The cacophony of Philadelphia in 1776 was apparent not only in the competing viewpoints about war or reconciliation with Britain, but in the disparity of backgrounds of the residents, making communication that much more challenging. One man, John Dickinson, swam against the current, arguing passionately for reconciliation rather than independence.

Except Mr. Dickinson is a full length play that puts the audience right into the arguments circulating for and against war on July 2nd 1776. John Dickinson, trained as a lawyer, a lapsed Quaker, and an eloquent speaker was one of Pennsylvania’s delegates to the Continental Congress convention. As the colonies devolved toward war, he saw his identity as a British-American torn apart, and he realized he had to choose one over the other. The play drives us through his conflict and how he came to terms with it.