TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE by Carol Kaufman Segal

            Tuesdays With Morrie was a best-selling book by Mitch Albom in the year 2000.  I read the book that year, and because it had such a strong impact on me, it was one that I could never forget.  Watching it performed on stage at the Sierra Madre Playhouse, with two infallible actors, brought it to life.            

            Upon his graduation day from Brandeis University, Mitch Albom (Jackson Kendall) has a warm parting with Morrie Schwartz (Larry Eisenberg), his sociologist teacher.  Mitch had attended Morrie’s class every Tuesday, and they had formed a very close relationship.  Before he leaves, Mitch promises Morrie he will stay in touch with him.

            After graduation, Mitch pursues a career as a pianist, but eventually, he gets a job as a sports reporter for a newspaper.  Over the years he becomes successful as a sportscaster as well as a sports journalist.  During all of those years, Mitch never keeps his promise to Morrie.

            One night, while watching television, Mitch sees 78-year old Morrie as a guest on Nightline being interviewed by Ted Koppel about his fight against Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease).  He is taken aback, and, undoubtedly, feels a great deal of remorse for his failure to keep his promise.  It has been sixteen years and, at that moment, Mitch makes up his mind to visit Morrie, which he does the very next day. 

            Mitch and Morrie spend hours talking as if they had not missed all those years that had passed.  It wasn’t difficult for Morrie to coax Mitch to return the next week, on “Tuesday”.  And following that, it became a ritual for Mitch to fly every Tuesday to visit Morrie.

            Their discussions were always long and hit upon many subjects that had to do with all things important in life, “love, work, aging, family, community, forgiveness, and death”.   Morrie grew weaker as each week passed, but he seemed to add strength to Mitch who tried to do all he could to be of help to Morrie.  Mitch’s final Tuesday visit with Morrie is extremely emotional, and for me, though I tried to hold back during this part of the play, my strength weakened and tears welled up in my eyes.  Two such exceptional actors could not have portrayed these two men more realistically.

            Though the book, Tuesdays With Morrie, was written by Mitch Albom, the play was written by Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom.  This production was astutely directed by L. Flint Esquerra.    

            Tuesdays With Morrie plays Friday and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 2:30 PM, through March 31, at the Sierra Madre Playhouse, 97 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA. There will be no performance Sunday, March 17, but rather a Pay What You Can performance Monday, March 18, at 7 PM.  Reservations are available by phone at (626) 355-4318, online ticketing at www.sierramadreplayhouse.org.

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