It’s A WHIRLWIND

We are in the final weeks of pre-production preparations. There is a whirlwind of creative activity throughout the building. In just a few weeks our 2009 Company will arrive to “re-create” the Theater Festival experience.

We have provided an artistic haven where artists live and work together. It is an overwhelming experience to witness. Each summer you can feel the creative energy that buzzes in our rehearsal spaces, in our shops, in the hallways of the CCA, around the artists’ housing, and throughout the historic village of Shepherdstown. Late-night conversations, jam sessions under the WV stars, early morning walks along the Potomac are fueled with a constant creativity that makes the Contemporary American Theater Festival experience a unique artistic endeavor. I often describe it as a creative explosion. I have seen it happen in the rehearsal hall, on-stage…in performance…but more often this creative explosion happens at odd hours in a Shepherdstown pub or restaurant, walking down German Street, or even sitting on my front porch with a small gathering of actors and playwrights. The collaborative process is constant and inspiring. I cannot imagine a better place to live and produce new work.

I just love being in the center of this “whirlwind” of creative activity. It is not an accident that brings people together in art. We come together because we have to share our experiences with others. We find it impossible to stand still; we want to move forward. We want new ways to express ourselves in “creative action.”

We are preparing to welcome a new company of CATF Artists who will help us “re-invent” the CATF experience. Because creating art is a journey of self discovery, and that is the task of the artist, to know oneself through good work.

I am looking forward to inviting you to step into the center of this CATF whirlwind…join us in July…bring your friends!

Ed Herendeen