NextStop

Saw City of Angels with my fiancée and it was beyond awesome. Can’t wait to see future shows. The set designs were excellent, and the cast was superb. I remarked at the time that it made me want to audition for something in the future, just so I could be a part of something as cool as what we saw a few weeks back (I haven’t acted since I was in the 4^th grade). Recommend it, and any other show the Nextstop Theater puts on in the future!

Wow!
Saw the great reviews for this place on Unilocal and I’m so grateful my Unilocal family pointed me towards the right direction.
Ordered tickets online through their website, steps were simple and straightforward. You don’t choose your seats when purchasing your tickets. Tickets were about $ 40/​person. Get tickets early on, prices get higher the closer you get to the time of the performance.
Upon entering, we were warmly greeted and told the kind lady our names. You don’t have to bring a printed ticket. Once your ticket is purchased, you just state your name and she looks it up on the list. Seating starts 30 mins before the performance begins, but people start lining up before that. The seats get filled up quick, so you may want to come earlier than later. You choose your own seat once in the theatre. The waiting area isn’t all that big but they really utilize the space well. There are two restrooms, both are clean. They also sell snacks and drinks, which can be taken into the theatre and enjoyed throughout the show.
The theatre isn’t all that big but boy do they work that stage! Every inch of that space is used and very well. There isn’t one bad seat in the house, since it’s a smaller theatre but seats are tight. You will become best friends with the person beside you.
We came to watch City of Angels and was blown away by all the talent. Performers, costume, make up, lighting design, sound, stage set up were all on point.
I can’t believe it took me so long to come here. I will definitely be back!

I just went and saw Seussical and I’m so happy I did! It was adorable and hilarious. I have a 4 year old son and I’m sad I didn’t take him because I know he would have loved it. The age range (and vocal rang) is wide for the cast members and they were really talented!
The theater itself is very small which I liked because it means that every seat is a good seat. They have a bar cart during intermission selling snacks, drinks, and beer and wine. The theater itself is a bit hard to find because it’s inside a big shopping center but I just followed the signs which made it easier.

I have seen several performances at Next Stop, starting back when they were called the Elgin Street Players. I consider this company the best bargain in DC metro theater. For the 2015 – 16 season they offer a 6-​performance season ticket to senior citizens for only $ 138 ($ 23 a show — cheaper than a movie and popcorn!) I just saw «a Man for All Seasons» and the performances, costumes, and sets were excellent. Maybe I shouldn’t be so enthusiastic in case they get so popular I won’t be able to find a seat. The venue is small so buy your tickets early!

I have to say that I was beyond pleasantly surprised at the talent and production. We saw the Jacob Marley version of the Christmas Carol and the actor that played Jacob Marley was outstanding. NextStop definitely doesn’t seem like your little local community theater with mediocre talent. They appear to really be trying to attract top notch talent and productions. The facility is small, but that makes the play all the more intimate. We are definitely looking forward to seeing another production there. My only reservation would be that it is hard to enter or exit the theater during the production — as the doors are way down by the stage. So if there is some emergency (say your child has to use the ‘facilities’), then you have to walk almost on to the stage to leave — and then you have to wait until there is a break in the play to get back in. (This could be 30 minutes or more.)

Yes Virginia, there is professional theater in Herndon.
Its set back from the street a ways in a semi-​industrial park. Now, I’ve been to small theaters, I’ve worked in small theaters, but none w/​legit grandstand seating (and they were comfy). I spent most of the preshow marveling at the actual stage space. It was prefect for the show we saw, The 39 Steps. Everything was exposed: the prop storage, the load bearing pole stage right, the back stage entrance, and even, what I can only assume was an old sound booth.
The show was fabulous, and I’ve seen it on Broadway as well as the tour.
You could really tell that the actors and director took extra steps to squeeze as much funny out as they could, and not in an overdone way. The space was used to perfection, bare as it was. Worth the drive is all I have to say.
Thanks so much for the tickets Gretchen!

I was the lucky winner of 2 tickets to see 12 Dates of Christmas a few weeks ago. What a treat!
This is a one-​woman show. This took me a few minutes to get used to, but once I did, it was very enjoyable. She was very entertaining and had us interested, intrigued, laughing and for her character right from the beginning. It was a great story and the time flew by. The 2 hour show did not seem that long at all, which is good because there was no intermission.
The theater was a little tricky to find — my GPS got us in the vacinity and our server at Taste of the World pointed us in the right direction (right around the corner).
The theater is small, but has a warm/​comfortable feel to it. The gentleman checking us in helped by being friendly, helpful and offering drinks/​snacks from the small concession. Stadium seating is awesome! It helps everyone to feel as if they have GREAT seats. You could sit anywhere and have a good view.
NextStop Theatre Co has a new fan — I’ve already planned the next show I want to see here!

Saw «39 Steps» last month. Saw «Jacob Marley Christmas Carol» today. Fantastic show. Two home runs back to back.
The food and drinks are a bit overpriced — but the 2 shows keep this else this a 5 star review.
I would highly recommend Christmas Carol. Fantastic…

We went to see Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol. It was a One Man show and it was fantastic. He really did a great job. It was my first one-​man show and I was really really impressed. I have only heard of other monologues but he was really acting everything out and changing his voice and everything.
The seats were comfy enough and every seat in the house had a good view of the stage. It’s a small theater so things get close. The bathrooms are very clean. They also sell snacks you can bring inside the theater.
I will also say the theater is super hard to find, there’s an arrow pointing to the «industrial theater» that indicates the theater. Small parking lot out in front. The whole little stripmall area is very deserted and there’s not much there. We tried to find dinner before the show and was very disappointed with the options, bad looking food and most places were closed anyways.
Overall, it was a small theater that puts out so good shows. =)

Brandi K. won tickets to the 12 Dates of Christmas and luckily she picked me to tag along to enjoy her winnings!!!
This theater is located in a large business park off of Sunset Park, tucked in the back behind the random array of Deli’s and Asian restaurants.
When you walk in, you are in a small waiting area with a check in counter that sells a few refreshments and a tiny but beautiful spiral staircase. On the other side of the black curtains is the small theater room with stadium style seats and a floor based stage area. This makes for excellent viewing as there is not a bad seat in the house.
The play we saw was a one woman show. The actress played all the characters and had the audience laughing as well and loving a few touching moments.
The seats were comfortable however extremely close together not providing much arm room. You’ll be good friends with your neighbor before the end of the show.
The only complaint I have about this charming little theater isn’t really something they can control. They evidently share a wall with a Karate Studio and during the performance you could hear all the Hiah-ya’s coming from next door.
I really like this local little place. So much more convenient than going into DC.

Yes, right in the middle of NOVA, there exists a community theatre! I’ve been to a few community theatres in Fairfax County and this one was the best one yet! First off, the seats are theatre style seating, every seat was good! We arrived a tad late but they let us in right after the ‘initial gun shot’. The theatre is small and cozy, just enough to see the faces of each of the actors. Each of the 4 actors were quite impressive in that they had to play over 100 different characters. The theatre was a tad hard to find, since it sits dead center of a retail industrial park. The seats were general admission. We sat towards the top row and had these cold ceiling fans on us, so we did move after the first act. They have this fancy moving concession cart, and the ticket taker dude was also the concession dude! We enjoyed our night of community theater! Thank you to our grand actress Gretchen P for the cool tix!

I scored free tickets to the first-​ever preview (their premier is scheduled for this Saturday) of Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The 39 Steps’ play. Based on the novel by John Buchan, the play was a combination of ‘high speed chases, murder, mistaken identities, and romance.’ I am a huge fanatic of espionage and all of that spy stuff, so this was a real treat. The performances of the 4 actors (Nick Rose, Evan Crump, James Finley, and Emily Levey) were AMAZING, and I laughed my heart out! The theater itself is very nice and clean, cute and very artsy, and a great alternative to theaters existing in the NoVA area — the cute little rolling concession stand is available after the performance so you can munch on the snacks (like the Cheddar Popcorn) on your way out so the theater is kept clean (a great idea, I thought!). I am definitely interested in watching more shows at this place.
+small plays/​performances
+rolling concession stand after the performance
+plenty of parking in the lot

I went to see the production of «Robin Hood» which is part of their ‘Theater for Young Audiences’ series.
These seem to be one step down from their more professional offerings «Tom Foolery» looks to be the main show right now. But dang if it wasn’t fun.
I showed up at the door and paid $ 8 for my ticket. OK… For $ 8 you aren’t going to see the most amazing production values. But that doesn’t mean the actors are trying any less.
In the production I saw the Sheriff of Nottingham was amazing. Friar Tuck was a hoot. And several of the others had their moments. Most of all, I was able to just relax and have fun. And with a small theater — I almost felt like jumping in and joining the action (lucky for them I didn’t.)
By the end of the show I really found myself liking some of the players. You can meet them afterwards if you like. The show made me remember that theater is fun — much more fun that seeing a bunch of people I’ve never met up on a big screen.
You owe it to yourself to try an afternoon or evening here. Perhaps you will discover — like I did — that the intimacy of a small theater with live actors is an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. Finding hidden gems where you live is always a satisfying feeling. I’ll be back.

I’ve checked out quite a few plays here. As a fellow artist, I love supporting my local venues. I recently took my little one here to enjoy a play and he loved it. It was an interactive play and he was cracking up, talking to the characters and just amazed by how silly they were. We will definitely be back. The lineup of new shows looks fantastic and will make for great date nights!

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a hilarious, highly entertaining show, with a mega-​talented, quality cast. The players are top-​notch, as you would expect from this WATCH award winning cast and crew. Elden Street Players at Industrial Strength Theatre is a great theatre venue. You can easily go over to Reston Town Center for your choice of high-​quality restaurants for dinner, then hop over to the theatre one exit down off Fairfax County Parkway for a fantastic show. I always love a good musical comedy, but the transitions were perfect, the quick-​changes impeccable, and the music, high-​energy and spot-​on! The show is rated PG-​13 for mature content, and it truly is laugh-​out-​loud funny! Best you can get for the money!

ESP is located in a business park in Herndon. Each season (October through July), they feature 5 plays that are performed mostly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are about $ 20/​adult, but season tickets are a steal (pay for 4 shows, see a 5^th for free). You can order tickets through their website (
), and also learn a little about the organization.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly:
The good. ESP is cheap, live and interesting entertainment, and there’s not a bad seat in the house.
The bad. I must be an idiot because I usually spend half the show trying to figure out what the hell is going on.
The ugly. Only one person at a time in the 2 bathrooms during intermission (warning to people with small bladders!) and they’ve got pitiful snacks.

Confronted with a giant white space, it is hard to try to think about summing up the whole of Elden Street Players/​Industrial Strength Theatre in any sort of meaningful way. Let’s try, though…
— They’ve been around for close to 20 years.
— Ticket prices are $ 10−15/per (don’t remember exact, will come back to update this), which are unbeatable.
— They do about 6 productions a year, ranging across everything from musicals (Rocky Horror, Schoolhouse Rock, etc) to serious drama, mysteries/​whodunits, and classics (Shakespeare). It would be impossible to shoehorn them into preferring any particular genre.
— They gather an incredibly wide range of talent, both for the acting itself and the backstage (producer/​director, etc).
— The ad-​hoc bands which sometimes play accompanying music have really done a lot to pump up the overall effect.
We’ve been going for a number of years, and have mostly succeeded in pulling in other unsuspecting theatre lovers. The season ticket package is the best deal running, BTW. Part of the mystery and suspense in just going to any particular production is wondering «what now?» in terms of how they’ll use sets and props to transform what would normally be a rectangular, plain stage area into something completely different.