The Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) at Shepherd University officially kicks off the 2019 Season with the annual Shepherdstown Sneak Peek on Friday, March 22nd at 7:30pm.This free event will take place at the Marinoff Theater at 62 West Campus Drive in Shepherdstown.
Ed Herendeen, CATF’s Founder and Producing Director will discuss why these six shows stood out to him, and why he is compelled to bring these new plays to life in historic Shepherdstown. The 29th season of the internationally recognized and acclaimed theater festival includes one commission, two second productions, and three world premieres, including My Lord, What A Night by award-winning Deborah Brevoort.
With the mission to produce and develop new American theater, the Festival is dedicated to supporting contemporary playwrights and providing opportunities for audiences and artists to connect. In that spirt, the guest artist for CATF’s season announcement is playwright Deborah Brevoort. My Lord, What A Night will receive its world premiere at the Contemporary American Theater Festival as part of the 2019 season. At the annual Shepherdstown Sneak Peek, Brevoort will speak to her artistic process and discuss how and why she transformed My Lord, What A Night from a one-act play, to the full length script that will take stage in July. A scene from the show will also be performed as part of the evening’s festivities.
Based on actual events, Brevoort’s new play highlights two historic figures: singer Marian Anderson and physicist Albert Einstein. In 1937, after performing a sold-out concert in Princeton, NJ, internationally renowned singer Marian Anderson was refused a room at the whites-only Nassau Inn. The acclaimed Albert Einstein invites her to stay in his home, beginning an intimate friendship between two icons that lasts a lifetime.
The opportunity to learn about the professional theater festival’s season from the curator and the ability to engage directly with the playwright of My Lord, What A Night will undoubtedly enhance the parallels between Brevoort’s historical drama and issues faced in contemporary society.
The 2019 Season of the Contemporary American Theater Festival will take place July 5-28. The season’s plays are: My Lord, What a Night by Deborah Brevoort (world premiere); Chester Bailey by Joseph Dougherty; Support Group for Men by Ellen Fairey; Wrecked by Greg Kaleres (world premiere); Antonio’s Song / I was dreaming of a son by Dael Orlandersmith and Antonio Edwards Suarez (world premiere); and A Welcome Guest: A Psychotic Fairy Tale by Michael Weller (world premiere).
Rep Packages for the 2019 season of the Contemporary American Theater Festival will go sale on March 25th. Single tickets will be available on April 16th. For more information about CATF and the upcoming summer season, visit catf.org.
