Tyler John Fauntleroy

As part of the Dramatists Guild Fund's Traveling Masters Program, Playwright Chisa Hutchinson (Dead and Breathing, Dirt Rich, She Like Girls, This Is Not the Play, Sex on Sunday) led writing workshops and a public Q&A at the Frank Center during the Contemporary American Theater Festival at Shepherd University. Scroll down for photos!

Unlike Anything Goes or some other lighter summer shows set on ships, Christina Anderson's phenomenal new play, pen/man/ship, currently running at the Contemporary American Theater Festival, is a stunningly crafted and unforgettable voyage that confronts modern controversial issues, such as race, religion and gender, in an intriguing historical context.

At its basic essence, a play tells a story. But when the audience has difficulty understanding the story and the language, the message, no matter how poignant or powerful, is lost. The Wedding Gift, a world premiere play at the Contemporary American Theater Festival, is a visual feast for audience members, but due to the storytelling method, many audience members are unable to understand the imaginative story.