Programs

  • CATF Play Festival

    CATF RETURNED FROM ITS SHUTTERED STATE AND FULLY PRODUCED A REPERTORY OF SIX NEW PLAYS. THE SEASON INCLUDED THE LARGEST COMPANY OF ACTORS AND PRODUCTION ARTISTS CATF HAS EVER EMPLOYED. THE FESTIVAL PRODUCED PLAYS ABOUT RACISM, POLICE BRUTALITY, MENTAL WELLNESS, CLIMATE EVOLUTION, AND ISSUES OF REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS. WHILE CATF DID NOT EXPERIENCE THE FULL CAPACITY RETURN OF THEIR AUDIENCE, GUESTS DID ATTEND. THE AUDIENCE DID NOT ATTEND THE SIX SHOWS TO FULL CAPACITY AND CATF SAW MORE SINGLE TICKET BUYERS THAN SUBSCRIBERS.THE AUDIENCE WAS INCREDIBLY RECEPTIVE AND CRITICS WERE POSITIVE ABOUT THE PLAYS. AUDIENCE MEMBERS WORE MASKS AND ADHERED TO ALL COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS AS DID THE COMPANY MEMBERS. FORTUNATELY, CATF DID NOT CANCEL ANY PERFORMANCES DUE TO COVID RELATED ILLNESSES. CATF WAS WELL EQUIPPED WITH PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT AND HAD THOUSANDS OF RAPID TESTS TO SHARE WITH THE COMPANY. THE COMPANY TESTED TWO-THREE TIMES A WEEK. FATIQUE AND MANAGING LONG WORK HOURS ADDED TO THE STRESS OF PRODUCING SIX SHOWS IN REPERTORY DURING THIS REBUILDING TIME.CATF DID NOT OFFER THE FULL SERIES OF TALKTHEATER EVENTS DUE TO COVID SAFETY CONCERNS BUT MANY OF THE USUAL EVENTS SURROUNDING THE PLAY REPERTORY DID OCCUR. POST SHOW DISCUSSIONS WERE OFTEN HELD WITHOUT ACTORS. LUNCH AND ART BECAME AN EVENT DURING WHICH GUESTS COULD BRING A BAG LUNCH INSTEAD OF ENJOYING A CATF SERVED BUFFET. AGAIN, THE ADDITIONAL PROGRAM WAS NOT AS FULLY ATTENDED AS THEY HAD BEEN PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC BUT AUDIENCES DID ATTEND.CATF SAW SIGNIFICANT STAFF CHANGE AS WELL. FOUNDER, ED HERENDEEN RETIRED AND PEGGY MCKOWEN BECAME THE NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR. CATF HELD A NATIONAL SEARCH FOR A NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR. JEFF GRIFFIN BEGAN AS MANAGING DIRECTION DURING THE WHIRLWIND OF JULY. STAFF FOCUSED ON A WELLNESS PLAN COMING INTO THE COVID PROTOCOL SEASON AND COMMITTED TO A STAGETIC MISSION OF BECOMING AN ANTI-RACIST AND ANTI-OPPRESSIVE ORGANIZATION.MAJOR CHANGES ARE TAKING PLACE QUICKLY AT CATF AND THE FESTIVAL IS MOVING INTO A TRANFORMATIONAL TIME. 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.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Nov 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2022
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $99K

  • Program 1 [2024]

    CATF'S 2024 SUMMER FESTIVAL SEASON INCLUDED FOUR NEW PLAYS (ONE IN TWO PARTS) EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF HIV/AIDS ON A BLACK FAMILY IN THE 1980S AND BEYOND; THE JOURNEY OF A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR; THE EXPERIENCE OF A NONBINARY, AUTISTIC FILMMAKER WITH SYNESTHESIA; AND THE BURDEN AND CONSEQUENCES OF BURIED SECRETS.. THE SEASON WAS WELL-RECEIVED BY CRITICS AND AUDIENCES ALIKE AND WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF OVER 130 ARTISTS. CATF ALSO OFFERED 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 AIDS ACTIVISTS, BRUNCH WITH THE CATF ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT A LOCAL BISTRO, AND AN EXPERT PANEL DISCUSSION ABOUT SYNESTHESIA. CATF ALSO PARTNERED WITH LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS SPEAK STORY AND APPALACHIAN CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL (ACMF) FOR ITS TALKTUESDAY EVENTS. THE COLLABORATION WITH ACMF BROUGHT MUSICI IRELAND TO SHEPHERDSTOWN TO PRESENT A MOTHER'S VOICE.OUTSIDE OF THE SUMMER FESTIVAL, CATF CONTINUED ITS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING IN JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS, BRINGING PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS INTO EVERY FOURTH GRADE CLASSROOM TO READ CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE BOOKS. CATF ALSO PRODUCED A REMOUNT OF ITS 2023 PRODUCTION OF REDEEMED BY CHISA HUTCHINSON AT 59E59 THEATRES IN NEW YORK CITY AS PART OF THE AMPLIFY FESTIVAL. REDEEMED PLAYED FOR 14 PERFORMANCES FROM SEPTEMBER 15-OCTOBER 5, 2024 AND WAS HAILED BY CRITICS.CATF CONTINUED TO EXPAND ITS USE OF THE HISTORIC CHURCH BUILDING AND CHURCHYARD THAT WAS DONATED IN 2023. THE ORGANIZATION HOSTED NEW PLAY WORKSHOPS, BOARD MEETINGS, AND COMMUNITY GATHERINGS AS WELL AS MAKING THE SPACE AVAILABLE FOR THE HISTORIC CHURCH TOUR AND OTHER LOCAL 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.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $1.7M