Ocean in a Teacup

 Ocean in a Teacup
Next Step Theatre Festival
Gural Theater
June 5, 2025

Photo courtesy of Ocean in a Teacup

The Next Step Theatre Festival is presenting Ocean in a Teacup, a new musical by Joel Krantz and Neil Selden.  The score is beautifully crafted.  It is based on a true story of one man’s spiritual journey during war time, which turns into a personal quest.  It is highly relevant in our present political atmosphere, dramatizing the courage required to make critical choices when facing fears and personal demons. 

It is World War II.  Thomas Henderson (played by Lukas Poost) declares he is a conscientious objector.  The draft board accepts his claim.  Instead of remaining safely at home, he decides to travel to India and work with the Red Cross.  Before leaving, he asks Julia Gordon (played by Selene Klasner) to marry him when he returns.  As the war rages, the Red Cross hospital is attacked.  Tom takes up arms to defend himself and his fellow medical workers.  This puts all his beliefs in question.  He leaves the Red Cross, but is incapable of returning home and facing Julia.  He turns to alcohol in an desperate effort to escape his actions.  Khogen (played by Levin Valayil), an ambulance driver whose life Tom saved when he chose to defend the Red Cross hospital, finds him and takes him to meet his teacher, Thakur (Played by Arif Silverman).  This puts Tom on the rough road to healing, which required a difficult change in his perspective.  When Julia travels to India to find Tom, he is forced to face his actions and fully commit to his choice. 

The cast of Ocena in a Teacup
Photo courtesy of Ocean in a Teacup

Lukas Poost delivers a strong performance as Thomas Henderson.  His journey is wrought by
tremendous inner conflict.  Mr. Poost skillfully portrays these battles.  Arif Silverman has a grounded presence as Thakur.  Levin Valayil is dynamic and outspoken as Khogen.  Selena Klasner has a few heartfelt solos as Julia Gordon.  She performs them flawlessly.  There are also impressive performance by Isha Narayanan, Brandon Grimes, and Shailen Patel Braun. 

Ocean in a Teacup is a big musical with a beautiful score.  It tells a valuable and relevant story.  This bare-bones festival production has an extremely skilled cast of seven with a well recorded orchestral track.  It deserves further development and a full-scale production.  This is the goal of the Next Step Theatre Festival.  It is a chance for playwrights and composers to showcase their work and assess the “next step” in the development process on the journey toward production.  For more information and the full listing of performances presented this month, go to NextStepTheatreFest.com. 

Ocean in a Teacup is playing at the Gural Theater (502 W. 53 St., NYC).  There are two more performance (June 7 & 8).  Don’t miss them. 

Domenick Danza