Across Marin County, the One for All solo festival at Marin Shakespeare Company in San Rafael is a bold celebration of personal storytelling as cultural and political resistance. Curated by Josh Kornbluth—whose 1997 shaving gag about Ben Franklin kicked off his solo career—the festival brings intimate, pay-what-you-will performances to Marin audiences.
It invites voices that are often marginalized to share their stories on stage. The vibe is open, a little experimental, and pretty fearless.
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Overview of the One for All Solo Festival
The festival runs March 6–22 at Marin Shakespeare Company’s Center for Performing Arts, Education, and Social Justice in San Rafael. The lineup blends established pieces and new works, which keeps things fresh and unpredictable.
Pay-what-you-will pricing sits at the heart of the mission. They really want to widen access, whether you’re in San Rafael, Mill Valley, Larkspur, San Anselmo, or, honestly, anywhere nearby.
Performances usually last 75 to 90 minutes. But formats shift to honor each artist’s unique voice, so you never quite know what you’ll get.
A Curator’s Vision
Josh Kornbluth, a Bay Area veteran of solo performance, teams up with Marin Shakespeare Company artistic director Jon Tracy to curate a festival that centers empathy, storytelling, and cross-cultural curiosity.
Kornbluth has never curated a festival before, but his experience and commitment to honest storytelling make the lineup feel expansive and deeply local. There’s something about the way these pieces reflect Marin’s communities—from San Rafael to Fairfax and beyond—that just fits.
The festival’s ethos—offering pieces of the community and encouraging curiosity across cultures—mirrors how Marin County audiences tend to engage with art. I mean, you feel it in Sausalito’s waterfront venues and along the cultural corridors of Corte Madera.
The Lineup and Works
The roster mixes marquee names with Marin and national talents. Headlining is Kathryn Grody, a Bay Area favorite who really anchors the festival.
Local favorites like Dan Hoyle show off their storytelling chops, and the Marin Shakespeare Company’s Returned Citizens’ Troupe brings powerful work shaped by firsthand experience in the justice system.
National voices—like Christopher Rivas and magician Christian Cagigal—travel to share their craft and perspectives. On stage, you’ll find everything from Kornbluth’s Ben Franklin piece to cutting-edge new work like ICU by Leyla Modirzadeh and Domenique Lozano.
Some performances are polished and confident. Others are more experimental, testing new forms and formats, which keeps things interesting and reflects the festival’s flexible, voice-driven approach.
Average show lengths hover around 75 to 90 minutes. But honestly, expect bold experiments and structures that reflect each artist’s vision.
The festival is accessible and immersive. It keeps Marin audiences curious and engaged, whether you’re in Larkspur, Tiburon, or one of the smaller towns nearby.
Accessibility, Community Engagement, and Workshops
One for All runs on a pay-what-you-will policy. It’s a deliberate move to reduce barriers for families and workers across Marin’s towns—whether you’re in Corte Madera after a long day, Mill Valley after a hike, or catching something in San Rafael’s arts scene.
Besides performances, Kornbluth offers storytelling workshops during the festival. He invites community members from San Rafael, Ross, and all around to explore personal narratives as a form of civic voice and cultural resistance.
The workshops and performances together create a kind of cultural bridge across Marin County. They invite residents from San Anselmo to Fairfax to connect through shared story and shared space.
Dates, Venue, and How to Attend
The One for All solo festival runs March 6–22 at Marin Shakespeare Company’s Center for Performing Arts, Education, and Social Justice in San Rafael.
Tickets are available by phone or online at marinshakespeare.org.
If you’re traveling from Mill Valley, Larkspur, or Novato, plan a Bay Area evening in San Rafael that blends storytelling, theatre history, and a strong dose of local Marin hospitality.
The festival’s pay-what-you-will policy makes it an inviting option for families and individuals across the county, from the waterfront communities of Sausalito to the hillside neighborhoods of Fairfax and beyond.
Why this matters in Marin: One for All really taps into Marin’s values—creative resilience, social dialogue, and community collaboration. It brings voices from across the country onto a Marin-centric stage.
Whether you’re a longtime reader of the Marin County arts scene in Sausalito or just a first-time participant curious about personal storytelling, this festival creates a unique civic space. Local audiences in San Rafael, Mill Valley, and San Anselmo can listen, reflect, and respond together.
Here is the source article for this story: ‘One for All’ Fest: Solo Shows at Marin Shakespeare Company
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