CATF at Shepherd receives honor from the Martin Luther King, Jr. West Virginia Holiday Commission

ISSUED: 11 January 2010
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
(CATF at Shepherd receives honor from the Martin Luther King, Jr. West Virginia Holiday Commission)

Shepherdstown, WV--The Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) at Shepherd University is being hailed as an organization exemplifying the principles of equality, tolerance, and peace as demonstrated by Martin Luther King, Jr., and is one of five recipients of the "Living the Dream" Service Organization Honor Roll.

"During its 20-year history, CATF has brought to the stage productions reflective of societal issues around equality, human suffering, and tolerance," said Shepherd President Suzanne Shipley. "Audiences leave our theaters thoughtfully discussing what they saw and heard, and as a result, CATF contributes to Shepherd's mission of becoming an academic and cultural center of the region, encouraging civil discourse. We are so proud of the work of the theater festival and for it to be in residency on the Shepherd campus."

The annual award is presented by the Martin Luther King, Jr. West Virginia Holiday Commission. The honorees will be recognized at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Luncheon on Saturday, January 16 at 11:30 a.m. in the Great Hall of the West Virginia Cultural Center. Lisa Younis, chair of the CATF board, accompanied by President Shipley, will receive the award. CATF was nominated by Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.

Awardees of the honor roll designation must promote human and civil rights, pursue equality for others, and work for social change; assist under-served communities and groups and relieve suffering and inequities; promote tolerance; and resolve conflict in a nonviolent way as an advocate of peace.

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