"Armed with no knowledge ain’t no way to fight a war..."

Dixon Place presents the world premiere of

FIVE 'TIL (solo)

by Edwin Lee Gibson

Thursdays - Saturdays, November 4-6, 11-13, 18-20 at 7:30pm

Tickets: $15 advance purchase; $20 / $18 (stu/sen) at the door

“Mr. Gibson is the show’s presiding spirit: smooth of tongue, limber of leg and always in your face.” —Charles Isherwood, The New York Times

“Fantastic” —James Hannaham, Village Voice

Death row. The notorious Huntsville Texas State Prison. The final statement of Dante Wallace, a career criminal accused of a heinous crime that he claims he did not commit. Cause and effect have come home to roost; but who is the cause and what is the ultimate effect? OBIE Award winner (Outstanding Performance) and critically acclaimed actor, Edwin Lee Gibson writes and performs this solo play: part lucid hallucination; part fairytale with music that captures the pain, joy and flight in the stylistic traditions of negro spirituals, blues, and soul with songs like, Ain't Done Nothin', Pepe Le Pew, The Other Side, and Petty Thief.

Five 'Til (Solo) is a social commentary on the connection between the education and the justice system. With the audience as witnesses to the crime, this emotional portrayal forces them to act as judge and jury. As time runs out for Dante and it seems that there's nothing left to say, the dialogue on this controversial and polarizing subject only just begins.

Written & performed by: Edwin Lee Gibson

Directed by: Daphne Richards

Musical Director: Michael Pemberton

Edwin Lee Gibson received an OBIE Award for Outstanding Performance in his portrayal of Oedipus in Will Power’s The Seven, choreographed by Bill T. Jones and directed by Jo Bonney. Selected credits include: The St. James Infirmary by Brian Tucker (Congo Square Theatre, Chicago), directed by Harry Lennix; Five Fingers of Funk by Will Power (Minneapolis Children’s Theatre); Chapel/Chapter and Another Evening by Bill T. Jones (Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, 2008 Summer Tour).

Five ‘Til was commissioned and first presented by Dixon Place in New York City (in 2001) with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs, and with private funds from The Greenwall Foundation, The Peg Santvoord Foundation and the Jerome Foundation.