Theater Review: Abide in Shadow

by Shawn Parikh

I just need to rant a little bit on how annoying it is to have the same number of audience members as there are actors. For all the effort and weeks actors put into rehearsing a show, it becomes so disappointing when only four people are in the audience to support their work, especially on a Friday night. Maybe the rainy weather scared patrons away or maybe it was even the construction around Deep Ellum. Even with these excuses, it is really disheartening for this kind of attendance. Okay, I am stepping off my soapbox.

So the dark and stormy weather outside adequately matched the mood for the world premiere of Abide in Shadow at the DFW Fringe Festival. Written and co-directed by Bill Fountain, the piece utilized four actors who performed a series of scenes, either as a group or as a monologue. The common thread was that each vignette dealt with the characters standing in some sort of purgatory trying to free their mind from feelings of regret.

The writing was rather good since the monologues had great depth for each character, making it seem more like a real conversation instead of a presentation. Fountain was able to stir in a little bit of necessary comedy (great allusion to Wal-Mart lighting) to such a weighty piece. The group scenes utilized Fountain’s artistic side, and had more of an avant-garde, absurdist feel, but no one onstage was connecting. The solo scenes seemed more polished and focused, therefore more intriguing, whereas the group scenes did not really speak to me personally. It was a jarring effect to go from an emotive monologue to a bizarre dialogue, which probably was Fountain’s aim.

The four actors all got a chance to showcase their talent since they each performed a monologue. The tone of these monologues stayed the same throughout the few minutes and nothing was really climactic, but the actors were able to keep the words interesting for their time onstage. Dana Harrison was the first actress to perform a monologue (as a confession) and she set the perfect tone. The audience got to follow her on her journey as she got deeper into how much regret she actually felt. She was the most effective with her monologue and I wish she had more time to perform during the show. Joe Porter is really charming to watch, and he was able to steal focus in the group scenes with his persona. His monologue which ended the show went on a little too long but Porter revealed some affecting moments. It’s hard to do a whole scene on the phone, but Jennifer Obeney was able to create this imaginary voice effectively. She stayed connected and that helped us follow her growth. Obeney even got a chance to show off her dance skills with a short interlude. Shane Hamlin played the cheerless musician trying to play for a crowd, but his regret is keeping him from singing. Hamlin’s monologue was touching, but it seemed like he knew the end of the monologue at the beginning. The whole monologue was weighted down because of this, but he was able to connect to his imaginary audience.

The DFW Fringe Festival lasts until April 22, and Abide in Shadow plays just a few more times. Please show them some support so they do not have to perform for only four people again.