Logo for the show pictured left and a photo of the cast of I Plead the August Fifth pictured right. Images sourced from $1.25 Productions.
By Kaydon Webber
Young Local Playwright Makes First Debut at Omaha Fringe Festival
July 31st, 2026
Debuting for the first time at the Omaha Fringe Festival is an original script written by local playwright Addison Franklin. I Plead the August Fifth is a murder mystery comedy that offers a fresh take on the genre with witty dialogue, clashing personalities, and subversive elements. After a cast party goes wrong, expert detective Benedict Solution must solve who murdered a recently deceased theater director. Franklin says, “I want to lean into the two polar ends of a dramedy because my vice as a theater person in general is dramedy is my least favorite genre… So I wanted to challenge myself and lean into that.”
Co-directing the show with Franklin is Ronald Jones, a 20-year-old director in the Omaha area. Jones says the inspiration for the piece comes from the Knives Out film series. He also aims to highlight the actors taking on the project for the Omaha Fringe Festival. “Brian Kilpatrick, who is our Benedict Solution… and our own Benoit Blanc from the Knives Out movie,” says Jones. “But Brian, as a performer, allows the character to be so much more than that in the way he delivers lines, the way he moves around the stage, and the way he interacts with the other characters.”
As one of 20 acts at the Omaha Fringe Festival, I Plead the August Fifth showcases the young talent in the Omaha community and its drive to create original work. I Plead the August Fifth will be performed at the Omaha Fringe Festival from Aug. 6 through Aug. 9. More information can be found at omahafringe.org.
