Summer Stages: BWW Top Picks for Summer Theater in West Virginia

Theaters in West Virginia this summer will offer a not-so-stereotypical "summer season". Many world premiere plays and new shows will debut, while some classic and contemporary musicals are still available in some of the state's professional theaters. Listed below are five of the top picks for live theater shows this summer, but these are only a small offering of the many fantastic performances and live theater seasons occurring in West Virginia.

Contemporary American Theater Festival

Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV

The Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) company will celebrate their 25th anniversary season and a unique mix of new and exciting plays this summer. CATF will occur at three theaters on the campus of Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV, presenting "newest plays in West Virginia's oldest town". Five plays will be presented in rotating repertory from July 10- August 2 and festival patrons would be able to see all five plays in the span of a two day visit. Four out of the five productions in the 2015 season are world premiere plays, in honor of the CATF silver anniversary season. The five productions this year include World Builders, Everything You Touch, On Clover Road, We Are Pussy Riot and The Full Catastrophe.

In addition to the five plays, festival patrons can also attend free staged readings of plays in consideration for the 2016 CATF season, post-show discussions, after-show salons with the festival producing director and managing director, the popular Lunch and Art series with members of the CATF acting company and Breakfast with Ed, a brunch meal and discussion with festival founder and director, Ed Herendeen. For more information, please visit http://catf.org/.

Doubt
Black Box Arts Center, Shepherdstown, WV

Doubt, the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning drama, will also premiere this summer in Shepherdstown. The Black Box Arts Center is a newly renovated and intimate theater space in downtown Shepherdstown. This 99 seat theater re-opened earlier in 2015 and will be presenting this drama as a summer production on July 10, 11 and 12. For more inforation, please visit http://blackboxartscenter.org/

West Virginia Public Theater Summer Season

Metropolitan Theater, Morgantown, WV

West Virginia Public Theater is a professional summer stock theater in Morgantown, West Virginia presenting a traditional and modern mix of musicals. The 2015 summer season will open with A Grand Night for Singing, a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical revue with an updated twist, from July 8-12. Following will be the modern hit musical Footloose from July 15-19 and then the gospel, bluegrass musical Smoke on the Mountain from July 22-26. The season will close with the classic Disney musical Beauty and the Beast from July 29 to August 29. For more information, please visit http://www.wvpublictheatre.org/.

New Voice Play Festival

Old Opera House, Charles Town, WV

Not among the usual summer stock familiar favorites, the New Voice Play Festival, founded in 2008, seeks to showcase four new, rarely or never before performed one act plays. Playwrights may submit original works to the competition during the winter months. From a selection of over sixty submissions from playwrights all over the nation, the four best plays are chosen and fully staged and performed. This year the four shows which will receive their world premiere productions include Civilized Affairs, The Cloak of the Supreme Champion Over All Others, The Day After Christmas and A Subject of Inquiry. After the performance, audience members are asked to vote for their favorite show and the winner and runner-ups are announced after the final performance. The New Voice Play Festival runs one weekend only, June 19, 20 and 21. For more information about the New Voice Play Festival or other upcoming performances at the Old Opera House, please visit www.oldoperahouse.org/.

Greenbrier Valley Theater Summer Season

Greenbrier Valley Theater, Lewisburg, WV

Opened in 1966 and known as the "State Professional Theatre of West Virginia", the Greenbrier Valley Theater is the professional theater with a commitment to community involvement. The summer season will open with Kandler and Ebb's Chicago from June 11-27, followed by Neil Simon's hillarious comedy Laughter on the 23rd Floor from July 17 - August 1. The season will close with the crowd pleasing musical revue Beehive, a celebration of song classics from the 1960's, running from August 28- September 12. For more information on upcoming performances, please visit http://www.gvtheatre.org/

Photo Credits: CATF and West Virginia Public Theater

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