WILD HORSES, WE WILL NOT BE SILENT, THE NICETIES and More Set for Contemporary American Theater Festival's 2017 Season

The Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) at Shepherd University announces the 2017 season. Since its founding in 1991 by Ed Herendeen, the Festival has enjoyed continued growth, earning a national reputation and garnishing international attention for producing new American theater.

This year, the professional theater company is increasing their repertory from five to six productions, which capture a snapshot of the current American landscape.

The Contemporary American Theater Festival introduces their 27th season, including four world premieres: Welcome to Fear City by Kara Lee Corthron; Wild Horses by Allison Gregory; Everything is Wonderful by Chelsea Marcantel; and We Will Not Be Silent by David Meyers as well as two new plays: The Niceties by Eleanor Burgess and Byhalia, Mississippi by Evan Linder.

"We are expanding our ambitious and insatiable appetite to make art that matters," Herendeen declares. "These stories will create and foster vital discussions with our audience... The Festival is a place for inclusive dialogue and conversation about our society. We may not have the answers, but we will never stop asking the urgent and pressing questions."

Herendeen continues, "Artistic expression matters... We offer our community the chance to experience empathy and compassion by producing new work that accurately reflects the diversity of our own country. Our 2017 playwrights confront us with new, unexpected, and even radical points of view."

Not only will the Festival offer over 100 performances throughout July, but CATF will also host numerous "talktheater" events including free lectures, discussions, and staged readings. These events offer engaging supplemental content surrounding Festival productions.

The Contemporary American Theater Festival will take place July 7 - 30, with matinee and evening performances Tuesday through Sunday. Festival tickets go on sale Monday, March 27. To order tickets, call the Contemporary American Theater Festival Box Office at 800.999.CATF (2283) or visit CATF online at www.catf.org. Single tickets range from $35 to $65; packages range from $120 to $305. Student, military, and group discounts are available.

The Contemporary American Theater Festival was founded by Ed Herendeen in 1991 to produce and develop new American theater. Each summer, the Festival produces new plays in rotating repertory on the campus of Shepherd University. To date, CATF has produced over 115 new plays including forty-three world premieres and ten commissions.

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