In a letter to patrons August 10, 2021, NextStop Theatre Producing Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann announced significant changes to the company’s fall 2021 programming plan “due to the recent resurgence of Covid-19 cases in our community”:
1. All patrons are now required to provide proof of vaccination in order to attend any live performance held in our theater. Patrons and staff will also be required to wear mask at all times while inside the building (with the exception of performers, while on stage). NextStop already has a vaccination mandate in place for all staff, contractors, and volunteers working on behalf of NextStop. Additional information and details on this new policy will be released in the coming days.
2. NextStop will postpone the opening of our production of An Act of God by David Javerbaum, by one week from August 12th to August 20th. This will provide us sufficient time to fully develop and articulate all necessary policies, effectively communicate the information to all our current and prospective patrons, and to prepare our staff to safely carry out any and all new procedures. Audience capacity will also be reduced to a maximum of 60 seats per performance, allowing for distancing between each group of patrons.
3. Due to the significantly larger scale and therefore inherent challenges of larger casting, technical, and financial requirements, NextStop will be postponing our previously announced Fall productions of “Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood” and “Disaster (the Musical)” until 2022. A revised schedule of Fall 2021 programming will be announced in the coming weeks.
In connection with these significant changes to our Fall schedule, NextStop Theatre will be contacting all ticket holders for the postponed first performances of “An Act of God” to assist them in rescheduling their tickets. We will also be issuing full refunds to all individuals who have purchased season packages for the Fall 2021 season and will be extending special discount ticket offers to those patrons to re-purchase individual tickets to “An Act of God” and any other productions that may be announced for the remainder of 2021.
We recognize and apologize for the late notice and significant disruption that these changes represent to our operations and your theatre attendance plans. We humbly ask for your patience and understanding as we continue to do our best to simultaneously honor our mission of creating high-quality theatrical performances for our community and our unwavering commitment to do everything in our power to protect the health and well-being of all those who honor us with the gift of their labor, their creativity, and their patronage.
NextStop Theatre to reopen fully with fall season in person
Three-show lineup includes a comedy, a musical, and a classic action adventure favorite.
Originally published July 21, 2021
Producing Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann has announced the full reopening of Northern Virginia’s NextStop Theatre Company. The fall 2021 season will bring the excitement of live, full-scale performances back to Herndon. Shows in the company’s eighth season will include David Javerbaum’s An Act of God, Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood, and Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick’s Disaster!
Hoffmann says, “It has been an unbelievably trying time for all of us. So it was only fitting to make our return with a collection of shows that are all about celebrating our ability to face uncertainty with grace, to overcome adversity with conviction, and our capacity to persevere with compassion and humor. Over the last year, we have discovered so many ways that we need to rethink how and why we do what we do. While I am eager to see the curtain rise again this fall, I am even more enthusiastic about the opportunity to rebuild in a way that makes us a stronger institution, a more supportive home for artists, and a more inclusive destination for everyone in our community. The future is very bright!”
Productions
An Act of God – A Heavenly Comedy
August 12 – September 5
By David Javerbaum, Directed by Tuyet Pham
In this sinfully funny comedy, God, along with his two ‘wingmen,’ answer some of the most pressing questions that have plagued mankind since Creation. At what feels like just the perfect time, the Almighty is coming to Town to answer the thought on everyone’s mind: “What is going on?!” An Act of God is written by 13-time Emmy Award winner David Javerbaum (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart), directed by Helen Hayes Award winner Tuyet Pham, and will star NextStop favorite, Jacob Yeh (Pride and Prejudice, East of Eden).
Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood – An Action Adventure
September 10 – 19, six performances only
By Ken Ludwig, Directed by Megan Behm
NextStop will create a temporary open-air theater in the parking lot of the Northwest Federal Credit Union Headquarters in Herndon for this special production. It’s a rip-roaring romp through Sherwood Forest, featuring all the thrills and romance you could possibly ask for. Flying arrows, clanging swords, and perilous feats of daring fill this not-so-ye-olde tale of everyone’s favorite hero outlaw and his noble quest to steal from the rich and give to the poor! Megan Behm (Pride and Prejudice, 45 Plays for 45 Presidents) returns to NextStop to direct this special celebration of the community coming back together! Sponsored by Northwest Federal Credit Union.
Disaster! – A Disco Musical Comedy
October 7 – November 7
By Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick
Concept created by Seth Rudetsky and Drew Geraci
Additional material by Drew Geraci
Directed by Evan Hoffmann
Choreography by Ashleigh King
Music Direction by Elisa Rosman
This hilarious 70’s disco musical spoof of classic disaster films has it all: Disco fever, earthquakes, man-eating piranhas, tidal waves, and explosions! The action takes place aboard the Barracuda, a high-class floating casino. With larger-than-life characters, hilarious dialogue, and hit songs like “I Will Survive”, “Knock on Wood”, “Hooked on a Feeling”, “I Am Woman”, and “Hot Stuff”, Disaster! will have you dancing in your seats, rolling in the aisles, and hanging on for dear life! The show will be directed by NextStop’s Producing Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann, with choreography by Helen Hayes Award winner Ashleigh King and music direction by Elisa Rosman.
NextStop is supported in part by generous grants from ArtsFairfax, The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia– Seeley Fund, The Council for the Arts of Herndon, The Nelson J. & Katherine Friant Post Foundation, The Ruth & Hal Launders Charitable Trust, The Town of Herndon, and The Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Tickets
Season packages for the three-show fall season are on sale now, with pricing beginning at $80 for all three productions. Benefits of subscribing include first choice of performances, significant savings over individual ticket prices, fee-waived ticket exchanges, and premier access to subscription and tickets for the Spring 2022 season. Season subscriptions are available by calling the NextStop Box Office at 703-481-5930 x 0 or by visiting www.nextstoptheatre.org. NextStop Theatre is accessible to persons with disabilities. Wheelchair accessible seating may be purchased online or by calling the box office.
NextStop Theatre Company is a professional, not-for-profit theater company dedicated to producing theatrical performances and educational programs that are uniquely ambitious, intimate, and accessible. They produce high quality productions and programs that have fostered a continually expanding audience base, an ever-deepening pool of artists, and numerous awards and accolades from both critics and colleagues. They provide greater financial and artistic support for emerging and established actors, directors, designers, playwrights and technicians in the area. The company aims to add positivity and creativity to the community through theater.
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