The 5 & Dime to Kick Off Season with August Wilson One-Man Show

The 5 & Dime is excited to announce its return to the stage with August Wilson's, How I Learned What I Learned, a beautifully told memoir about a prolific poet and playwright's journey to becoming a successful artist in America.

How I Learned What I Learned, written by August Wilson and co-conceived by Todd Kreidler, will come to life at The Garden Club of Jacksonville, 1005 Riverside Avenue, 32204.

The in-person production is sponsored by the Garden Club of Jacksonville with additional support from the Office of Rebecca Farinas, M.D.

Director Kerri Hicks, making her 5 & Dime directorial debut says, "How I Learned What I Learned answers last year's biggest question: Where do we go from here? No one can begin to tackle this question without first doing the work of understanding who they are and how they became that way. Each of us is a collection of stories and unique experiences and until we realize that everything we do is in response to our environment we will never understand one another. Come see this show to check your pride, challenge your convictions and widen your perspective on the human experience."

"As with any of August Wilson's works, How I Learned What I Learned is like a mirror. Bringing you to face 'you' and taking account of how our own choices, as well as others, have led to having learned what we have learned where we learned it. As descendants of African slaves in America, this work feels like a baton in the relay of life. It is with a sense of honor and purpose that I 'commune' with the words of a great thinker, writer, poet, creator, husband and father through the sharing of some of the most influential moments in his life... I'm proud to be in a position to help bring these stories to life thanks to the 5 & Dime and you," explains the one-man show's actor, Milton Threadcraft III, also making his 5 & Dime debut.

The 5 & Dime, on hiatus since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, has worked diligently to return to its passion for producing theater while keeping its audiences and volunteers safe. The 5 & Dime saw many changes in 2020, and though there weren't any staged productions, the team was hard at work off stage. They returned to their nomadic roots, named a new Managing Artistic Director and added new artists to lead the artistic team. Now, with fresh goals and new voices, while practicing safety protocols with limited seating, The 5 & Dime is ready to return to in-person performances.

August Wilson's How I Learned What I Learned is the perfect story to start as the theatre's return to its nomadic journey. From the late August Wilson, one of America's greatest playwrights and creator of award-winning titles like Fences and Jitney, comes this autobiographical tour de force. In his one-man show, Wilson takes us on a journey through his days as a young poet: his first few jobs, a stint in jail, the support of his lifelong friends, and his encounters with racism, music, and love as a struggling writer in Pittsburgh's Hill District. Originally performed by Wilson himself, How I Learned What I Learned is a heartfelt theatrical memoir-charting one man's journey of self-discovery through adversity, and what it means to be a black artist in America.

The company's new managing artistic director, Bradley Akers explains, "After 15 months away from the stage, I couldn't be more excited that the entire organization is meeting the moment and bringing this story to life. August Wilson's How I Learned What I Learned is an extraordinary and powerful memoir celebrating one of the most groundbreaking playwrights of all time, and in this piece, we get a unique glimpse into his experience of humanity. This production also marks The 5 & Dime debuts of both our director and actor, who have been pouring themselves into this script and are truly the heartbeat of our return to the stage. I hope that you'll join us and be part of the next chapter of our organization's story!"

Tickets can be purchased online, https://www.the5anddime.org, for $22 or $25 at the door.

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