CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER FESTIVAL

IN 2023, CATF CONTINUED TO BUILD BACK ITS AUDIENCE BASE POST-PANDEMIC AND INCREASED TICKET SALES ABOVE THE PRIOR YEAR. THE SUMMER FESTIVAL SEASON INCLUDED FIVE NEW PLAYS EXPLORING PRIVATIZED SPACE EXPLORATION, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, REDEMPTION IN THE WAKE OF A HATE CRIME, THE MEANING OF LIFE AND DEATH, AND THE COST OF LONG-HELD SECRETS. THIS WAS THE FIRST SEASON SELECTED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PEGGY MCKOWEN AND - FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CATF'S HISTORY - EACH PRODUCTION WAS A WORLD-PREMIERE. THE SEASON WAS WELL-RECEIVED BY CRITICS AND AUDIENCES ALIKE AND WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF 130 ARTISTS. CATF RETURNED TO OFFERING A LARGE SELECTION OF TALKTHEATER EVENTS EXPLORING THE THEMES OF THE PLAYS AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERACTION BETWEEN ARTISTS AND AUDIENCES. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED A LECTURE BY NASA SCIENTISTS, A WEEKLY BRUNCH WITH THE CATF ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT A LOCAL BISTRO, AND A CONVERSATION WITH TWO WRITERS ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WRITING FOR THE STAGE AND SCREEN. CATF CONTINUED TO ADHERE TO EVOLVING COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS, INCLUDING OFFERING SEVERAL MASKED PERFORMANCES TO ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT COMFORT LEVELS AMONG AUDIENCES. CASES OF COVID WERE RARE AMONG STAFF MEMBERS AND SPREAD WAS PREVENTED BY TESTING, ISOLATION, AND MASKING. NO PERFORMANCES WERE CANCELED DUE TO COVID.OUTSIDE OF THE SUMMER FESTIVAL, CATF ALSO PRODUCED A FALL READING SERIES FEATURING TWO STAGED READINGS OF WORK UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR AND COMMISSIONED A NEW PLAY INSPIRED BY THE LIVES AND STORIES OF LOCAL RESIDENTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV.CATF WAS GIFTED A HISTORIC CHURCH BUILDING AND CHURCHYARD DATING BACK TO THE LATE 1700S WHEN IN EARLY 2023 THE CHRIST REFORMED UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST CONGREGATION DECIDED TO DISBAND. THIS IS SIGNIFICANT AS IT MARKS THE FIRST TIME CATF HAS OWNED REAL PROPERTY AND CREATES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CATF TO INCREASE ITS YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMMING. CATF INTENDS TO BE A GOOD STEWARD OF THIS LOCAL ASSET AND RENOVATE THE THEATER OVER THE COURSE OF THE COMING YEARS TO BE A THEATER AND COMMUNITY SPACE THAT CAN BE USED BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. SINCE THE FESTIVAL'S FOUNDING IN 1991, CATF HAS GROWN IN NATIONAL REPUTATION AND IS HIGHLY REGARDED AS ONE OF AMERICA'S IMPORTANT NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT CENTERS. EACH YEAR PATRONS COME FROM OVER 38 STATES AND MULTIPLE COUNTRIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BIRTH OF DARING NEW WORK. NUMEROUS REVIEWS, ARTICLES, AND FEATURE STORIES HAVE APPEARED IN MEDIA VENUES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING THE WASHINGTON POST, THE BALTIMORE SUN, NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, THE NEW YORK TIMES, AMERICAN THEATRE MAGAZINE, AND THE NEW YORKER.