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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. Contemporary American Theater Festival, 2026 Also see Susan's review of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder The Contemporary American Theater Festival, in its 36th season at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, is presenting five new plays, four of which are world premieres, at three campus venues through August 2. While some of these new works are more developed than others, all are worth keeping an eye on. Refugee Rhapsody, written by Yussef El Guindi and directed by Zi Alikhan, follows two refugees from the Middle East, Lebanese Sakinah (Ellena Eshraghi) and Syrian Fouad (Revon Yousif), as they work at low-paying jobs and dream of better days ahead. A random donation of formal wear to the thrift store where they work leads them to dress up and show up at a gala hosted by rich, beautiful Emily (Shelby Alayne Antel). The audience knows things are not going to end well as Sakinah later consults with a psycologist/therapist named Jenny (Jada Alston Owens). The play makes its points well enough, but much of the time it's quiet with periodic interruptions of emotion. The Smoker, written by Lisa D'Amour and directed by Shelley Butler, is a lovely series of vignettes about how informal groups of people–such as smokers taking breaks from work–can form lasting bonds and friendships as they gather in front of an apartment building façade (cleverly designed by Michael Raiford). Brad Fleischer's character, identified only as "The Smoker," has gathered a series of fellow smokers into what one of them calls "our own little bubble of pleasure." They share the important details of their lives, such as Tonya's (Danielle Davenport) job issues and Kim's (Regina Gibson) on-and-off gigs as an opera singer, as they reach out to each other. ¡Vos!, written by Christina Pumariega and directed by Kimberly Senior, focuses on Annie (Francesca Santodomingo), the U.S.-born daughter of an Argentinian immigrant who discovers that her late mother left her an apartment in Buenos Aires. As she settles into her new South American life, she begins fertility treatments with Dr. Cossi (Maggie Bofill)–and the actors also take on other roles in scenes depicting the horrors of Argentina's Dirty War in the 1970s. It's moving and thought-provoking, if occasionally overstuffed with plot. Visually it holds the interest, specifically with soaring projections designed by Kelly Colburn. Best Line Wins, written by Beth Kander and directed by Jessica Kubzansky, is, as its subhead says, "a play inspired by the improvised lives of Elaine May & Mike Nichols." The problem is that this is not a true biography but the playwright's conception of the two pioneers of improvisational comedy. Sometimes the script just seems to check off the boxes as Elaine (Lori Vega) and Mike (Riley Shanahan) meet in Chicago in the 1950s, become stars together on Broadway, then shift to solo careers and eventually reconnect after several decades. My Favorite Sociopath, written by Aurin Squire and directed by Celine Rosenthal, is the highlight of the festival. With that title, the question soon becomes which of the three characters–Miles (Nick Saxton), Gina (Brooke Turner), or Evan (the magnetic Kennedy Kanagawa)–fits the definition of a sociopath. They're all college students working for a newspaper in the 1990s, questioning the role of journalism and when reporting a story should shift into advocacy for a specific point of view. Scenic designer Afsaneh Aayani echoes the fragmented nature of the subject by creating different settings by moving and reassembling set pieces. The Contemporary American Theater Festival runs through August 2, 2026, on the campus of Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV. For tickets and information, please call 681-240-2283 or visit catf.org. Refugee Rhapsody The Smoker: Brad Fleischer ¡VOS! Annie and Sofia: Francesca Santodomingo Best Line Wins: A Play Inspired by the Improvised Lives of Elaine May & Mike Nichols Elaine: Lori Vega My Favorite Sociopath Miles: Nick Saxton |
