READ TODAY'S STORIES AND E-EDITION SUBSCRIBE |  CONTACT US |  SIGN IN

Print story only Print story with comments Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest
REVIEW: "Tuesdays with Morrie."
Published: 1/11/2013 2:07 PM
Last Modified: 1/11/2013 2:07 PM

The old theatre adage is, “Dying is easy, comedy is hard.”

Theatre Tulsa’s latest production, “Tuesdays with Morrie,” is all about the former, seasoned with a bit of the latter.

And while this play, adapted from Mitch Albom’s book of the same name by Albom and Jeffery Hatcher, is far from being a profound piece of theater, actors Tom Berenson and Freddie Tate give this story of a callow younger man and his terminally ill mentor a quietly captivating depth and resonance.

Albom was a Detroit sportwriter and columnist, and would likely have remained that had it not been for seeing Morrie Schwartz, a sociology professor whose classes Albom attended in college, being interviewed on the TV show “Nightline” about his impending death from ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

It prompts Albom to reconnect with his former teacher, who viewed the younger man as a surrogate son. And it sets the stage for a series of conversations and pronouncements about life and death and happiness, as Morrie tries to get Mitch to take some time from his hectic schedule of work and travel, and truly appreciate the life he has.

Nothing Morrie says will be new to anyone who has thumbed through a few self-help books, or spent some time perusing the wordier greeting cards at one’s local market.

But Berenson delivers Morrie’s words of wisdom with real grace. He expresses the obvious love and concern Morrie has for Mitch is a way that is open but not maudlin. And he delivers Morrie’s gently sarcastic one-liners with a perfect sense of timing and understatement.

Even more impressive is how Berenson depicts Morrie’s gradual decline. It’s subtly handled, and so gradual and effective it’s a little startling to see Morrie dancing again in the brief tableau after the final scene.

Tate as Mitch gives this basically static character a measure of decency — Mitch is self-absorbed, yet Tate’s performance makes you think that his Mitch is at least a little troubled by this quality. And his interactions with Berenson’s Morrie have a natural, easy rhythm.

Director Martha Cherbini has shaped this play with a careful, yet light hand. Rich Goss designed the set, Owen Hawbaker did the lighting, and Jerome Stevenson and Sara Phoenix created the sound design, which has a few irritating glitches at Thursday’s opening night performance.

“Tuesday with Morrie” continues with performances at 8 p.m Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday in the Doenges Theatre, Tulsa PAC, 110 E. Second St. For tickets: 918-596-7111, tulsaworld.com/mytix.


Reader Comments


To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.

ARTS

James D. Watts Jr. has lived in Oklahoma for most his life, even though he still has people saying to him, "Don't sound like you're from around these parts." A University of Oklahoma Phi Beta Kappa graduate, Watts has received the Governor Arts Award, Harwelden Award and the National Conference of Christians and Jews Beth Macklin Award for his writing. Before coming to the Tulsa World, Watts worked for the Tulsa Tribune.

Contact him at (918) 581-8478.

Subscribe to this blog


Archive

 
James D. Watts Jr's Blog Archive:

2/2013  1/2013  12/2012  11/2012  10/2012  9/2012  
8/2012  7/2012  6/2012  5/2012  4/2012  3/2012  
2/2012  1/2012  12/2011  11/2011  10/2011  9/2011  
8/2011  7/2011  6/2011  5/2011  4/2011  3/2011  
2/2011  1/2011  12/2010  11/2010  10/2010  9/2010  
8/2010  7/2010  6/2010  5/2010  4/2010  3/2010  
2/2010  1/2010  12/2009  11/2009  10/2009  9/2009  
8/2009  7/2009  6/2009  5/2009  4/2009  3/2009  
2/2009  1/2009  12/2008  11/2008  10/2008  9/2008  
8/2008  7/2008  6/2008  5/2008  4/2008  








Home | Contact Us | Search | Subscribe | Customer Service | About | Advertise | Privacy
Copyright © 2013, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.