Room to Swing an Ax

An Audio-Biography & Southern Gothic Song Cycle


From the team that brought The Devil & Daisy Dirt to the RAA stage last year comes an entirely new evening of storytelling, music, and Southern Gothic folklore.


Critically acclaimed writer and storyteller Alex Dawson and award-winning folk singer-songwriter Arlan Feiles combine spoken word with ten original biographical ballads to tell the strange, haunting, and sometimes brutal story of Dawson's childhood on a horse farm in rural Alabama.


Part memoir, part concert, and part Southern Gothic ghost story, Room to Swing an Ax travels through a world of witches in the woods, snakes in the lake, ghosts in the barn, family legends, hard truths, and the kind of stories that become almost mythical with time.


Described as “a unique and powerful fusion of storytelling and music” by Jay Lustig of NJArts, the show has also earned praise from acclaimed authors:

“Wonderful!” — Daniel Wallace, Big Fish

“There is no one remotely like Alex Dawson. A riveting, one-of-a-kind storyteller.” — Joyce Carol Oates

“Dawson's head is full of ghosts, and he summons them with a poet's precision.” — Clay McLeod Chapman, Ghost Eaters


If you experienced The Devil & Daisy Dirt at RAA last year, you already know to expect something far outside the ordinary. If you missed it, here's your chance to discover why Dawson and Feiles' unusual blend of theatrical storytelling and live music has earned such enthusiastic reviews!


Think Big Fish meets Blaze Foley, a dark, funny, musical, strange, and deeply human.


Run time: Approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes, including a 10-minute intermission.


Content note: Room to Swing an Ax contains mature themes, descriptions of violence and death, and dark subject matter. Recommended for mature audiences.