In spring 2025, Episodic Theatre Project presented Don't Turn Around Now—a five-episode serialized thriller set in the fictional small town of Knife's Point. Over five consecutive Thursdays, audiences returned to Under St. Marks Theater to watch secrets, ambition, and murder unfold within the walls of the town's popular diner.

The series followed charismatic millionaire Manny's plan to transform Main Street into a thriving arts district—a vision that promised to revive the sleepy town with artists, tourists, and cultural attention. But not everyone welcomed progress. Characters from Manny's past emerged, determined to stop the development at any cost. As locals chose sides and old wounds reopened, the question became: could Knife's Point withstand the pressure, or would small-town drama turn deadly?

Each hour-long episode was written and directed by a different creative team, yet all five shared a single through line developed collaboratively over months of meetings. The result was a theatrical experience that combined the episodic storytelling of prestige television with the immediacy of live performance—binge-worthy theater that kept audiences coming back week after week.

Don't Turn Around Now was made possible by a grant from The Puffin Foundation, which supports artists often excluded from mainstream opportunities due to their identities or social philosophies. The production featured a cast of five performing across all episodes, creating an ensemble-driven narrative that built momentum over the course of the series.

Susanna Jaramillo

(Ep 2: Hey Hey)