Graphic by Psi Lo.

By Liz Nicholls, 12thnight.ca

What’s new? What’s next? What are our up-and-coming artists thinking about anyhow?

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You’re in a position to find out for yourself since the 28th annual edition of Nextfest, the multi-disciplinary 11-day (and night) festival dreamed up at Theatre Network in 1996 is at hand.

Opening Thursday at the Roxy, Nextfest is designed to showcase and celebrate the creative ideas of the generation of emerging artists. And as festival director Ellen Chorley, a multi-faceted artist herself, has said, the answer to what’s new at Nextfest? is, by definition, “everything, every year.” The vibe is young, true. But “emerging” at Nextfest isn’t a matter of age, says Chorley. “It’s being in the first 10 years of your career…. You could be in your 80s writing your first play.”

Featured at Nextfest 2023 is the work (and the work-in-progress) of more than 500 artists as they play across the spectrum of theatre, dance, music, poetry, film, design, comedy, clowning, visual art, drag, permutations of multi-media — in 50-plus events. They meet and collaborate with each other. And they can take creative risks as Chorley explains, because “we give them a little chunk of money to work with, and we present their show.”

Nextfest takes care of the ticketing, the administration, the box office, the technical equipment and expertise, the marketing, the venue. “Their job is to make the art.” And speaking of arts administration, Nextfest has an Emerging Producers program designed to train IBPOC women, non-binary and trans people for this difficult and indispensable part of arts careers. After a six-week course, they’re paid to oversee a project at a festival in town, this year at Found Fest, the Fringe, or Nextfest.

To say that Nextfest “happens” at Theatre Network’s new Roxy doesn’t really tell the story of its full-immersion occupancy. Last year, the festivities returned to live and in-person there, their debut in the first in the beautiful new theatre — and they gloried in it. “We used it all, full to the brim, every inch of it” says Chorley. “It felt so special to be in a building that’s made to create art (in), that’s really thought out….”

There were performances in the mainstage house, the black box studio, the lobby, the bar, the rehearsal room, even on the rooftop. There was Nextfest art on the walls. And no nook or cranny was safe from Nextfest’s signature performance Nite Clubs. They’re back this year in four themed nights. “Going up in the elevator and hearing a solo,” says Chorley, who’s in perpetual brainstorming mode, which undoubtedly makes her an inspiring leader. “Going into the bathroom (admittedly deluxe) and hearing a serenade; the sound is great in there!”

Theatre happens on the mainstage, and in progress showings and “workshop readings” at Nextfest. Chorley says she got “submissions from all over the world” after the later November call. Additionally she’s a fomenter and talent scout: “I go out to talk to artists about their projects and what they’re interested in creating for the festival.”

“And this year we’re trying to move projects through multiple festivals,” she says. Nextfest experimented with the idea in 2022. Amanda Samuelson’s play Pressure happened as a staged reading at the festival, then got a full Nextfest production at the Fringe.

What Was Is All travels that cross-festival route this year. The folk-rock musical by Jacquelin Walters and Michael Watt, got a Nextfest debut last year, in the form of a 45-minute concert/song cycle, then called Host Town. Nextfest produced it as “a partial progress showing” at Theatre Network’s Another F*#@$G Festival in February.“They’ve spent the year writing the book,” says Chorley of the creators. And what is now a full-fledged piece of musical theatre, with a cast of four and a band, is moving forward as a Nextfest “Progress Show” June 11. Nextfest will produce it at the upcoming Fringe.

Similarly, Madi May’s She/They plays first on the Roxy mainstage Friday, Saturday and June 8, then at the Fringe, too in  Nextfest production. Says Chorley, “we’re trying our best to help with the progression of work.” Ah, and the progression of artists, too. “For me, that’s what’s so exciting about Nextfest,” says Chorley of following artists through different stages of their careers, “what they’re interested in talking about and investigating with their art…. You don’t just ‘emerge’ one year. Emerging takes time!” Chorley has followed May’s work since high school; last year her Fantomina was a Progress Reading.

The mainstage lineup is “a balance of folks we’ve invested in,” like May, and folks who are new to the festival,” like Bashir Mohamed whose play Black Alberta gets a mainstage Nextfest premiere Saturday, Sunday, and June 8.

This year Chorley has moved a couple of “showcases” to full three-performance presence  in the Nextfest theatre lineup. Thanks For Coming Out, by and starring Cindy Rivers and billed as a “standalogue” (not quite standup, not quite dramatic monologue), is one. A Fate Worse Than Death, created and performed by spoken word poet Nisha Patel, is another.

“It’s great for emerging artists to learn about consistency in performing more than once,” says Chorley. And it’s a chance to suss out different audience reactions.

Some “showcases” remain in the festival lineup: The iHuman Mixtape on June 8, and a free music showcase including five acts in Helen Nolan Park on 124th St. June 7.

There’s striking variety in the mainstage theatre lineup, including Alexandria Rose Fortier’s Just The Two Of Us, Kijo Gatama’s Hyena’s Trail, Cayley Wreggitt’s (Taylor’s Version), Rat Academy by the clown team of Dayna Lea Hoffmann and Katie Yoner. And there’s even a big-cast drag play The Mys-Queery of the Missing Wig: Deadliest Snatch. “So much fun, great choreography, fantastic costumes! And everyone in it has been doing drag for less than five years,” says Chorley.    

Ah yes, and to return to those four curated Nite Clubs…. Friday night’s Chew On This! is “here for the fear.” Saturday night’s is 2023: A Nextfest Space Popera. F! Is For Filth, the 2023 edition of Nextfest’s annual hot-ticket Smut Nite, is June 9. And Abjection (Pride Night) June 10 “focuses on queer narratives in the horror genre.”

You’ll find music, film, visual art, performance art installations (Good Grief is inspired by quarantine periods in the pandemic). And it goes without saying there are conversations to be had and connections to be made, before and after every performance. (And there’s Duchess right next door, just saying). As the Nextfest mantra goes, “come for the art stay for the party.”

Meanwhile, there’s opening night Thursday. And it’s free. As Chorley explains, there are musicians and a DJ. There’s a magician (Russel Comrie, recently arrived from South Africa). Velocity Complex, a troupe of aerial artists all under 18, will be up in the air. A documentary was shot at Nextfest 2022. And it gets its world premiere screening Thursday. In it you’ll meet Nextfest people, and hear why they love this unique festival. Says Chorley, “I might shed a tear or two.”

Nextfest 2023 runs Thursday through June 11 at Theatre Network’s Roxy Theatre (10708 124th St). Ticket and complete schedule: nextfest.ca