Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF)

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

A convicted murderer is visited by the sister of the man he killed. A spellbinding psychological chess game ensues.

A character named Virgil relates their awakening to the preciousness of life.

A play about a rocket explosion and feuding space tycoons fizzles.

Two men and a woman in a complex relationship triangle confront their hard truths.

José Rivera's brilliant world premiere, breathtakingly acted, about artificial intelligence and aging.

A dark drama that imagines a future when pregnancies are regulated to control overpopulation.

A fun and spooky mystery about a spoiled white gentrifier.