[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 102 (Monday, July 12, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5739-S5740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RECOGNIZING THE CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER FESTIVAL

 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today I congratulate and 
commend the Contemporary American Theater Festival, CATF, in 
Shepherdstown, WV, on its 20th season which began this past weekend on 
July 9. This renowned festival, presented in partnership with Shepherd 
University, is an extraordinary event that runs for several weeks each 
summer, bringing thousands of people to our beautiful State and 
highlighting Shepherdstown's arts community.
  More than two decades ago, Ed Herendeen had a dream of producing new 
works in theater, so he came to Shepherdstown and did just that. He had 
the vision and dedication to start and nurture this festival. And under 
Ed's leadership, the theater festival continues to produce and develop 
new American theater that not only examines current events and reflects 
on national trends but also serves as a haven for contemporary 
playwrights. This year, as it does every year, the festival confronts 
bold and controversial issues to prod the audience and explore new 
ideas. Since its first season in 1991, CATF has produced 80 new 
American plays and 30 world premieres.
  A recent National Public Radio story described what the festival has 
meant to the artists and the community:

       The Contemporary American Theater Festival at Shepherd 
     University in

[[Page S5740]]

     Shepherdstown is a dream for the writers of those plays. Over 
     the years, both up-and-coming playwrights and big names--like 
     Sam Shepard and Joyce Carol Oates--have premiered works 
     there. That's in large part due to the festival's hard-
     working founder, Ed Herendeen. Herendeen founded the festival 
     20 years ago in partnership with Shepherd University. That 
     first season they did three plays and sold about 2,000 
     tickets. Today, they do five professional plays and sell more 
     than 11,000 tickets. What's unusual about the festival is 
     that Herendeen says he's never tempted to do a popular play 
     in order to draw more people. The audience that the festival 
     has developed really is expecting it to do new plays.

  In addition to its first-class performances, the festival offers 
lectures and discussion to enhance the audience's understanding of the 
arts. Over the last 7 years, in partnership with the Appalachian 
Education Initiative, AEI, the festival has hosted the Annual Elizabeth 
Francis Teacher Training Institute, a professional development program 
for high school teachers from West Virginia and other States across the 
region. This is an opportunity to learn hands on from CATF's 
professional theater artists. Participants are immersed in the art and 
craft of theater, gaining insight into acting, production, stage 
management, marketing, and script analysis. This year, participants 
will attend every play in the festival's 20th anniversary season, and 
have a chance to meet and talk with actors, producers, and technicians 
while receiving graduate level credits for their coursework.
  It is hard to overstate the extraordinary economic impact this 
festival has on the entire region. The annual event brings people from 
more than 20 States to West Virginia to enjoy theater, immerse 
themselves in our community, and explore our beautiful natural 
surroundings. And as the crowds fill our theaters, restaurants, shops, 
and hotels, their support creates employment and boosts local 
businesses.
  In recent years, festival goers have contributed $3.2 million to the 
local economy with the average patron spending $132 on top of the price 
of tickets.
  Today, I congratulate and thank Shepherd University President Suzanne 
Shipley, Ed Herendeen, and their talented team for bringing such a 
truly outstanding theater festival to the stage every year. The 
Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown is an enormous 
source of pride for me and for every West Virginian.

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