By Arnold Saltzman Elaine May and Mike Nichols on Playbill theater program cover in 1961. Best Line Wins, by playwright Beth Kander, is a world premiere about the comedy team of Elaine May and Mike Nichols. “Nichols and May,” as they were known, are considered one of the greatest comedy d uos of all time. They performed together throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s before pursuing different paths. But their comedy shaped a generation. After their act disbanded, Nichols went on to a successful career as a director on Broadway and on film — his direction of The Graduate won him the 1967 Academy Award for Best Director, and he amassed six Tony Awards for direction over the course of his career.  Elaine May also built a remarkable career across film, theater, and screenwriting. She became one of the first prominent women to write and direct major Hollywood films. As a screenwriter, she received an Academy Award nomination for Heaven Can Wait and also earned major honors on Broadway, including a 2018 Tony Award for her performance in The Waverly Gallery.   Now, the Contemporary American Theatre Festival (CATF) revisits the story of Nichols and May in Best Line Wins, which plays at the festival July 11 through August 2. CATF is sought after by theatergoers, playwrights, and those dedicated to finding new works that resonate with contemporary themes. The following is a three-way interview with the playwright, director, and Festival producer of Best Line Wins. This interview has been condensed for clarity. DCTA: Why do you care about this story (Best Line Wins)? Director Jessica Kubzansky: This is a fascinating story about two quirky, singular individuals who met and sparked in such a way that their working chemistry was undeniable. The play describes the story of how they met, began to work together, became indispensable to each other, made lightning in a bottle, and then their high-flying partnership began to fly off the rails and they broke apart.… ‘Best Line Wins’ playwright Beth Kander (photo by Dash Kolos), director Jessica Kubzansky, and producer Peggy McKowen (photo by Seth Freeman). DCTA: How would you describe the style and content? Is it focused on Elaine May and Mike Nichols’ early work together or does it follow a trajectory? Kubzansky: The play spans time from the ’50s when they first met both in their young 20s to 1995 when they are both in their 60s and come back together for the first time in decades to discuss a shared project. DCTA: Is this work accessible for everyone? Artistic Director Peggy McKowen: In reference to the content, audiences will enjoy and understand the play regardless of whether they are familiar with Elaine May and Mike Nichols. DCTA: How was the work developed? Was it tried in front of a small audience, or is this the first time people will see it? Playwright Beth Kander: This work was in the inception-and-drafting phase for years. It’s had a few small workshops, including one with Dramatists Guild Foundation National Fellows. Hearing the work read aloud a few times before taking it to a wider audience is an essential part of the script development process for me.  DCTA: Do you think the work “has legs”? Kubzansky: I think people are going to find this story deeply compelling for a number of reasons. First, the story of Elaine May and Mike Nichols is fascinating, and their partnership was like lightning in a bottle, incandescent and relatively brief but absolutely indelible. It is both rich in comedy and depth.  DCTA: Since you are part of a five-play festival, how were the works chosen and how did you do auditions for CATF? McKowen: CATF receives scripts from literary agents, other new play festival events, and directly from writers. After narrowing down the list, CATF begins the process of sorting out the puzzle of number of actors, technical needs, and scope of the plays to create a diverse collection of plays and theatrical experiences for the audiences.  DCTA: How were playwright and director matched up? Kubzansky: Beth and I were connected by CATF Artistic Director Peggy McKowen, and from the moment I read Beth’s script and fell in love with it, to the first second we said hello over Zoom, our connection felt instantaneous.  DCTA: Do you think that this work will resonate in the current age of social media and AI? Kander: Yes! I have to believe that, or I’d just stop writing. In all seriousness, I believe that in the era of social media, AI, and all the communal disconnect those phenomena enable, theater is more essential than ever. It’s an art form that requires us to be together, in a shared space, reacting in real time to something right in front of us. This work, in particular, embodies that invitation to share an experience together. Best Line Wins is also really funny, and I think this particular moment demands more comedy to get more folks into the theater. Running Time: 90 minutes. Best Line Wins plays from July 11 to August 2, 2026, presented by the Contemporary American Theater Festival at the Frank Center, 260 University Drive, at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV. Multi-show packages are available, and tickets can also be purchased for individual shows. Tickets ($45–$75 for individual shows and $120–$300 for multi-show packages) can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 681-240-CATF (2283).  Content Warnings: Adult language, situations. Best Lin Wins: A Play Inspired by the Improvised Lives of Elaine May and Mike NicholsA World PremiereBy Beth KanderDirected by Jessica Kubzanky CASTRiley Shanahan*: Mike NicholLori Vega*: Elaine May PRODUCTION TEAMMichael B. Raiford***: Scenic Design Benjamin Gantose: Associate Scenic DesignAnn Closs Farley***: Costume DesignJeanette Oi-Suk Yew***: Lighting DesignChristian Frederickson: Sound DesignMona Kasra***: Projections DesignLindsay Eberly: Production Stage ManagerMcCorkle Casting, Ltd.: Casting DirectorAaron D. Anderson**: Fight DirectorShea-Mikal Green*: Intimacy Director *Actors Equity Association** Stage Directors and Choreographers Society*** United Scenic Artists Beth Kander is a best-selling novelist “with tangled roots in the Midwest and Deep South.” Described as a “genre-defying author and playwright” (Oxford American). Jessica Kubzansky is an award-winning American theater director, current artistic director of the Boston Court Pasadena Theater Company.  Peggy McKowen (she/her) is Artistic Director of the Contemporary American Theater Festival. Arnold Saltzman, a frequent reviewer for Opera Wire, has reviewed for the Washington Jewish Week and National Catholic Reporter. Rabbi/Cantor Emeritus in Washington, DC, composer of four symphonies, three operas (and libretti) — currently working on an opera, Dona Gracia Mendes, with author/librettist Naomi Ragen.  SEE ALSO:‘Fearless art and diverse stories’: Peggy McKowen on the Contemporary American Theatre Festival (interview by Julia Tucker, June 30, 2026)Contemporary American Theater Festival announces casts and creative teams for 2026 mainstage season (news story, June 20, 2026)Contemporary American Theater Festival to bring five new plays to life July 10–August 2 (news story, March 16, 2026)Contemporary American Theater Festival announces summer 2026 season (report by Bob Ashby, March 5, 2026) ...read more read less