A Shadow That Broke The Light

In 2014, Adam and Charlie, the co-creators of this piece, lost their brother to an opioid overdose. Their loss catapulted their family into a community of Americans whose lives have been impacted by the increasingly devastating overdose epidemic.

Join Simpatico Theatre for the Philadelphia premiere of A Shadow That Broke The Light, a one-man show written and performed by Barrymore Award-winning actor Charlie DelMarcelle featuring the artwork of activist printmaker Adam DelMarcelle. Over the course of the performance installation, Charlie will share first person accounts collected from the family and friends of victims of the current overdose crisis.

A Shadow That Broke The Light runs from January 11 - 28, 2023 at the Bluver Theatre at The Drake, 302 S. Hicks St. Philadelphia, PA 19102. All tickets are Pay What You Can.

Continuing the Conversation

Join us after the show for a deeper look at the ways the overdose epidemic impacts our community.

Saturday, January 14: MSW Ed Baker

Baker, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Alcohol/Drug Counselor (Retired) with over 30 years of experience working with people with Substance Use Disorder, their families and communities, will join audiences after the performance on January 14. He is currently an Independent Addiction/Recovery Educational Consultant and Presenter. He hosts and produces the Addiction Recovery Channel (ARC), a public TV interview show featuring noted leaders in the Addictions field. An educator and student of addiction and recovery, Ed continuously strives to contribute to the eventual elimination of stigma. He has been in recovery for 36 years.

Saturday, January 21: Filmmaker and Producer Joe Gietl

Gietl helped produce Mariah: Acts of Resistance, a short documentary about the opioid epidemic. Joe is also 12 years sober from opiates. He has worked extensively with harm reduction agencies in the upstate New York area performing Narcan training for groups small and large. Other duties included handing out clean supplies for drug users, as well as providing resources and support if and when someone is ready for treatment. Joe is a firm believer in meeting people “where they’re at” in their journey to recovery and hopes through his filmmaking and art (which he attributes to helping save his life when he was actively using) that he can help shine a light on the reality of addiction and the complexities of the issues we face as a community to help better serve those in need. He will present after the performance on January 21.

Friday, January 27: Reporter Christopher Moraff

Moraff has spent over a decade reporting on the intersection of policing, criminal justice and civil liberties. He will present after the performance on January 27. His immersion reporting from Kensington, Philadelphia, has earned him a reputation as an expert on injection drug culture and the fentanyl crisis. His work has appeared in publications including the Daily Beast, the Washington Post and Al Jazeera America. He is co-host of the podcast Narcotica, and curator of the stock photo site StashHouse.org.

Our goal is to create a community of stories, so that in this time of isolation we feel a little less alone. If you would like to share your story with us you can do so by submitting it using the form below or by emailing us at ashadowthatbrokethelight@gmail.com.