“I write to create contrasts.
In the space between clarity and nuance,
dissonance and resolution,
perception and reality, there is tension,
and those tensions are the tools of the actor.
Give an actor enough tools,
and they’ll either make a mess or a masterpiece.
Both will be correct. Both will be beautiful.”
– Brandon J. Gibson
Brandon J. Gibson was one of Knoxville’s most beloved and charismatic people. He was the Managing Director for Marble City Opera (MCO) and he sang bass with an unforgettable voice in their world premiere of Shadowlight by Larry Delinger and Emily Anderson, but that’s just speaking to this DG Member’s lifelong talent. He also gave fun nicknames, used clever wordplay, listened intently, communicated complexities within many topics, hosted friendsgiving gatherings, gave gifts without needing reasons, and raised money for adult literacy. It’s this combination and more that won him honors throughout life, ranging from his high school as Mr. Austin East to Knoxville’s 40 Under 40 list.
In February 2022, MCO premiered Brandon’s first opera he wrote as a librettist which quickly sold out—I Can’t Breathe, a powerful social justice opera inspired by the murder of George Floyd. Tragically, Brandon passed away nine months later at 36 years old. He has since inspired an “Arts and Culture” category for the Golden Press Card awards in local journalism, been named in the Brandon J. Gibson UT Knoxville Alumni Tri-Star Scholarship for future students, been inducted into the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame, had Knox County proclaim Brandon Gibson Day for his birthday of June 8, had the Tennessee General Assembly proclaim his good character, and covered the front page of Blank Newspaper with the headline “FOREVER CRUNK.”
In his honor, here are three close perspectives regarding I Can’t Breathe’s premiere with MCO.
Leslie Savoy Burrs (Composer, I Can’t Breathe): There are those in life whose lives are filled with promise and great potential yet to be proven. Then there are those rare people that fulfill the promise of greatness and inspire the potential in others through their work. Brandon J. Gibson is one of those rare people.
Kathryn Frady (MCO’s Founding Executive Artistic Director): Brandon and I were extremely close. We would talk on the phone for hours trying to figure out how to change the world. It’s no surprise that two days after the death of George Floyd, I was on the phone with Brandon pitching the idea of a new opera which became I Can’t Breathe. Brandon began writing the characters for this opera without hesitation. An interesting thing about his libretto is there were no edits made other than his own before sending me the final draft. The opera may see adjustments in future productions, but the world premiere at MCO was the full unedited version.
Jonathan Clark (I Can’t Breathe stage director and Carpetbag Theatre’s Executive/Artistic Director): Brandon and I made plans to collaborate after Shadowlight with MCO, my first experience witnessing any opera. We wanted to work together, and I gladly accepted as he entrusted me with the role of stage director for his brilliant work, I Can’t Breathe. The libretto left me taken aback with its relevance and poignancy, allowing me to more clearly process my own feelings. I’m honored to have been part of his world premiere. Brandon’s legacy guides us like the star he always was and remains to be. Brandon is missed daily and dearly, but his work remains solidly intact.
Tennessee’s dramatists are always creating legacies. Follow www.facebook.com/TNDramatists for more information on their stories.
