Words First
Thao P. Nguyen, Solo Artist
Produced and curated by Thao P. Nguyen.
Words First is a solo performance series featuring a rotating cast of Bay Area solo stars. Each month we invite a new line-up of the finest solo artists, comics, and storytellers to the CounterPULSE stage. Solo performance is a unique brand of theater: one person, one stage. All of the pieces are written and performed by the solo artists themselves!
Monthly performances every first Wednesday at 7:30pm.
PLEASE NOTE THAT WORDS FIRST IS CURRENTLY ON HIATUS.
Interested in performing at Words First? See application instructions at the bottom of this page!
Interested in being a volunteer usher at Words First? All volunteers get to see the show for free! Email us to sign up!
Upcoming performances:
No upcoming performances. Words First is currently on hiatus.
Past performers include:
November 2, 2011
W. Kamau Bell, Artistic Director
Martha Rynberg
Heather Marlowe
Vanessa Alabarces
Brian Rosen
September 7, 2011
Thao P. Nguyen
MK Nguyen
Diana Bui
Fong Tran
August 3, 2011
Kurt Bodden
Jeremy Greco
Marta Schultz
Vanessa Khaleel
June 1, 2011
Vanessa Alabarces
Deirdre Kennedy
Thao P. Nguyen
Martha Rynberg
May 4, 2011
Lisa Marie Newton
Sarita Ocon
Dominika Bednarska
Susan Ito
April 6, 2011
Maria Affinito
Louis Jackson
Nicole Maxali
Lisa Marie Rollins
Martha Rynberg, Solo Artist
March 2, 2011
Sarah Weidman
Vanessa Lee Khaleel
Ericka Lutz
Howard Petrick
February 2, 2011
Paolo Sambrano
Thao P. Nguyen
Joya Cory
Bruce Pachtman
November 3, 2010
Pidge Meade
Martha Rynberg
Sarah Weidman
Liza Raynal
October 6, 2010
Coke Nakamoto
Zahra Noorbakhsh
Thao P. Nguyen
August 4, 2010
Nicole Maxali
Debra Netkin
Bruce Pachtman
Kim Page
July 7, 2010
Deirdre Kennedy
Ericka Lutz
Mia Paschal
David Jacobson
Bruce Pachtman, Solo Artist
June 2, 2010
Colin Mahan
Meldy Hernandez
Michael Katz
Bruce Pachtman
May 5, 2010
Sigal Shoham
Sarah Weidman
Mary Samson
David Caggiano
April 7, 2010
Monica Bhatnagar
Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner
Howard Petrick
Enzo Lombard
March 3, 2010
Thao P. Nguyen
Zahra Noorbakhsh
Bruce Pachtman
Lisa-Marie Rollins
February 3, 2010
Nicole Maxali
Ericka Lutz
Enzo Lombard
Zahra Noorbakhsh
Martha Rynberg
Vanessa Khaleel, Solo Artist
December 2, 2009
danceNAGANUMA
November 4, 2009
Carolyn Doyle
Thao P. Nguyen
Enzo Lombard
Jabari Davis
October 7, 2009
Cherry Zonkowski
Mark Kenward
Lambeth Sterling
Wayne Harris
September 2, 2009
Kenny Yun
David Allen Moss
Bruce Pachtman
Mary Van Note
August 5, 2009
Janine Brito
Alex Koll
Les Milton
Zahra Noorbakhsh
July 1, 2009
Coke Nakamoto, Solo Artist
Paolo Sambrano
Virginia Harrington
Martha Rynberg
Colleen “Coke” Nakamoto
May 6, 2009
Debra Netkin
Thao P. Nguyen
Enzo Lombard
Jenny Overman
April 1, 2009
Nicole Maxali
Jawad Ali
Vanessa Khaleel
Jabari Davis
March 4, 2009
Shaun Landry
Selena Polston
Erica Campbell
Colin Mahan
February 4, 2009
Mike Capozzola
Katie Rubin
Alicia Dattner
Brian Malow
January 7, 2009
Tim Lee
Mark Silverman
Janine Brito
Alex Koll
Bruce Pachtman
About the Producer
THAO P. NGUYEN (writer / performer / producer) has been writing and performing solo shows since she joined the Solo Performance Workshop in 2007. She debuted her full-length one-woman show, “Fortunate Daughter” in the Fall of 2011. Her director, the critically acclaimed W. Kamau Bell (selected Comedian of the Year by SF Weekly, SF Bay Guardian, East Bay Express, and 7×7 Magazine), has awarded her with the coveted “W. Kamau Bell Solo Performance Black Belt,” a distinction which to this date has been awarded only four times. Thao has produced such successful shows as ”DIS-ORIENTED: A trio of Middle Eastern and Asian American women”, “A Mother’s Day Special: See Mom, I Didn’t Forget!”, “Best Feeding” by Martha Rynberg, “City Solo” at Off-Market Theater, and, of course, San Francisco’s premier solo series, “Words First” at CounterPULSE.
Application to Perform
Words First is currently on hiatus and is not taking any applications to perform.
Thank you for your interest in performing at Words First. The producers of this showcase are always looking for new, fresh talent! When the application process opens again, please send the following information via email:
(a) Your name (and your stage name, if different),
(b) Your contact information,
(c) Artist resume and/or bio (one page max, no head-shot necessary),
(d) A short (two or three sentence) description of the 10- to 15-minute piece you are interested in performing at Words First,
(e) Information on any of your upcoming performances, and
(f) A link to a 5-minute clip of your work posted online (e.g., on youtube.com).
Please check back here to see when the application process opens again.
