Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 02/22/2025
Backwards Forwards Back at United Solo
(NEW YORK, NY) -- United Solo's Spring 2025 Festival brings a lineup of dynamic performances from around the world to Theatre Row, running from March 18 through April 20.
“As we enter a time of global transformation, creators are more determined than ever to share their stories with audiences,” says Omar Sangare, Founder and Artistic Director of United Solo. “In challenging times, we turn to artists to speak out and bring us together—to provide comfort, clarity, and inspiration. This season’s performers continue our vision, sharing their narratives with courage and creativity.”
The festival explores a wide range of themes through diverse voices and perspectives, including celebrity culture, personal identity, human values, feminism, global traditions, and the challenges posed by entitlement, abuse, and political unrest.
Among the festival highlights are international reimagining of classic works:
* South Korea’s Jiyoung Choi presents “Cordelia: Sword of the Wind,” a retelling of “King Lear” through the eyes of Cordelia, blending Shakespearean drama with dance.
* Nepal’s Rajkumar Pudasaini explores the poetry of Bihupi Serchan in “Galat Lagccha Malai Mero Desh Ko Itihas.”
* Persian actress Shadi Yazdani performs “Yocasta,” written by Mohammad Reza Ghodsev, offering a fresh perspective on the Oedipus myth through a female lens.
The festival also features deeply personal and socially relevant narratives:
* San Francisco native Sheherazaad, whose work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, The New York Times, and Vogue, presents “The Adat,” a musical exploration of diaspora and alienation within the Bay Area’s Sikh community.
* Foreign policy expert Bill Hartung, dubbed the "Rodney Dangerfield of Foreign Policy," humorously examines his double life in “I Get No Respect: My Life as a Failed Foreign Policy Pundit.”
* Jacquline Goldfinger’s “Backwards, Forwards, Back,” performed by actor and veteran L. James, explores the emotional and psychological impact of PTSD.
* Other notable performances include Thomas Ellenson’s “Well, Life Sucks,” a deeply personal reflection on navigating life and pursuing an acting career while living with cerebral palsy.
For fans of The Moth Story Hour, multi-award-winning storyteller Flora Le embarks on a motorcycle journey through Vietnam to uncover her late father’s past in “Sadec 1965: A Love Story.” NAACP Image Award recipient Rochée Jefferey delivers a compelling take on internet harassment in “The Troll.” Acclaimed Czech-Canadian artist Lenka Lichtenberg brings to life her grandmother’s poetry, written in a concentration camp during World War II.
Continuing our United Solo tradition, the festival will feature a celebratory concert on Saturday, March 22, starring Vice Artistic Director Wendy-Lane Bailey and directed by festival founder Omar Sangare, paying tribute to the artists who make United Solo possible. The festival concludes on April 20 with the Closing Gala, an evening dedicated to honoring the outstanding work of festival participants.
“Theatre has become a platform for unity, perseverance, and peace,” concludes Omar Sangare, a passionate advocate for human rights and artistic expression. “Join us, regardless of agendas—we are here to create a space where human values can be preserved.”
For tickets and more information, click here.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Gateway Playhouse presents Neil Simon's "London Suite"
(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Gateway Playhouse presents Neil Simon's London Suite with three performances from July 11-12, 2026. Witty, charming, and unmistakably Neil Simon, London Suite invites audiences into a series of hilarious and heartfelt encounters set in the same London hotel room.
The Light Opera of New Jersey presents "H.M.S. Pinafore" at the Sieminski Theater Cultural Arts Center
(BASKING RIDGE, NJ) -- The Light Opera of New Jersey presents H.M.S. Pinafore from July 11-12, 2026 at the Sieminski Theater Cultural Arts Center. This is a comic operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan that satirize the British class system.
Misfits Theatre Co. presents "She Loves Me"
(MATAWAN, NJ) -- Misfits Theatre Co., a community theater organization dedicated to producing bold, entertaining, and accessible theater for audiences of all ages, presents its inaugural book musical production, She Loves Me at Matawan Regional High School from July 10-12, 2026.
Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center presents "Sense and Sensibility" in Plainfield
(PLAINFIELD, NJ) -- Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center invites audiences to experience Jane Austen's beloved classic Sense and Sensibility in a charming production. NOTE: Due to storm damage at duCret Center of Art, they will now be performing indoors at Plainfield Performing Arts Center. Performances take place July 10-12, 2026
Howell PAL Theater Company presents "Grease"
(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Howell PAL Theater Company presents the classic musical Grease weekends from July 10-12, 2026 at the Jersey Shore Arts Center. Grease is a love song to the 1950s and a cornerstone of the American musical comedy form.
Pioneer Productions presents encore run of "What the Constitution Means to Me" in Chatham Borough
(CHATHAM, NJ) -- Pioneer Productions is thrilled to announce encore performances of their production of Heidi Schreck's "What the Constitution Means to Me." Following a sold-out run of the show in downtown Morristown earlier this year, the original cast and production team have partnered with Chatham Borough to present an encore weekend July 11-12, 2026 at the Stanely Center.
Masquerade Theatre presents a staged reading of "Executive Decisions" by Dan Jankauskas
(RIVERSIDE, NJ) -- Masquerade Theatre presents a staged reading of Executive Decisions by Dan Jankauskas from July 10-12, 2026. It tells the story of two coworkers, Fives and Tenner, who are suddenly faced with the prospect that their routine deskwork has lethal consequences.
Phoenix Productions presents "Rock of Ages"
(RED BANK, NJ) -- Phoenix Productions presents Rock of Ages from July 10-12, 2026 at Count Basie Center for the Arts. Rock of Ages takes you back to the time of big bands with big egos playing big guitar solos and sporting even bigger hair!
Skyline Theatre Company presents Shakespeare on the Porch with "Much Ado About Nothing"
(BLOOMFIELD, NJ) -- Skyline Theatre Company presents Much Ado About Nothing with performances July 17-18, 2026 as part of its Shakespeare on the Porch series. The Bard's ultimate rom-com comes to life on the porch of the Oakeside Mansion.
The Montclair Foundation and Studio Players will present Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" at Van Vleck House and Gardens
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- The Montclair Foundation and Studio Players will present Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing outside at Van Vleck House and Gardens across two weekends from July 10-18, 2026. This is no ordinary stage production, it’s an immersive theatrical experience.
FEATURED EVENTS
