Theatre Aspen’s Solo Flights Festival returns

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Tickets are on sale! 

Theatre Aspen’s sixth annual 2025 Solo Flights Festival, championing one-person shows, will bring a fresh line-up Sept. 2-7 at the Hurst Theatre and The Wheeler Opera House.

“We’re thrilled to feature six terrific new projects with a slew of the preeminent creatives working throughout theater, comedy, and the film and television industry with luminaries,” Producing Director of Theatre Aspen Jed Bernstein said.

The festival, launched in 2019, provides a platform and early support for one-person shows in the beginning stages of their making. 

New works shown during the 2025 developmental festival will be staged at the Hurst Theatre, including performances by Emmy and Grammy-nominated comedian and actress Margaret Cho, Broadway actress Sharone Sayegh, and New York theater director Gordon Greenberg. 

The exception is the show by three-time Tony Award nominee Marc Kudisch and Dick Scanlan’s performances, “Mark Twain Shouldn’t Say Such Things,” which will be held off-campus at the Wheeler Opera House. 

All productions will receive early developmental support from Theatre Aspen. 

— Sept. 2 at 4 p.m. and Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.: “The Goldsmith,” written by and starring Sharone Sayegh, directed by Zachary Prince, with sound composition and music arrangement by Avi Amon is inspired by Sayegh’s real family history. The story is woven from stories passed down through generations linked through golden jewelry. Each piece marks Sayegh’s family’s journey from Iraq to America, as she navigates love and identity as a first-generation Iraqi Israeli-American Jew. This solo play explores belonging and self-acceptance, inviting audiences to reflect on the legacies we carry.

— Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 4 at 4 p.m.: “Ghost Tour,” written by Gordon Greenberg and directed by Stephen Brackett, is about a cynical out of work actor who returns to his hometown in Orlando, Florida, to host a haunted theater tour — only to be haunted by his own past. The tour takes a hilarious turn, with heart-wrenching moments navigating the love, loss, and queerness in the ghosts we carry. It’s part stand-up, part séance, and memorable.

— Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 6 at 4 p.m.: “Mourning Songs” showcases words and music written by and starring Ryan Langer and co-directed by Gregg Wiggans and Jack Cumming Ill. How far would you go to turn heartbreak into hope? Ryan Langer, an aspiring musical theater composer, is ready to quit — until tragedy sparks unexpected inspiration. On a whim, he launches a social media project to process his grief. It goes viral. As likes and shares soar, a new career opportunity appears. Now, Ryan must face the price of making his pain public.

— Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. and Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.: “The Vampire” written by and starring Alec Silberblatt, is directed by Paul Edwards. A lonely and lost young man, drawn by wealth, purpose, and friendship finds himself in the company of a vampire. After letting the monster into his world, he faces a choice, embrace the chaos and violence or fight back to protect those he loves most.

— Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 7 at 4 p.m.: “Mark Twain Shouldn’t Say Such Things” is written by Dick Scanlan and Marc Kudisch, directed by Scanlan, and stars Kudisch. While on a book tour for “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Mark Twain, America’s first stand-up comic, is faced with a crisis. His touring partner and pal, southern writer and unexpected progressive George Washington Cable, leaves the tour unexpectedly. With no choice, Twain has to use his famous wit and charisma to become a solo act, forcing him to confront his own views of friendship and race, as well as how to express those views. It’s an opportunity to get to know the icon better than ever before.

— Sept. 5 at 4 p.m. and Sept. 7 at 7 p.m.: “Mommy: A One-Woman Cho” is written by and starring Margaret Cho, directed by Seonjae Kim, with additional material by Leah Nanako Winkler. In this genre-defying solo show, trailblazing artist Margaret Cho channels her mother — a favorite character in her comedy. As “Mommy” shares the Korean-American immigrant experience, secrets of family and survival surface. Delivered with Cho’s trademark wit, “Mommy: A One Woman Cho” invites audiences to find truth in their own stories.

A panel of distinguished theatre makers, still to be announced, will select two works to receive the 2025 Solo Flights Advancement Fund grants. In 2024, two $10,000 grants went to “From Kabul With Love” by Sammi Cannold and Safi Rauf and “Touch” by Kenny Finkle. 

Solo Flights single tickets and passes are available for purchase now. Matinee performances are pay-what-you-can, starting at just $10. Tickets are only available by visiting the box office. The Solo Flights schedule is subject to change. There will also be signature events, including talkbacks, creative discussions, and special receptions.

More casting and creative announcements will be made shortly. For the latest information, go to TheatreAspen.org., call 970-300-4474, or visit the box office at the Hurst Theatre, open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.