Contemporary American Theater Festival, Theater festival at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, United States.
The Contemporary American Theater Festival is a summer theater festival held on the campus of Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Six new plays are staged each season across three venues on campus, running in a rotating repertory format so audiences can see multiple productions.
The festival was founded in 1991, drawing on models from similar theater initiatives elsewhere in the United States. Over the years it has grown steadily, building a reputation as a reliable home for new American plays.
The festival focuses entirely on living American playwrights, which gives it a character different from most theater events. After performances, visitors can meet writers and directors in person through talks held on campus.
The festival takes place in July, and beyond the performances it offers workshops and post-show discussions that are open to all visitors. A separate program runs at the same time for teenagers between 14 and 18, giving younger audiences their own theater activities.
Since it started, the festival has given dozens of plays their very first performance, many of which went on to be staged by other theaters across the country. This makes it one of the few places where a visitor might see a play that no one else has ever seen before.
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