In our review of Geva's recent production of the Iraq drama "Nine Parts of Desire," we noted that the play proved why Geva needs its Nextstage. "The intimate play is too small, too new to play on the main stage," we wrote, "and yet its confronting themes and passionate performances more than fill the humble Nextstage space."

Unfortunately there will be no "Nine Parts," or any other Nextstage productions in the 2007-08 season. Geva announced last week that its smaller space will instead be used for a year-long project called Rochester TheatreFest, which will replace the edgy Nextstage fare with performances by smaller local theater groups.

TheatreFest is a collaboration between Geva and the Community Foundation, to celebrate the 35th anniversaries of both. The festival will feature 14 groups that will perform one- to three-week-long shows in the Nextstage space from September 2007 to June 2008. The groups range from more sophisticated companies like Blackfriars Theatre and Shipping Dock Theatre to family-friendly troupes like Theatre Young Kids Enjoy (TYKES) and PUSH Physical Theatre.

Geva Artistic Director Mark Cuddy says the goal of TheatreFest is to provide increased exposure to the groups. "We're hoping that every organization gets a lot of new people to see their work, not only from Geva, but from each other," he says.

Some of the groups, including Downstairs Cabaret Theatre, Blackfriars, Shipping Dock, and JCC CenterStage, have their own performance space. Cuddy says the shows they'll be presenting as part of TheatreFest aren't in lieu of the projects they'll stage on their home turf. They'll present shows "that work best in this venue in a larger scope," he says, adding that this is typical in other cities that have held similar theater festivals.

Nobody faults Geva for lending support to other local theater groups. But given the quality of this season's Nextstage productions, "Nine Parts" and David Mamet's "American Buffalo," the decision leaves a pretty big hole on the local theater landscape that few of the TheatreFest groups can realistically fill.

"It's only for one year," Cuddy says of the change. "We can't do everything. If we're going to do the TheatreFest, we felt it was important to do it well, and thoroughly, and have the scope we could."

Nextstage's break "gives us strength," he says. "We've had a long conversation about this, but the success of ‘Nine Parts' and ‘Buffalo' has really focused us on what kinds of work we can be doing there in the future. So it will help us plan for the future."

Geva's playreading series and its Comedy Improv will continue in the Nextstage space, but Big Theatre for Little People will take a vacation for the season.