In Till the Break of Dawn, writer/director Danny Hoch explores a modern interpretation of John Steinbeck's claim: "We do not take a trip, a trip takes us." As a traveler himself who founded the Hip Hop Theater Festival, Hoch chronicles the lives of seven central characters before and after their trip to Cuba to see a festival of the same genre.

The often humorous play begins in Brooklyn with an argument between Robert (Johnny Sanchez) and his girlfriend Rebecca (Maribel Lizardo) who are teachers, the latter in a "white school" in downtown Manhattan, and the former in a school for mostly minorities. Their relationship seems to clash as much as the differences in their working environments. When the owner of the apartment, Gibran (Jaymes Jorsling), arrives, he describes how he turned down a six-figure job offer to try to make a difference in his community. Adam (Matthew-Lee Hardwick), a Jewish record producer, adds his frustrations with a recording to the mix.

Hector (Flaco Navaja) and his girlfriend Nancy (pattydukes) contrast Robert and Rebecca's demeanor. "You not ready for the revolution," the outspoken Hector (Flaco Navaja) says to his Robert before the group departs to Cuba. "Yo, look at your shoes." Hector stresses one of the several dichotomies the play touches upon, the difference between street style and "proper" attire, and the stereotypes behind each. Valerie Marcus Ramshur has very carefully selected the costumes. It is funniest note Hector's color-coordinated Che Guevara t-shirts accompanied by his loose use of the word "revolution" ("You can smell the revolution in the air," "That wasn't very revolutionary of you, Adam," "We're here for revolutionary purposes"). It is also interesting to notice how certain attitudes and speech coincide with certain attire.

What each member of the group actually does during their stay in Cuba is abstract. The most concrete event occurs when Big Miff (Dominic Colon), a generic iced-out rapper, performs insulting lyrics in front of a Cuban crowd, much to the dismay of his friends. The group learns of the 9/11 attacks when they have nearly finished their stay, and it is hard to determine why Hoch decided to include this event in the play; for some, the events will make it even harder to contemplate the process the already cloudy horizon.

By the end of the play we reach the same room where the play started, except the characters are now visibly changed by the trip they have taken. Gibran decides he can be the activist he desires to be while building connections working with computers. Robert and Rebecca's future becomes blurry. Big Miff offers to repay everyone for taking him on the trip. Although the themes and problems in the production are about as cluttered as Gibran's Brooklyn apartment, each audience member is bound to find one that resonates with him the most.