[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival review of Homecoming, a funny, moving, and deeply personal solo show written and performed by Dara Kosberg.
I have a particular love and admiration for solo shows. Every single solo show I have seen has merit, is relatable, moving and purposeful. But there’s a mystical and ever-moving line that solo shows sometimes cross into the realm of other worldliness and soul changing. I have seen probably thousands of solo shows and very few cross that line. Dara Kosberg’s Homecoming did, almost as soon as the show began.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is about her show that makes it so good. She’s a wonderful storyteller and a Moth StorySLAM winner. Her subject of grief is something that all of us can relate to: the guilt, the loneliness, the pain. But Dara has something else to talk about. Her mother died while she was away on a semester abroad in Australia. She had been ill for some time, but insisted that Dara go halfway around the world to fulfill her dreams, and within a few days of being there, Dara received a phone call from her father with the news.
That bastard cancer…of course. There was nothing more that could have been done and everyone knew this. But for Dara, the deep sense of betrayal she felt she had committed clung to her. For years. No amount of reassurance by her family could shake it and it changed her, perhaps as much as the loss itself.
But Dara found a way through her grief and her guilt and her stuck-ness, and it was through helping others and finding the humor in the darkness.
Homecoming is a phenomenal show. Immensely funny, beautifully constructed, meaningful and profound and again…very very funny.
Dara Kosberg is a brilliant writer and a flawless and natural performer. Her warmth and sweetness have an edge. A comedian’s edge. Wise and intentional and absolutely wonderful. I laughed so much during this show and cried a little.
My mother died while I was living here in the US, unable to get home. Even though I had seen her recently and spent a lot of time with her, it wasn’t enough, and so I relate directly to Dara. As parents age and as we age, death becomes an unwelcome companion. One we must make peace with because what choice do we have? Dara’s response was to create and heal and help others heal through her impeccable shows and her wickedly funny stories and her genuinely empathic persona.
Homecoming is a gift. I’d be shocked if the show doesn’t sell out its run and gain some awards. I’d vote for it! I’m just so happy and grateful that Dara made it. Even after 28 years of the loss of my mother, I still feel the loss every day, and laughter is the only balm that holds. Bravo, Dara!!
You can see Homecoming at the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Tickets:
https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13407?tab=details
Where:
The Madnani Theatre
6760 Lexington Ave, Hollywood.
When:
Sunday, June 7 (Preview) – 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 13 – 4:30 p.m.
Friday, June 19 – 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 20 – 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 28 – 4 p.m.
More Info:
Homecoming is directed by David Ford, with original direction by Iris Bahr (NYC debut) and David Crabb (LA debut)
