contemporary american theater festival

What contemporary american theater festival does

Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) is a private nonprofit theater organization founded in 1991 and based at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. CATF operates an annual summer festival (July through August) that produces five world premieres of new American plays in rotating repertory across four venues on the Shepherd University campus: the Marinoff Theater, Frank Center, Studio 112, and the Shepherdstown Opera House. Productions are staffed by professional actors from the Actors' Equity Association and members of United Scenic Artists and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. Over its 35+ year history, CATF has produced more than 100 world premieres, including works by Pulitzer-recognized playwrights such as Yussef El Guindi, Lisa D'Amour, and Christina Pumariega (whose 2026 play "¡VOS!" is nominated for the 2026 Pulitzer Prize). The organization is led by Artistic Director Peggy McKowen and Producing Director Ed Herendeen, both of whom have long tenures with the festival.

CATF monetizes through a hybrid ticket/subscription/donation model. Core revenue streams include individual ticket sales (priced $20-$67 depending on segment), subscription passes (REP5 at $300 for all five productions and REP3 at $201 for any three), the new ThinkAhead Pass ($276 for the 2027 season), discounted group sales (10+ patrons at $38-$63 per ticket), and tax-deductible donations supported by matching-gift campaigns. Supporting programs include Hostel YOUTH!, an immersive theater education program for ages 14-18, the TalkTheater post-show discussion and lecture series, and published anthologies including "Plays by Women from CATF." Technology infrastructure is standard nonprofit SaaS: Spektrix for ticketing and CRM, Stripe/Adyen/Square for payment processing, Jotform for forms, and dotdigital for email marketing, with Meta Pixel and Google advertising cookies for audience acquisition. The festival's primary partnerships include Shepherd University (venue and academic integration) and the National New Play Network (rolling world premieres across multiple partner theaters).

Name

contemporary american theater festival

Legal name

Contemporary American Theater Festival

Website

https://catf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Contemporary American Theater Festival is a private nonprofit founded in 1991 at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV that produces an annual summer festival of five world premieres of new American plays across four campus venues, serving theatergoers, playwrights, students, and group audiences through subscriptions, tickets, donations, and education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater Festival

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Culture, Entertainment & Fan Conventions Organizers (THAHABAN)

Keywords

• New play productions
• Summer theater festival
• World premiere plays
• Repertory theater
• Arts education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Shepherdstown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual performance tickets sold at various price points with discounts for seniors, students, West Virginia residents, military, and theater industry professionals.
2. REP Passes (Subscription): Repertory passes offering discounted access to multiple shows: REP5 pass for all five productions ($300 regular, $280 senior) and REP3 pass for any three productions ($201 regular, $174 senior). Thinkahead passes available at $276 for next season.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations supporting emerging playwrights and world-class productions. Weekend of Giving campaigns with matching funds (e.g., $20k match).
4. Group Sales: Discounted tickets for groups of 10+ with additional benefits including workshop and backstage tour opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CATF produces and presents world premiere productions of new American plays through an annual summer festival running July through August, using a rotating repertory format across multiple venues on the Shepherd University campus. The festival sells single tickets, REP Pass subscriptions (REP5 for all five productions, REP3 for any three), and ThinkAhead advance passes, supplemented by group sales, donations, and education programs including Hostel YOUTH! for teens and the TalkTheater engagement series.

Product overview

The Contemporary American Theater Festival is a theater organization producing new American plays in rotating repertory across multiple venues during an annual summer festival. The core offering consists of REP Passes (REP5 for all five productions, REP3 for any three productions) and ThinkAhead advance passes, providing access to world premieres and staged readings. Supporting offerings include Hostel YOUTH! (a youth immersion program for teens), the TalkTheater education series, and published anthologies. The festival operates at three main venues: the Marinoff Theater, Frank Center, and Studio 112, all located on Shepherd University's campus in Shepherdstown, WV.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• REP5 Pass Premium subscription pass offering one ticket to all five productions in the season, providing full access to CATF's rotating repertory across multiple Shepherd University venues. Priced at $300 regular or $280 senior (with $90 student rate). Designed for committed theatergoers seeking complete festival immersion.
• REP3 Pass Flexible subscription pass offering one ticket to any three productions, allowing patrons to create their own performance schedule across venues. Priced at $201 regular or $174 senior. Designed for theatergoers wanting repertory access with schedule flexibility.
• ThinkAhead Pass (2027 Season) Advance-purchase pass securing tickets at the lowest available rate for the following year's season, with first access to best seats. Priced at $276 for the 2027 season. Must be redeemed by June 1 of the season year.
• Hostel YOUTH! Youth immersion program for ages 14-18 providing hands-on experience with professional theater artists, including workshops, new play attendance, and technical theater training. Based on a full-immersion youth hostel model and directed by Theresa M. Davis.
• Plays by Women from CATF Anthology Published anthology of plays by women from the Contemporary American Theater Festival, co-edited by Peggy McKowen and Ed Herendeen with an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage. Recognized by Playbill as one of 15 Theatre Books to Add to Your Spring 2019 Reading List.
• TalkTheater Series Education and engagement series featuring humanities events including post-show discussions, lectures, and dialogues about the plays and their themes. Designed for theatergoers seeking deeper engagement with the productions.
• The Smoker (2026 World Premiere) World premiere production of 'The Smoker' by Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Lisa D'Amour, directed by Shelley Butler. A warm-hearted play about community among under-employed dreamers. Part of the 2026 CATF season.
• Best Line Wins (2026 World Premiere) World premiere production of 'Best Line Wins: A Play Inspired by the Improvised Lives of Elaine May & Mike Nichols' by Beth Kander, directed by Jessica Kubzansky. A split-second-timed comedy examining lifelong friendship, creativity, competition, and gender disparity. Part of the 2026 CATF season.
• ¡VOS! (2026 World Premiere) World premiere production of '¡VOS!' by Christina Pumariega, directed by Kimberly Senior. An Edgerton Foundation New Play Award winner nominated for the 2026 Pulitzer Prize. Part of the 2026 CATF season.
• My Favorite Sociopath (2026 NNPN Rolling World Premiere) NNPN Rolling World Premiere of 'My Favorite Sociopath' by Aurin Squire, a razor-sharp comedy about journalism students, ambition, and the media industry. Produced in partnership with NJ Repertory Company and Firehouse Theatre. Part of the 2026 CATF season.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Shepherd UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampus partnership providing venues (Marinoff Theater, Frank Center, Studio 112) and educational collaboration including student discounts, faculty partnerships, and theater program integration. Festival operates on university campus in Shepherdstown.
• National New Play Network (NNPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnables rolling world premieres of new plays. CATF has produced multiple NNNP rolling premieres including 'On Clover Road' (2015) and 'My Favorite Sociopath' (2026) in partnership with NJ Repertory Company and Firehouse Theatre.
• FirstEnergy FoundationminorOthersFunded purchase of new Assisted Listening System to expand accessibility for hearing-impaired audience members.
• West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and HistoryminorOthersState arts agency providing funding support for accessibility equipment purchases.
• West Virginia Commission on the ArtsminorOthersState arts commission supporting CATF's programming through grant funding.
• Spectrum Theatre Ensemble (STE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop Social Stories helping neurodivergent audience members prepare for the social experience of attending performances.
• Shepherdstown Business PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork of local lodging, dining, arts, shopping, spa, and service businesses that promote CATF to their customers and provide visitor recommendations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Williamstown Theatre Festival: Summer repertory theater in Williamstown, MA producing new works and classics on a college-adjacent campus model. Closely comparable to CATF on repertory format, seasonal window, and new-play development focus.
• TheatreWorks Silicon Valley: Regional theater in the San Francisco Bay Area with a strong new-play development program. Comparable to CATF on new American play commissioning and producing world premieres.
• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Long-running regional repertory festival in Ashland, OR producing a multi-play season across multiple venues. Comparable in repertory structure, multi-venue footprint, and seasonal festival cadence.
• Actors Theatre of Louisville: Regional theater historically known for the Humana Festival of New American Plays. Comparable to CATF as a new-play festival producer with repertory world premieres.
• Signature Theatre (New York): Off-Broadway repertory company dedicated to producing plays in residency by a single living writer each season. Comparable to CATF's commitment to new American play development and rotating repertory model.
• Playwrights Horizons: Off-Broadway theater dedicated exclusively to developing and producing new American plays. Comparable to CATF's new-play focus and emerging playwright development mission.
• Berkshire Theatre Group: Summer-stock repertory theater in the Berkshires producing new and classic works across multiple venues. Comparable to CATF's summer festival format, small-town setting, and multi-venue repertory operations.

Regional players

• Round House Theatre: Regional theater in Bethesda, MD producing new plays and contemporary work. Comparable as a DC-metro regional theater focused on contemporary American plays, though operating year-round rather than as a summer festival.
• Center Stage (Baltimore): Mid-Atlantic regional theater producing classics, new plays, and contemporary work in Baltimore. Comparable as a neighboring regional theater serving the Mid-Atlantic touring audience that CATF also draws from.

Broad incumbents

• Arena Stage: Large, established regional theater in Washington, DC producing new works, classics, and musicals year-round. Comparable as a regional theater producing American plays, but operates at materially larger scale and full-year calendar.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ThinkTheaterCATF
• Instagraminstagram.com/thinktheater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/think-theater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about contemporary american theater festival