[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.
October Shows:
October Shows:
LESSONS LEARNED: THE TIME OF MY LIFE
Thursday, October 1 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
Appropriate for ages 16+.
Read the NoHo Arts Lessons Learned: The Time of My Life review>>
TITLE PENDING
Monday, October 5 at 7pm | 75 minutes.
Written and performed by Heather Tyson, TITLE PENDING is a solo show about betrayal, breakdowns and breaking out of boxes. Buckle up. One text message is about to change everything. Meet Heather: a nice, hard-working, Catholic girl from the Midwest who tries to do everything “right.” When she receives a mysterious text from her husband, her carefully charted life begins to unravel, right in the middle of leading an automotive safety seminar. Set in the awkward confines of her corporate training job, Heather’s story spirals into a raw, often hilarious, and deeply human journey of betrayal, resilience, and reinvention. What do you do when the GPS of life fails? You either crash…or reprogram everything. Learn More at heathertyson.com
Appropriate for ages 15+.
Read the NoHo Arts TITLE PENDING review>>
HAIL MARY, NONE OF GRACE
Wednesday, October 7 at 7pm | 1 hour.
This U.S. Premiere of the dark comedy following a hit Edinburgh Fringe run is written and performed by Mary Kennedy from SHAMELESS and SHAMELESS HALL OF FAME. Mary Kennedy, yes one of those Kennedys, third cousins twice removed; all of the tragedy, none of the money. No Irish Catholic story is complete without a mention of a good Irish funeral! Join Mary as she lays her mother to rest. Through her mother’s dying, Mary learned how to live. Hail Mary, None of the Grace is a rollercoaster of awakenings for Kennedy, which has created the woman she is today.
Appropriate for ages 16+.
LESSONS LEARNED: THE TIME OF MY LIFE
Thursday, October 8 at 8:00 PM | 90 minutes. Repeats. See description for Thursday, Oct. 1.
MAMI, WHAT’S YOUR 20?
Bronx Girl. Cali World. 15 Voices. And Good Credit.
Monday, October 12 at 7:00pm | 85 minutes. No Intermission.
Mami, What’s Your 20? Is a four-time award winner, including Best One-Woman Show at United Solo 2024, the world’s largest solo theater festival, and Best of Fest at Whitefire Theatre’s Solofest 2025. With special guest master percussionist Eric Velez. This solo show follows one woman, fifteen characters, and three generations of advice that will make you laugh, break your heart, and make you question everything you thought you knew about where you come from and who you’re allowed to become. You’ll meet abuelita, who made sure Nadeen never forgot the most important lesson of all: keeping good credit.
Appropriate for ages 15+.
Read the NoHo Arts Mami, What’s Your 20? review>>
JIMMY STEWART ON THE FRONT OF LIFE
Wednesday, October 14 at 8:00pm | 75 minutes.
In 1945, Jimmy Stewart returned to civilian life after nearly five years in the service. “I don’t know if I’m an unemployed actor or an unemployed pilot,” he jested, but his uncertainty was real. He came back to an expired studio contract, no job prospects in a changing industry, personal doubts, and no place to live. Emmy-winning actor Brian Rohan portrays Jimmy Stewart – a changed man at a crossroads.
Learn More at brianrohan.com/
Appropriate for ages 12+.
SHOWSTOPPER One Man. One Piano. A Lifetime of Musicals.
Thursday, October 15 at 8:00pm. | 80 minutes
What happens when life doesn’t go as you planned? You do a one-man show about it. SHOWSTOPPER is a one-man musical about Jerry Rockwell – a challenging, bold (and entirely fictional) composer/lyricist – responsible for some of Musical Theatre’s most unique and innovative shows. Composed and performed by Gary Stockdale, and co-written with Spencer Green, the show presents Jerry near the end of his life, making a bid to be remembered for his work, coming to grips with his successes and failures, and everything that he sacrificed in his quest to become the Next Big Thing on Broadway.
Appropriate for ages 15+.
Read the NoHo Arts Showstopper review>>
THE STORY OF ME AND MY DAD
Monday, October 19 at 7:00 pm | 80 minutes
While performing a one-man play entitled Wild Son: The Testimony of Christian Brando, I fell in love with acting again and did that show everywhere for over 5 years. When I got back from Fringe in Edinburgh, I started wondering if I could take everything that I’d learned and write a true story about me and my own dad with the goal being to make it just as good as Wild Son. Marlon Brando was to me one of the worst fathers I’d ever heard of, and my father was one of the best. After three years of working on it, and with a lot of help from my friends (especially Eddie Jemison) I think we pulled it off. And I know you will too! This will be the last chance to see The Story of Me and My Dad in Los Angeles before we film it live at The Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Appropriate for ages 12+.
A SMILE THAT LIT UP EVERY ROOM
Wednesday, October 21 at 8:00pm | 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
Appropriate for ages 18+.
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Don’t miss any shows, check out the NoHo Theatre Guide>>
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