[NoHo Arts District, CA] – The Whitefire Theatre presents September’s lineup of award-winning and audience-favorite solo shows in THE BEST OF THE BEST SOLOFEST.
A celebration of the solo journey 16 years in the making, the Whitefire Theatre’s SOLOFEST has been recognized as the largest solo festival on the West Coast. THE BEST OF THE BEST SOLOFEST program offers award-winners and audience favorites, performed live on stage, with some shows available with a stream-on-demand option. Presented by Susan Simons and the Whitefire Theatre, THE BEST OF THE BEST SOLOFEST is hosted by Bryan Rasmussen and Victoria Watson Winkler and runs now through November 25, 2026.
September Shows:
A SMILE THAT LIT UP EVERY ROOM
Wednesday September 9 at 7:00 PM | 1hr
A SMILE THAT LIT UP EVERY ROOM, created and performed by April Wish and directed by Morgan Smith, takes us on April’s hilarious journey to investigate the motives for her less-than-casual consumption of crime and violence. As she unearths the layers of her obsession with True Crime, a deeply personal tale of religion, death, friendship and the afterlife is exposed. This show has the bravery to ask: “Do you have a favorite serial killer?” while also looking into the void of death itself to ponder “yeah, but what happens next?” Learn more at aprilwish.com/smile
This show is recommended for ages 18+.
SPERM ASSASSINATION…the survivors
Wednesday, September 16 at 7:00PM | 1hr
SPERM ASSASSINATION…the survivors is multi-award-winning performer Pam Levin’s brutally funny dark comedy about the fear of becoming a parent, and why she seriously considered just settling for a dog. Written and performed by Levin, directed by Mark Hatfield, Pam managed to convince her husband to postpone parenting for 5 years, but now time’s up. Using a different strategy, Pam launches into a full-scale covert operation known as…SPERM ASSASSINATION! This laugh-out-loud conundrum is the rebranding of her critically acclaimed solo show, “Tales of Modern Motherhood, this sh*t just got real”. She’s added more story and some spicy new offerings. Pam Levine is the recipient of the Whitefire Theatre’s SOLOFEST 2025 “LEGEND AWARD.”
This show is recommended for ages 15+.
LESSONS LEARNED: THE TIME OF MY LIFE
Thursday, September 17 at 8:00 PM | 90 minutes
Best of Fest 2026 winner Denise Fennell returns for a limited engagement! Comedian and storyteller Denise Fennell takes us from a nostalgic look back at a childhood in working-class Boston through middle-aged motherhood in Los Angeles. Along the way, Denise shares heartfelt stories of mixed tapes, wood-paneled basements, and banana seat bicycles. Written with her husband, Rick Pasqualone, this bittersweet and often hilarious interactive 90-minute show invites audiences of all ages to reflect on their own journeys and the lessons they carry with them. Learn More at denisefennell.net
The show is recommended for ages 16+.
IT’S ALL A JOKE Just a Comic Trying to Survive the Apocalypse
Monday, September 21 at 7:00PM | 1hr to 75 minutes
After her stand-up show in LA, a comic settles into her nightly routine at home until a world apocalypse hits outside her apt. She embarks on a life-threatening comedic journey trying to get to her parents’ home in Montana in hopes they are still alive. She copes with her changing circumstances by creating different comedic personas and writing jokes as she improvises on the spot while imagining herself at an open mic. Written and performed by Marissa Fennell and directed by Andrew Ceglio, we get to feel what it’s like to be an artist in the ever-changing definition of artistry.
TRIGGER WARNING: Explosions and gunshot sound in the first 15 min. The show is recommended for ages 17+.
LESSONS LEARNED: THE TIME OF MY LIFE
Thursday, September 24 at 8:00 PM | 90 minutes
Best of Fest 2026 winner Denise Fennell returns for a limited engagement! Comedian and storyteller Denise Fennell takes us from a nostalgic look back at a childhood in working-class Boston through middle-aged motherhood in Los Angeles. Along the way, Denise shares heartfelt stories of mixed tapes, wood-paneled basements, and banana seat bicycles. Written with her husband, Rick Pasqualone, this bittersweet and often hilarious interactive 90-minute show invites audiences of all ages to reflect on their own journeys and the lessons they carry with them. Learn More at denisefennell.net
Read the NoHo Arts Lessons Learned: The Time of My Life review>>
The show is recommended for ages 16+.
HOLY SHITAKE: A Wok Star is Born
Monday September at 7:00 PM | 1hr
Filled with pathos and humor, Holy Shitake: A Wok Star is Born chronicles Chef Katie Chin’s true journey as a fish-out-of-water Chinese American girl growing up in Minneapolis, where she was raised by my mother, seamstress-turned-restaurateur Leeann Chin. A true warrior, her late mother overcame incredible obstacles and adversity, having been in an arranged marriage to her emotionally abusive husband while raising six children, making 50 cents an hour as a seamstress. Through it all, she found solace through cooking and built a $50 million Chinese restaurant empire through an extraordinary twist of fate involving 007 himself, Sean Connery. SOLOFEST 2024 Best of the Fest Recipient & recipient of the Legend Award SOLOFEST 2026 Learn More at chefkatiechin.com
The show is recommended for ages 16+.
TRAGIC MAGIC ~ A STORY OF RECOVERY
Wednesday, September 30 at 7:00pm | 1hr
TRAGIC MAGIC, A Story of Recovery is a riveting drama of tragedy, redemption, and transformation. As a daughter of Lithuanian displaced persons growing up in Chicago and needing to fit in, Sigute Miller experienced the dragon of addiction early on, until it all came crashing down. Getting sober, transforming in India, and reconnecting with nature – she takes us on her journey with honesty and humor, while honoring her Lithuanian roots through song and the pagan ritual of hugging trees. Woven into the play is the tragic loss of her twenty-four-year-old brother Al, who had addictions of his own. … it’s not just Sigute’s story, but Al’s too. TRAGIC MAGIC is a story of hope, recovery, triumph, and finally – celebration.
Read the NoHo Arts Tragic Magic interview>>
The show is recommended for ages 16+.
Don’t miss any shows, check out the NoHo Theatre Guide>>
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