Trenton's Passage Theatre to Present 11th Annual Solo Flights Festival, 3/2-25

Passage Theatre, Trenton's only professional theater company, will present its 11^th Annual Solo Flights Festival from March 2 through March 25.  Performances will take place at the Mill Hill Playhouse, located at 205 E. Front Street at the corner of Montgomery Street in the heart of Trenton's historic Mill Hill district.  

In 2000, the first Solo Flights Festival began with only two rotating productions of one-person shows. In little over a decade, the festival has become one of the most anticipated events in the region and has showcased the works of as many as 10 artists during a Solo Flight Festival.  Passage Theatre Artistic Director June Ballinger describes the solo performance phenomena, in which an artist is both creator and performer of a show, as owing in part to performance artists' desire to have some control over their destinies; to take their careers in their own hands by creating their own vehicles and not wait on the whim of the theatre casting and producing industries.

The 2012 Festival SOLO FLIGHTS will feature five solo artists and two ensemble companies, including:

Broke Wide Open, written and performed by Rock WILK. Rock was a resident of the foster care system until he was finally adopted as a baby. Rock WILK takes us on theatrical journey recounting life-changing decisions and their consequences. Broke Wide Open is emotionally gripping and spiritually giving, with moments of comedic revelation. NPR calls WILK, "…the Muhammad Ali of hip hop and spoken word."    Friday, March 2 at 8pm; Sunday, March 18 at 3pm.

Comes Love, A Tribute to Billie Holiday – by Demetria Joyce Bailey and Vince di Mura. This theatrical musicale pays homage to Billie Holiday and re-unites Demetria Joyce Bailey, Vince di Mura and his three-piece band. Be transported to another time through songs like "Speak Low," "A Fine Romance," "Fine and Mellow", "Strange Fruit," and other classics made famous by the incomparable Lady Day.  Saturday, March 3 at 8pm; Sunday, March 4 at 3pm.

Donna Orbits the Moon – written by Ian August, performed by Andrea Gallo, directed by Marc Geller.  Something is not quite right with Donna: A loving mother, a devoted wife and a minor celebrity to all bake sale planners is getting spacey.  To break free of the gravitational pull she feels, she must pass through space and time with an unlikely voice to guide her.   Friday and Saturday, March 9 and 10 at 8pm; Sunday, March 11 at 3pm.

Leah Stein Dance Company – by Leah Stein and Toshi Makihara.  Inspired by the physics of movement and the forces of nature, Stein's improvisational, spontaneous and all-inclusive approach to dance sparks synergy between performers and audience. Using inventiveness, humor and surprise, Leah Stein continuously shows the interconnectedness of people, culture and the physical environment. Ongoing and long-term collaborators include musician Toshi Makihara, who will be performing with Leah in this exclusive two-person creation. Friday, March 16 and Friday, March 23 at 8pm. 

Punchkapow! – by Team Sunshine Performance Corporation. Punchkapow! is a sweaty, hilarious and unique look at powerless people in search of their superpower.  For two friends, everyday life is often filled with niggling tedium.  The remedy?  Stunning physical acting and kickass fights as two dudes explore their brutal relationship in a world of ninjas, villains and epic battles where justice wins out – every time.  Mostly.  Saturday, March 17 and Saturday, March 24 at 8pm. 

Beyond Words – written and performed by Bill Bowers, directed by Scott Illingworth.  A collection of Mime, Music, and Monologues: a poignant journey that continues Bowers' ongoing investigation of silence in our culture.  Thursday, March 22 at 8pm; Sunday, March 25 at 3pm. 

Cuentos Del Arbol – presented by Pushcart Players.  FREE event.  "Cuentos Del Arbol" or "Tree Tales" is a delightful bi-lingual musical drawn from Spanish and Latin American folklore about the legacy of Un Arbol, a tree, and her many tales of the people who have passed her way.  Part of and supported by The New Jersey Theatre Alliance's The Stages Festival and Family Week at the Theatre.  Saturday, March 24 at 12pm and Sunday, March 25 at 11am. 

Passage, celebrating its 25th anniversary in Trenton this year, is known for developing and producing new plays for a culturally diverse urban audience.  "The Solo Flights Festival is our one departure from that form." Ballinger continues, "The festival allows us the opportunity to introduce stylistic and artistic diversity to our audience – sort of a 'Whitman's Sampler.'  We can challenge our audience with a more experimental piece and get a sense of boundaries, which in turn helps us to determine where we can push further or pull back when we plan future main stage productions.   It also allows us to integrate some dance and music into our programming. Only once in the last 12 years did we not present a Solo Flights Festival and our audience really missed it…so it has become a regular part of season programming."

Tickets: $20. Performances March 2 through 25, Friday and Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 3pm; added performance Thursday March 22 at 8pm. FREE tickets to Cuentos del Arbol Saturday, March 24 at 12pm. Tickets are available by calling (609) 392-0766; visiting online at www.passagetheatre.org; or in person at the Passage Theatre Office at 219 East Hanover Street in Trenton. Tickets can also be purchased at the door one hour before each performance at the Mill Hill Playhouse, 205 East Front St., Trenton, NJ  08611. 

Passage's mainstage season is made possible in part by the NJ State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the NEA; the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation; The Times of Trenton; Trenton Marriott at Lafayette Yard; the City of Trenton Dept. of Recreation and Cultural Affairs; WIMG 1300; PNC Bank; The Bunbury Company; The Mary Owen Borden Foundation; The Garfield Foundation; The Rose and Louis H. Linowitz Charitable Foundation: Princeton Area Community Foundation; Bank of America; Bloomberg; Community Foundation of New Jersey; NJ Council for the Humanities; Mary G. Roebling Foundation; The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, and The Virginia Brown Martin Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation.