'Morrie,' We Hardly Knew Ye

Mitch Albom's Tuesdays With Morrie                                                                                                                       by Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom                                    

CAST                                                                                                                                                                  Barlow Adamson as Mitch, Barry Press as Morrie

Directed by Diego Arciniegas, Lighting Design by Anthony R. Phelps, Scenic Design by Judy Staicer, Sound Design by John Tibbetts

Performances: Now through May 7 at Foothills Theatre Company                                                                    Box Office: 508-754-4018     www.foothillstheatre.com

First there was the book Tuesdays With Morrie that spent over four years on The New York Times Bestseller List and sold in excess of five million copies. Next came an Emmy-winning television movie starring Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria and presented by Oprah Winfrey. Finally, the story was brought to life on stage with successful productions both Off-Broadway and on a national tour. With such a pedigree, you could expect this play to change your life or, at the very least, to be uplifting and life affirming.

That's the problem with expectations; they often lead to disappointments. What I got from this play is that Morrie Schwartz was a lovable, vibrant, quirky guy with answers to lots of life's questions, and that Mitch Albom was cocky, career-driven, insecure, self-congratulatory, and often insincere. The thirteen Tuesdays that he spent with his former college professor may have changed his life (after all, he produced a book, a movie, and a play from their encounters), but it is not well illustrated on the stage.

The basic story here is that Morrie was Albom's Sociology professor at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, in the late 70's and they developed a very strong bond, which Albom promised to maintain after graduation. However, life happened and he drifted away from the connection as he built a successful career as a sports reporter. When Schwartz was interviewed by Ted Koppel on "Nightline" to discuss his battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS), Albom saw the piece and decided to contact the elder, some sixteen years after leaving Brandeis. His intention was to have a brief reunion, but the single visit turned into weekly lessons in the meaning of life.

Or so we are told, more than shown, as Morrie occasionally pronounces a pithy aphorism ("Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live," "Taking makes me feel like I'm dying, giving makes me feel like I'm living") and gives Mitch advice, even as he denies doing so, often seeming more like the younger man's father or grandfather than his teacher. For his part, Mitch doesn't seem to do much of anything when he is away from Morrie's side, but reports on some of his activities and life choices when he visits.

By definition, this play is static and some credit goes to the director and lighting designer for having Barlow Adamson flit from spotlight to spotlight as Mitch narrates the story. However, therein lies the rub as he simply tells us too much. There may be some symbolism in these lights as Mitch lived his life in the spotlight of events such as the Super Bowl and the World Series, but I found the frenetic pace of his movements more irritating than inspiring. The device served to move time forward, but it disrupted the flow that should have resulted from the story being presented in one ninety-minute act.

Barry Press fit into the persona of Morrie Schwartz as if donning a favorite old sweater and did an admirable job of showing the professor's physical deterioration. I did not find Adamson's portrayal as believable. He got Albom's cockiness and Type A personality traits, but was less able to show the metamorphosis that supposedly occurred as the weeks went by. Only at the end of Morrie's life did we see any semblance of genuine emotion from Mitch. Too little, too late.

There is a great deal of emotion and humor in Morrie Schwartz's story. He made a conscious decision to continue to live until he died, to be mindful of the process, and to share what he discovered with others. He wanted his epitaph to be: "A teacher to the last" and there is much to be learned from his life. Others in the audience found all of that in the show. I recommend the book.