On this West Virginia Morning, the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) returns to the campus of Shepherd University next month, bringing actors and creatives from across the country together to premiere five new productions.

Featured among them is the festival’s first play written by a West Virginian. Jack Walker caught up with Marion County native Cody LeRoy Wilson about the production — plus his journey from rural West Virginia to the world of theater.

Also, our Song of the Week is “Life Is Just A Vapor” by Paul Thorn. This is the title track on Life is Just a Vapor, which was released earlier this year via Thirty Tigers.

Thorn is a Mississippi native who started off as a professional boxer, turning to songwriting in the 1990s. He has been a guest on Mountain Stage over 10 times and continues to win us all over with his poignant and often hilarious songs and storytelling.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content. 

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University and Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Eric Douglas, Jack Walker, Maria Young and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Teresa Wills is our host. Eric Douglas produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning