcome to the Moon by John Patrick Shanley
Production Notes
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- * world premiere
- ** world premiere; commissioned by CATF
- ++ staged reading; commissioned by CATF
- + staged reading
- ~ CATF Actors' Lab Workshop
See also
- List of theatre festivals
Notes
The plays are professionally produced using the LORT D contract of the Actor's Equity Association (AEA). The festival operates under agreements from AEA, United Scenic Artists, and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.
The festival is a member of the Theatre Communications Group.[14]
In 2008, the first phase of the new Center for Contemporary Arts was dedicated.[15] While Phase One does not directly support the festival, some of its space has been adapted for a third performance space. Phase Two is planned to add a 150-seat studio (black-box) theater as well as dressing room, scene shop and prop shop facilities. A future Phase Three will contain two 250-seat theaters, one thrust stage and one end-stage.[16]
In 2008, the festival had an economic impact of $2.1 million to the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia. [17]
References
- ^ Blair, Elizabeth (June 28, 2010). "Festival Brings New Dramas To Shenandoah Valley". Morning Edition (via NPR). http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128108042. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
- ^ Contemporary American Theater Festival (July 8, 2009). 2009 Program Book. Shepherdstown, WV: CATF. pp. 4.
- ^ A CurtainUp DC Feature. "CATF 2001: A Report from the Contemporary American Theatre Festival". curtainup.com. http://www.curtainup.com/catf2001.html. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- ^ Hong, Terry. "The Contemporary American Theater Festival Turns 10". curtainup.com. http://www.curtainup.com/catf2000.html. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Contemporary American Theatre Festival History & Archives". http://catf.org/about-catf/history-a-archives. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
- ^ "Shepherd University Virtual Campus Tour - Sara Cree Hall". http://www.shepherd.edu/university/tour/buildings/sara_cree.html. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ "History of the Harold and Mimi Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award". http://www.americantheatrecritics.org/history-of-steinberg-atca-awar/. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
- ^ 2007 Contemporary American Theater Festival Playbill. Contemporary American Theater Festival. July 6–29, 2007.
- ^ Logue, Susan (July 23, 2007). "Controversial Play in Spotlight at Contemporary American Theater Festival". Voice of America. http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2007-07/2007-07-23-voa59.cfm. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
- ^ Najjab, Jamal (September/October 2007). "Peace Café Busload Takes in West Virginia Production of "My Name Is Rachel Corrie"". Washington Report on Middle East Affairs: pp. 16, 18. http://www.wrmea.com/archives/Sept_Oct_2007/0709016.html. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
- ^ Horwitz, Jane (July 18, 2007). "'Corrie' Fears Unrealized". The Washington Post: p. C05. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071701961.html. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
- ^ "Stage Beauty (2004)". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368658/. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
- ^ "Contemporary American Theater Festival Announces its 2010 Company". westvirginia.broadwayworld.com. http://westvirginia.broadwayworld.com/printcolumn.php?id=137320. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
- ^ "TCG Member Theatres". Theatre Communications Group. http://www.tcg.org/about/membership/member_list.cfm. Retrieved July 7, 2009.
- ^ Rudder, Trish (April 18, 2008). "Shepherd University dedicates Center for Contemporary Arts". The Herald-Mail. http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=191475&format=html. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ "Shepherd University – Contemporary Arts Center". Holzman Moss Architecture, LLP. http://www.holzmanmoss.com/shepcontempart2.html. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
- ^ "Report Touts Benefits of Contemporary American Theater Festival". State Journal. February 21, 2009. http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=52679. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
External links
Categories:- Festivals in West Virginia
- Recurring events established in 1991
- Theatre festivals in the United States
- Visitor attractions in Jefferson County, West Virginia
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