All of Shepherdstown's A Stage

Washington, DC You know what they say---instead of complaining about a problem, do something about it. And that's exactly what Ed Herendeen did. Founder of the Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, Herendeen inaugurated the event in response to what he called "the critical need in the country for a home for the development and full production of new American plays." In this week's Art Works podcast, Herendeen discusses how the festival model gives audiences a complete theater experience, why it's important to support multiple productions of new plays, and why he likes plays that are "dangerous." School's back in session next week and so is The Big Read. To celebrate, next week's Art Works Podcast features writer Julia Alvarez, whose novel In The Time of the Butterflies debuts in The Big Read library this fall.