“A Shadow That Broke the Light” came to the Luhrs Peforming Arts Center on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m., with two more showings on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The performance is a one-man show that focuses heavily on the ongoing crisis of the opioid epidemic. Charlie DelMarcelle lost his brother Joey to an opioid overdose in 2014. He was inspired to create the show with the help of his brother Adam and share the point of views from other families and friends who are impacted by this crisis and have lost a loved one to an overdose. 

The show was simply not like any other show. Charlie shared with the audience that 255 Americans die every day to an overdose. While that number initially may not seem like a lot, it is one person every five minutes and 39 seconds. The performance was interrupted in intervals of five minutes and 39 seconds to symbolize another death. When a bell went off, DelMarcelle would stop what he was doing and hang up a sheet of handmade paper with clothespins.

The papers were made by his brother Adam out of clothes from the deceased that were donated by families whom they interviewed. 

Over the years, the statistics on daily deaths have increased, so the show’s intervals had to become smaller and smaller. What used to be a seven-minute interval is now five minutes and 39 seconds. Charlie had to shorten each piece and tell only the most important information that the audience needed to know. With the short time that he had, he kept the audience engaged because the show was always moving and something new was happening. 

There were moments where he sang with a guitar, such as a song from Billy Joel that reminds him of his brother Joey every time he hears it. He also sat at a poker table and told the story of a time he and his brother played poker together, because that was something they did often. 

He would then sit on a chair in the middle, with the lighting changing, and reenact one of the interviews they did, embodying the interviewee.

He was able to switch characters instantaneously. He created this powerful performance filled with so much emotion and pulled at the heart strings of many. He provided plenty of vivid details when sharing his own story and others’ stories, making it feel as if the audience was a part of the story. 

Near the end of the show, Charlie had the audience sit in silence in remembrance to those who have lost their lives to the epidemic. He offered people to share their own stories if they wanted. Once the bell went off for the last time, the show was complete. The audience did not get up and leave right away like a normal show. They sat there for several moments. Then, people slowly began to leave. Several audience members were seen crying as they left. 

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