OCEAN IN A TEACUP to Open At The Next Step Theatre Festival

The Next Step Theatre Festival will present Ocean in a Teacup, a stirring original musical written by festival co-founder Joel Krantz, and directed by Nicole Coady. The musical is a featured production of the newly formed festival and is looking for a development deal and lead producer.

With its powerful themes-pacifism versus war, spiritual awakening versus selfishness, bitterness or compassion-Ocean in a Teacup is, at its heart, a bittersweet love story, featuring a most unusual love triangle, and will be performed as part of the festival's 2025 season. The production runs approximately two hours, plus intermission.

Set during the turmoil of World War II, Ocean in a Teacup follows idealistic American Thomas Anderson, who joins the Red Cross as a medic in hopes of saving lives rather than taking them. But in the brutal jungle war in Burma, Tom's vow of nonviolence is shattered. Unable to return home to his fiancée, Julia, in Ohio, he seeks refuge and redemption in India. There, he encounters Doctor Thakur, a spiritual teacher whose humanitarian work during the Great Famine of Bengal challenges Tom to choose between his past and a path of compassionate service.

Based on a true story, the musical is a love story, a war story, but most importantly, a spiritual quest musical. Ocean in a Teacup weaves sweeping narrative, evocative music, and resonant themes of inner light and transformation.

The cast includes Lukas Poost as Thomas Henderson, Selene Klasner as Julia Gordon, Arif Silverman as Doctor Thakur, Levin Valayil as Khogen, Isha Narayanan as Boro-ma, Shailen Patel Braun as Raja, and Brandon Grimes as Pastor Gordon.