"There's a piercing gaze towards this box that arrived on the doorstep, one that has some heft. That heaviness has nothing to do with what's inside; the weight of an item cannot compare to the density of a soul. With incisions that unlock the brown package, secrets and regrets are revealed, and a reckoning of a life inside a shadow haunts."
"The play is not without its warts, with a few of the many characters tasked to actor James Arthur M., as Morgan, trending towards the thin side. Yet, when the play needs to bear down and drill its point home, namely in a crushing second act where the story's most beautiful prose lies, the piece delivers like scalding soup on a frigid day."
"Morgan (M.) is yet another Instagram food influencer, dropping knowledge on his hungry and very engaged followers. A few key deliveries to the doorstep provide legitimacy to the fledgling chef, such as a bright red apron ready for a bout with the stains of fresh vegetables. But it's one particular package, opened for his followers ready to drop emojis galore on the live feed, that careens Morgan into a vicious bout of memories."
Running After Shadows follows Morgan, an Instagram food influencer whose doorstep package triggers a confrontation with memories and multigenerational neglect. The narrative reveals abandonment by a biological father and emotional and physical abuse from a disengaged stepfather, portraying how those wounds shape adult identity and relationships. Direction by Aldo Billingslea brings an infiltrating freshness to staging while James Arthur M. inhabits multiple characters with varying effectiveness; some supporting roles feel thin. A powerful second act contains the play's most affecting prose and emotional force, delivering catharsis despite uneven characterization and occasional dramatic shortcomings.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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