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In January of 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Syracuse University musical theater alum Joshua Keen was working at Orangetheory Fitness in New York City. Staring out the window from the front desk, he thought of all of the changes the musical theater industry was facing: auditions moving online, job applications going digital and dance auditions being filmed in cramped apartments.

That’s when Keen realized he had to do something about it.

“I gathered my four closest friends and told them, ‘I’m gonna sound crazy, but I want us to start a production company,’” Keen said.

That’s how Next Stop Creatives launched.

Keen recruited his fellow SU drama classmates, Giuliana Augello, Candice Hatakeyama, Kate Jarecki and Camille Theriault to launch Next Stop Creatives in May 2021 from their living rooms. After Keen, Theriault and Jarecki graduated in 2020 and Augello and Hatakeyama in 2021, the group reconnected in NYC.

May marks Next Stop Creatives’ fifth anniversary.

Now, Keen operates as the full-time artistic director of the company, with the team taking occasional breaks when performing on Broadway, national tours and regional productions.

The “multi-hyphenate” production company partners with artists at “every stage of their careers,” producing creative videos for actors to market themselves, such as self-tapes and dance reels. In addition to those services, Next Stop Creatives produces original projects for creators. They’ve worked with actors like Kristen Jeter and Emma Sucato, making videos for them to branch out of the live theatre sphere.

Keen gathered his four other collaborators and assigned his team to run different parts of the company where he saw they fit best: content creation, management, finances, design and coordination. With all five founders having a background in theatre and the arts, they understand the artist’s needs and desires, Theriault said.

When the group was coming up with the idea in 2021, Jarecki and Theriault would come over and brainstorm for three to four hours every Friday night. Using a whiteboard, the team brainstormed their ideas to support artists in the digital age.

“We’re young, scrappy artists that want to help other young, scrappy artists,” Keen said.

What started as random “side-quests” for various NYC businesses turned into a resource for actors looking to shine through videos produced by Keen. However, finding talent was made possible by Theriault.

Theriault, a full-time corporate marketing consultant and Next Stop Creative’s head of marketing and design, graduated in 2020 alongside Keen. Having a theater degree in a constantly changing modern industry was frightening, Theriault said. With the added uncertainty from the pandemic while auditioning for shows, Theriault was unsure what she would do next.

Working in corporate America, Theriault said she’s grateful for Next Stop Creatives as it gives her a chance to engage with her passions and collaborate with her close friends.

“Why don’t we build a business from what we love to do? That’s what fuels us,” Theriault said. “We empower artists to go out there and be successful.”

Jeter, a NYC-based artist and actress, first met Keen in 2023 when they both worked on Broadway’s “Book of Mormon,” becoming instant friends. At the time, Keen was the musical’s dance captain and the youngest captain that season. When Jeter saw one of Keen’s choreography showcases that he turned into a video project, Jeter immediately thought of Keen to help with her next creative project. Next Stop Creatives stood out to Jeter because of its passionate mission and diverse portfolio.

Jeter had self-produced her own short films before in a very small, “homegrown” manner. For her newest film, “Smartest Idiot,” she wanted to “scale it up” in terms of production value, Jeter said.

With Next Stop Creatives, Jeter said she doesn’t have to worry about smaller production details like shotlists and crew member coordination. Wardrobe, photography and social media promotion are just some aspects that are covered by working with the company.

“They bridge the gap really well between having the idea in your head and bringing it to fruition,” Jeter said. “We’re in the age of video, and Next Stop Creatives helps artists go digital.”

The Next Stop Creatives team’s education and experiences at SU were invaluable, they said. That’s where they met, performed together and maintained close bonds that formed the company they have today.

Theriault always knew the people she met at SU would be people she could have in her “back pocket” for future connections and opportunities. She was right — when they graduated, the group leaned on each other in NYC for support and creative inspiration.

If someone told Theriault her college friends would start a company together, she never would have believed them. But she said it later made sense.

“Syracuse taught us anything was possible if we pushed for it,” Theriault said.

Next Stop Creatives has also helped current SU students produce dance reels and taught workshops.

“Syracuse has been so good to us,” Keen said. “So we just want to keep being good back.”

To celebrate its fifth anniversary, the company is hosting a five-year party in NYC on May 8.

Keen said many projects are in the works for the team. They’re looking to expand into producing their own stage productions, including an original musical with another SU alum, Sam Swinnerton, who will be writing the songs for the musical. The Next Stop Creatives team loves to “keep things in the Orange family,” Keen said.

However, their focus remains on helping other artists.

“We’re probably not your first stop, and we won’t be your last,” Keen said. “But if you have an idea, come to us. We can be the next stop.”

Published on April 27, 2026 at 10:09 pm