Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF)

At its best, the play is a tender and beautiful meditation on the ways women inherit family, history, and loss, but emotional momentum stalls in exposition. By NICOLE HERTVIK

Aurin Squire’s laugh-out-loud play looks at the demise of journalism and the rise of fake news.  By BOB ASHBY

An entertaining new work about the legendary comedy team Nichols and May, as well as an in-depth look at the discrimination women experience. By ARNOLD SALTZMAN 

An apartment sidewalk in New York serves as a microcosm of a troubled America. By BOB ASHBY

Yussef El Guindi’s play is a well-written, well-paced example of the thoughtful theater for which CATF is justly renowned. By BOB ASHBY

Playwright, director, and festival producer weigh in on one of the most anticipated shows in the 2026 Contemporary American Theater Festival. By ARNOLD SALTZMAN

The artistic director talks about her 20-year journey with the festival and how she picked this year’s lineup. By JULIA TUCKER

Single tickets now on sale for 2026 CATF, with a lineup including four world premieres (one a partnership with DC's Keegan Theatre).

On the theme of theater as an 'occasion for joy,' five new plays will be performed in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, from July 10 to August 2. By BOB ASHBY

Lisa Loomer has written a deeply personal play about a mother whose son, like Loomer’s, developed a devastating condition. By BOB ASHBY

In this fresh new realm of theater expression, two stuntmen push to the max to fulfill their sense of self. By DEBBIE MINTER JACKSON

In Mark St. Germain's retelling, the Apostle Peter and Mary Magdalene become totally different characters from who we expect them to be. By DEBBIE MINTER JACKSON

Appalachia meets Vietnam in CATF's first world premiere by a local West Virginia playwright. By ANDREA MOYA

In telling his autobiographical stories, Kling forms a connection with the audience in an emotionally compelling way. By BOB ASHBY

CATF to host five world premiere plays by trailblazing playwrights, plus over 40 special events, from July 11 to August 3 in Shepherdstown, WV.

In the face of censorship and oppression, the Festival will present fearless new work from July 11 to August 3 in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. By BOB ASHBY

The artistic director of the Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, shares her vision and values. By DERYL DAVIS

A compassionate intergenerational saga of a Black family contending with HIV. By BOB ASHBY

The powerful true-life story of a Holocaust survivor performed by Kenneth Tigar in an acting master class. By BOB ASHBY

New, exciting work from July 5 to 28 in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. By BOB ASHBY