Producing Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann and Executive Director Vicki Kile are proud to announce NextStop Theatre Company’s 2024-2025 season of professional theater in and for Northern Virginia. Get ready for laughs, excitement, silliness, and unforgettable moments.
“Let’s be honest. The next year is going to be challenging for all of us,” says Hoffmann. “We are a starkly divided nation, we are headed toward the most vitriolic election in history, and we see conflict and suffering everywhere we look. That is why we wanted a season that focuses on stories of overcoming insurmountable obstacles and about finding joy, hope, and connections in the most unlikely of places. Who doesn’t need that right now?”
Kicking off the season is POTUS; Or, Behind Every Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive by Selina Fillinger. When the President of the United States makes an unbelievably offensive comment in a very public forum (remember…this play is a complete work of fiction!), the female members of the White House must resort to drastic measures of damage control to deal with the utter pandemonium that follows. Amidst blue slurpee puddles, inner tube outfits, flying breast pumps, and power stances, this must-see farcical is of the women, by the women, and for the women. Opening September 26, 2024, POTUS will be directed by Abigail Fine, who has previously directed Much Ado About Nothing and Noel Coward’s Fallen Angels at NextStop.
As winter approaches, Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann will bring The Shawshank Redemption to the NextStop stage, adapted by Dave Johns and Owen O’Neill. When Andy Dufresne is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in Shawshank prison, he must use his wits and newly forged friendships to keep himself and his hope alive. But will he be able to survive the corruption and danger he faces within this notorious prison’s walls? Based on the novella by Stephen King and popularized by the highly acclaimed movie, The Shawshank Redemption is a story of resilience and is sure to be a theatrical experience like no other.
In the new year, NextStop will welcome back Elena Velasco, director of 2023’s critically acclaimed and box office hit production of In The Heights for the backyard comedy Native Gardens by Karen Zacarias. Tania, a very pregnant Ph.D. candidate, and Pablo, her rising star attorney husband, move next door to Virginia and Frank, a deep-rooted DC couple with an impeccably trimmed backyard. But when a questionable fence line puts a prize-worthy garden in jeopardy, neighborly rivalry escalates into an all-out border dispute, challenging everyone’s notions of race, privilege, and where to draw the line on good taste.
Family is an extremely loaded word! In Spring 2025, NextStop will present Chicken & Biscuits by Douglas Lyons and directed by Rikki Howie Lacewell, director of last season’s School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play. When a tight-knit family gathers to mourn the passing of their patriarch, old wounds are reopened and secrets are spilled, leading to uproarious moments and touching revelations. Fueled by love, laughter, and plenty of comfort food, this play explores the complexities of family relationships with warmth, wit, and a whole lot of soul. Get ready for a deliciously entertaining theatrical experience that’ll leave you craving more!
Stay tuned for an exciting announcement later this summer, as NextStop reveals a season-closing production you won’t want to miss!
“This next season represents a wide range of stories and perspectives,” says Executive Director Vicki Kile. “We feel it is incredibly important to continue featuring a variety of voices, histories, and experiences through our work, especially during times when societal divisions are so pronounced. We hope to bring our community together through powerful and diverse narratives that can resonate with everyone. We invite you to join us in this journey as we listen, learn, laugh, and grow together.”
NextStop offers flexible subscription options for the 2024-2025 season. Season packages are on sale now, with pricing of $192 for all five mainstage productions. Benefits of subscribing include first choice of performances, savings over individual ticket prices, and fee-waived ticket exchanges. Season subscriptions are available at www.nextstoptheatre.org or by calling the NextStop Theatre Box Office at (703) 481-5930. NextStop Theatre is accessible to persons with disabilities. Wheelchair accessible seating may be purchased online or by calling the box office.
THE 2024/25 SEASON
POTUS; Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive
By Selina Fillinger
Director: Abigail Fine
September 26-October 20, 2024
The Shawshank Redemption
Adapted for the stage by Dave Johns and Owen O’Neill
Based on the novella by Stephen King
Director: Evan Hoffmann
November 14-December 8, 2024
Native Gardens
By Karen Zacarias
Director: Elena Velasco
January 23-February 16, 2025
Chicken and Biscuits
By Douglas Lyons
Director: Rikki Howie Lacewell
March 13-April 6, 2025
TBA Season Finale
May 1-June 1, 2025
