Morris’ ‘For You’ Misses Full Picture

“For You,” Iona Morris’ solo performance piece paying tribute to her father, actor Greg Morris of “Mission: Impossible” fame, captures the braggadocio of a proud black man tasting limited success. But the weakness of a man who turns to alcohol as he fights his inner “dragons” unfortunately escapes her grasp in this production at 2100 Square Feet.

This drama is filled with uncomfortable moments, and some are unintended. Morris attempts to incorporate movement and dance, but she doesn’t have the physical presence in her gestures and motions to pull it off. This becomes all too clear at the beginning of the show as the light flashes on and off to expose her various, often awkward poses as the masked dragon that haunted her father.

There’s also something unsettling about Morris portraying her father’s lascivious gaze and words toward her mother during their first meeting and courtship. Part of the problem is, we can’t quite forget Morris is a woman. Better costuming and staging would help.

Director Tanya Boyd does not effectively guide Morris in her flow between characters and moods. There are touching moments, but these rely mainly on the topic and not on the writing or acting.

At the center is an incomplete picture. The neediness, the insecurity, the moments of self-doubt or his relationship with his co-stars on the series aren’t there to fill out this portrait.

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* “For You,” 2100 Square Feet, 5615 San Vincente Blvd. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m.; Ends June 7. $15-$20. (213) 660-8587. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.