Theatre Aspen Brings Back Solo Flights Festival
Theatre Aspen’s sixth annual 2025 Solo Flights Festival, championing one-person shows, will bring a fresh line-up September 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,” said Producing Director of Theatre Aspen Jed Bernstein.
Launched in 2019, the festival provides a platform and early support for one-person shows in their beginning stages.
New works this year 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 “Mark Twain Shouldn’t Say Such Things,” created by three-time Tony Award nominee Marc Kudisch and Dick Scanlan, which will be held at the Wheeler Opera House.
Performance Schedule
September 2 at 4 p.m. & September 4 at 7 p.m.
The Goldsmith — Written by and starring Sharone Sayegh, directed by Zachary Prince, with music arrangement by Avi Amon. Inspired by Sayegh’s real family history, the story traces her family’s journey from Iraq to America through heirloom jewelry, exploring love, identity, and belonging.
September 2 at 7 p.m. & September 4 at 4 p.m.
Ghost Tour — Written by Gordon Greenberg and directed by Stephen Brackett. A cynical out-of-work actor returns to Orlando to host a haunted theater tour, only to be haunted by his own past. Part stand-up, part séance, the piece blends comedy with themes of love, loss, and queerness.
September 2 at 7 p.m. & September 6 at 4 p.m.
Mourning Songs — Words and music by Ryan Langer, co-directed by Gregg Wiggans and Jack Cumming III. An aspiring composer on the verge of quitting finds unexpected inspiration through grief, launching a social media project that changes the course of his career.
September 3 at 4 p.m. & September 6 at 7 p.m.
The Vampire — Written by and starring Alec Silberblatt, directed by Paul Edwards. A lonely young man drawn into the world of a vampire must decide whether to embrace chaos or fight back to protect those he loves.
September 5 at 7 p.m. & September 7 at 4 p.m.
Mark Twain Shouldn’t Say Such Things — Written by Dick Scanlan and Marc Kudisch, directed by Scanlan, starring Kudisch. While on a book tour for Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain is left to perform alone after his partner departs. Forced into a solo act, he confronts his own views on friendship, race, and performance.
September 5 at 4 p.m. & September 7 at 7 p.m.
Mommy: A One-Woman Cho — Written by and starring Margaret Cho, directed by Seonjae Kim, with additional material by Leah Nanako Winkler. Cho channels her mother in a solo performance that blends comedy, cultural identity, and family secrets.
A panel of distinguished theater makers will select two works to receive the 2025 Solo Flights Advancement Fund grants. In 2024, $10,000 grants were awarded to From Kabul With Love by Sammi Cannold and Safi Rauf, and Touch by Kenny Finkle.
By: Staff ReportI The Aspen Times I August 11, 2025
Photo: Theatre Aspen/Courtesy photo