Bag&Baggage is proud to present an annual festival of solo performances! Our SOLO Fest is an opportunity to showcase stories, performers, and artists who are not usually seen on stages in Washington County – people and experiences that have either been ignored, silenced, or dismissed. With SOLO Fest, we celebrate the diversity of the people who live here in our community, and we honor their stories through the vehicle of solo performance.
SOLO Fest 2020 comes to The Vault Theater January 30th, 31st, & February 1st, featuring the following shows:
- Cinnamon and Cigarettes
Written and Performed by Jenny Newbry
Directed by Cassie Greer An exploration of the ways we fall apart and seek to heal, Cinnamon and Cigarettes is a true story that takes us on an interwoven journey of 4-year-old Jenny and her best friend Jeremy as they grow up and face broken homes, multiple moves, violent crime, depression, alcohol and drug use, and addiction cycles. When we realize our parents can’t protect us from the harshness of life, how do we cope – and what is it that can transform coping into flailing for some people, or into thriving for others? How do we heal from pain that feels too deep to endure, and what do we do when we feel hopeless and alone? - You Were Supposed To Be This Great Thing
Written and Performed by Warren McPherson When you grow up Catholic and all your mom wants is for you to be The Pope, well, there’s going to be some real disappointment in life. Starting with visions of the papal office, moving through athletic stardom, all the way to his current quest to be Super Dad, McPherson’s one-man storytelling show navigates a life spent constantly questioning the definition of greatness. - Queen Bess
Written and Performed by Victoria Alvarez-Chacon
Adapted from Robert Irvin’s Before Amelia Elizabeth Coleman, AKA Bessie Coleman, AKA Queen Bess, was an early civil aviator. She was the first woman of Black and Native American ancestry to hold a pilot license in the United States. Follow Bessie just moments after her last decent; soar with her as she flashes back on her life and the people who influenced her. - UNIVERSO || The Creation Story
Written and Performed by Joaquin Lopez
Conceptualized by Joaquin Lopez and Michael Cavazos
Directed by Michael Cavazos
Featuring the music from the album UNIVERSO This multi-media bilingual presentation shares the formative experiences of a gay man who comes of age navigating cultural identity, sexual intimacy, the yearning to be seen, and the impact of the Pulse Nightclub Massacre. The audience will enter a magical world that pays tribute to Latino queer identity, emotional survival, and personal transformation to a disco beat! Directed by queer Latino artist, Michael Cavazos (Hand2Mouth Theatre), the show features the music from Joaquin Lopez’s recent electro-pop album release—UNIVERSO.
Thursday and Saturday evening performances will feature Cinnamon and Cigarettes, followed by UNIVERSO || The Creation Story; Friday evening and Saturday afternoon performances will feature You Were Supposed To Be This Great Thing, followed by Queen Bess. All performances will feature a talk-back discussion with the artists following the second show; get your tickets here, and join us at The Vault to experience the work of these exemplary artists!
SOLO Fest 2020 is generously sponsored by Segun and Devinka De Silva
Be Part of SOLO Fest at Bag&Baggage!
B&B is seeking four solo pieces that will each receive two performances during the three-day festival in the winter of 2021. Maximum length of the piece should be approximately 75 minutes, as works will be paired together for performance. All SOLO performers receive a split of the box office proceeds from the festival, with a $500 guaranteed minimum. SOLO involves a juried selection process with a focus on the following artistic standards:
- Work that explores diversity, equity, and inclusion, and that is produced/written/starring artists of color
- Work that connects to B&B’s artistic mission of exploring classical literature in new and innovative ways
- Work that is text-based
- Work that connects to contemporary issues of social justice.
To be considered for SOLO 2021:
If this is a new, world premiere work, please submit:
-A copy of the script
-An overview of how the script and performance meets our Artistic Standards, and if the work can be produced with our standard light, sound, and projection plot
-An overview of other technical needs or requirements (sets, costumes, special effects, etc.)
-Reviews of previous work
-Video materials of previous work
-A resume
If this is a remount of an existing work, please submit:
-A copy of the script
-Reviews of the work from other productions
-Video samples of the work
-Photographs of previous performances
-An overview of how the script and performance meets our Artistic Standards, and if the work can be produced with our standard light, sound, and projection plot
-An overview of other technical needs or requirements (sets, costumes, special effects, etc.)
-A resume
Finalists will be interviewed by B&B staff prior to being invited to perform.
Submissions for SOLO FEST 2021 must be received by November 1st 2020.
Please submit materials or direct any questions to Cassie Greer, Artistic Director, at cassie@bagnbaggage.org
Previous SOLO Fest Shows include:
The Importance of Being Frank (2019)
Written and Performed by Rusty Tennant
None of the Above (2019)
Written and Performed by Jennifer Lanier
Directed by Dustina Haase-Lanier
Not My Revolution (2019)
Written and Performed by Elizabeth Huffman
Directed by Louanne Moldovan
Developed by Chain Reaction and Cygnet Productions
Sea/Sick (2019)
Written and Directed by Lawrence Siulagi
Adapted from the short story Dark Age by Justin Hocking
Performed by Amber Leilani Awalt
True Love and Other Noncommunicable Diseases (2018)
Written and Performed by Brianna Barrett
Directed by Jason Potter
The Box Marked Black: Tales of a Halfrican-American growing up Mulatto. With sock puppets! (2018)
Written and Performed by Damaris Webb
Directed by Debra Disbrow
American Spirit (2018)
Written and Performed by Rob Katsuno
MOP Deconstructed (2018)
Written and Performed by Paul Iarrobino