(NEW YORK, NY) -- The 2025 Next Step Festival launches this spring at the Gural Theater (502 W 53rd St, NYC) with a weeklong lineup of boundary-pushing performances designed to spotlight emerging artists and urgent contemporary storytelling. Produced as a collaboration, this year’s festival offers a dynamic platform for theatrical innovation, social dialogue, and unfiltered creative expression.
Running from May 27 – June 8, the festival will feature original works from an exciting slate of playwrights, performers, and production teams hailing from across the country—each presenting unique, powerful perspectives across drama, comedy, musical theatre, and staged readings at the The Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at ART/NY (502 W 53rd St, New York NY).
Tickets for the shows are $29. The readings are free, with reservations required. More information available at www.nextsteptheatrefest.com.
The Next Step Festival is a brand new celebration of storytelling, collaboration, and the messy, magical process of making theatre. Founded by a conglomerate of playwrights from across the country, this inaugural festival brings together emerging playwrights, directors, and creatives to take the “next step” in their work. With community at its core, the festival is a hub for writers looking to workshop, grow, and connect with like-minded makers.
"The Next Step Theatre Festival began with a simple “what if” conversation,” says founder and composer Joel Krantz. “What if a few writers teamed up to share the costs of producing a show in NYC? Maybe we could support each other—financially and creatively. Would anyone be interested?
The word went out through writers’ groups, theatre chat rooms, Facebook posts, and email threads. The response was immediate: ‘Yes, we need this!” ‘Let’s do it!” “How can I help?’ What began as a question quickly grew into a movement—writers supporting other writers, all taking the next step together. The result? The Next Step Theatre Festival: 15 writers, 34 performances, and two thrilling weeks of original theatre."
The following plays are represented in the festival:
Apples for August - Written and performed by Anushka Kar; Dates: May 30 at 5:00pm, May 31 at 1:00pm. Between the branches of an orchard, love and identity collide. Set in a sun-drenched apple orchard, two teenagers navigate the beauty and pitfalls of young, interracial love. Written and performed by Anushka Kar, this poetic and intimate new work explores the complexity of being truly seen.
The Curse of Batvia (Concert Reading) - Muffin Toppled Enterprises Inc.; Book, Music, and Lyrics by Katherine Burger. Dates: June 1 at 1:00pm, June 2 at 7:00pm. A romantasy romp full of wer-beasts, wordplay, and love gone wild. A gothic musical comedy where cursed wer-beasts, romantic entanglements, and off-stage gore come together in one fast-paced, hilarious romp. Gilbert & Sullivan meet The Mystery of Irma Vep with a heavy dose of English manor house mystery in this original, four-character musical comedy, a Gothic romp about an ancient wer-beast curse and those caught in its jaws. It involves much convoluted wordplay, silly folkloric dancing, and sillier songs, with no agenda except entertainment.
The Glitch (AEI Theatrical) - Written by Kipp Koenig; Directed by Ann Cooley. Dates: May 27 at 8:00pm, May 28 at 1:00pm, May 31 at 8:00pm, June 6 at 4:00pm. What if AI could help you meet your future child? A love story wrapped in ones and zeroes. In this forward-thinking, emotionally resonant new play, a woman secretly visits an AI lab to meet the hypothetical daughter she might one day have—and gets more than she ever expected. Written by Kipp Koenig and directed by Ann Cooley, The Glitch brings a warm, human heart to the cold world of technology.
The Guest at Central Park West - Soul Choice Theatre; Written by Levy Lee Simon; Directed by John Ewing III. Dates: June 5 at 8:00pm, June 6 at 1:00pm. A chance encounter unearths hidden truths about privilege, power, and the price of peace. Audelco-Award-winning playwright Levy Lee Simon, brings us a searing portrait of race, privilege, and legacy in modern-day America. When Professor Charles Watts, a modern-day disciple of Dr Martin Luther King and recent Nobel Peace Prize recipient, is visited by a homeless man from his past, an elegant dinner party unravels into a confrontation with buried truths and societal contradictions.
HOLLYWOOD TREATMENT: A Feel Bad Comedy (Slate One Productions) - Written and Directed by Lara McCarthy and Greg McCarthy. Date: May 28 at 5:00pm. Must love be sacrificed on the altar of success? This glitzy, dark comedy peels back the red carpet to reveal the emotional fallout of fame. As a rising star's new role causes chaos in her personal life, everyone ends up on the therapist’s couch—including the therapist herself. Will anyone's relationship survive - or must love be sacrificed on the altar of success?
Little Women (Are We In Love Productions) - Written/Adapted by Klara Eales; Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott. Dates: May 28 at 8:00pm, May 31 at 4:00pm. No longer little girls and not yet ladies, the March sisters navigate ambition, love, and what it means to be Little Women. In this dynamic new stage adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's timeless novel, the March sisters—Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy—are caught between the pull of their dreams, a fading childhood, and the expectations of growing up. As they navigate love, loss, and ambition during the American Civil War, each sister is forced to confront what it means to be a woman, to follow her passions, and to embrace her own path in life. Faithful to Alcott’s original text, this heartfelt production celebrates the strength of sisterhood and the power of resilience in the universal struggle for identity.
NEXT BIG HIT: A New Musical (Theatre 33 Productions) - Book by Austin J. Foster; Music by Matthew Jordan; Lyrics by Matthew Jordan and James Blount. Date: May 30 at 8:00pm. When you live your life in the spotlight, you have no room to hide in the shadows. Winner of the 2021 TheatreMakers Studio Award for Best Collaboration. Small-town girl Lara McDowell becomes the winner of a nationally televised singing competition, but soon realizes that fame comes with a price. With the guidance of her songwriter, Jesse Stone, and mentor, Amber Ross, Lara must navigate the cutthroat music industry and her manipulative producer, Ronnie Rostone, who will stop at nothing to ensure his niece, Ellie Price, wins the title. If Smash met American Idol, you'd get NEXT BIG HIT!
Ocean in a Teacup (JK Entertainment) - Book, Music, and Lyrics by Joel Krantz. Dates: June 3 at 7:00pm, June 4 at 7:00pm, June 5 at 1:00pm, June 7 at 7:30pm, June 8 at 2:00pm. There is a seeker inside all of us. Winner of the 2022 TheatreMakers Award for Best Music, Lyrics, and Score. A sweeping musical drama set during India’s independence movement, based on a true story of transformation and spiritual redemption. Guided by a Bengali spiritual teacher and the woman he loves, a disillusioned American medic gets a 2nd chance at life in war-torn India. Joel Krantz's lush score and profound narrative deliver a universal message of love and forgiveness.
Orientation (BOO Arts Productions) - Written and Directed by Kathleen O’Neill. Dates: May 29 at 8:00pm, June 1 at 4:00pm, June 4 at 1:00pm. In the basement of a domestic violence shelter, four women begin to write their own rules. After a traumatic ER visit, four women find themselves at a domestic violence shelter, grappling with a new reality. Guided by a rule-defying survivor, they begin to question everything, especially how to reclaim their lives. When the Authority arrives, will their newfound understanding endure, or will they return to fear? It's a journey toward reclaiming life.
Stowaway to Paradise (Concert Reading) - Music and Lyrics by Gregory Nissen. Date: May 29 at 1:00pm. A sailor. A scholar. A soul adrift between two worlds. Based on Jack London’s Martin Eden, this soaring new musical examines the cost of ambition, the ache of class division, and the longing to belong. Music by W. Gregory Nissen, directed by Austin Pendleton.
Well, Here We Are (Jump Car Productions) - Written by Patrick Lawton. Dates: June 6 at 8:00pm, June 8 at 6:00pm. A love story about the couple we all know but hope we never become. Good luck! The stories of our lives from youth to death are often tangled in love. From the inside, there is a truth we often try to hide. These scenes reveal moments we share.
TUESDAY, MAY 27
8:00pm THE GLITCH PERFORMANCE #1
WEDNESDAY, MAY 28
1:00pm THE GLITCH PERFORMANCE #2
5:00pm HOLLYWOOD TREATMENT READING
8:00pm LITTLE WOMEN PERFORMANCE #1
THURSDAY, MAY 29
1:00pm STOWAWAY TO PARADISE READING
5:00pm APPLES FOR AUGUST READING
8:00pm ORIENTATION PERFORMANCE #1
FRIDAY, MAY 30
1:00pm TENEMENTS AND BROWNSTONES READING
5:00pm APPLES FOR AUGUST PERFORMANCE #1
8:00pm NEXT BIG HIT PERFORMANCE #1
SATURDAY, MAY 31
1:00pm APPLES FOR AUGUST PERFORMANCE #2
4:00pm LITTLE WOMEN PERFORMANCE #2
8:00pm THE GLITCH PERFORMANCE #3
SUNDAY, JUNE 1
1:00pm THE CURSE OF BATVIA READING
4:00pm ORIENTATION PERFORMANCE #2
7:00pm SENTINELS PERFORMANCE #2
MONDAY, JUNE 2
4:00pm STAYING ABOVE THE GRASS READING
7:00pm CURSE OF BATVIA PERFORMANCE #2
TUESDAY, JUNE 3
1:00pm FIRST DATE BLUES READING
4:00pm ROSE AT THE CLUB HARLEM BABY GRAND READING
7:00pm OCEAN IN A TEACUP PERFORMANCE #1
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4
1:00pm ORIENTATION PERFORMANCE #3
4:00pm SENTINELS PERFORMANCE #2
7:00pm OCEAN IN A TEACUP PERFORMANCE #2
THURSDAY, JUNE 5
1:00pm OCEAN IN A TEACUP PERFORMANCE #3
5:00pm WEIGHTLESS PERFORMANCE #1
8:00pm THE GUEST AT CENTRAL PARK WEST PERFORMANCE #1
5:00pm (NOT AT GURAL THEATRE) “THE MYSTERY OF MUSIC” 1 MAN SHOW PERFORMED BY PIANIST GREGORY NISSEN, MICHIKO STUDIOS 15 W 39 ST 7TH FLOOR
FRIDAY, JUNE 6
1:00pm THE GUEST AT CENTRAL PARK WEST PERFORMANCE #2
4:00pm THE GLITCH PERFORMANCE # 4
8:00pm WELL, HERE WE ARE PERFORMANCE #1
SATURDAY, JUNE 7
1:00pm WEIGHTLESS PERFORMANCE #2
4:00pm DISMANTLING OTIS WORLD READING
7:30pm OCEAN IN A TEACUP PERFORMANCE #4
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
2:00pm OCEAN IN A TEACUP PERFORMANCE #5
6:00pm WELL, HERE WE ARE PERFORMANCE #2
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