[NEohioPAL]Berko review: TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE (CPH)

[Roy Berko]

‘TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE’--A GOOD VISIT AT THE CLEVELAND
PLAY HOUSE

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


Several months ago I heard Mitch Albom speak about his
beliefs, attitudes and books Tuesday With Morrie and
The Five People You Meet in Heaven.  He talked about
how his reconnection with his former Brandeis
University sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, and
how it made him reexamine who he was and how he was
proceeding through life.  

If you have read Albom’s books, you know that he is a
writer who combines pop psychology and emotional
triggers to get his points across.  He writes of
topics, such as death, which could be daunting and
scary, in words that are easily digested and
thought-provoking.

‘TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE,’ now on stage at the Cleveland
Play House, is the play version of the book.  It tells
the story of how Albom, now a well-known sports
reporter, discovers Schwartz is dying of Lou Gehrig's
disease.  Albom, whether out of guilt or need, agrees
to meet with Schwartz every Tuesday and, in doing so,
learns lessons about love and understanding.  He
discovers that something is missing from his
success-driven life.

The play, as the book, is based on many of Morrie's
pronouncements including: "Love is the only rational
act," and  "There's two big F words in the English
language and one of them is forgive."   Other gems
that the audience gets to consider are:  “Are you at
peace with yourself?  Are you trying to be as human as
you can?” and “Once you learn how to die, you learn
how to live.”  Albom caps off his mentor’s ideas with
the haunting, “the kind of things you say to someone
at the end are the things you should say everyday.” 
These may sound pop-psych and hokey, but they are the
reason that the book held its place on the New York
Times best seller list for four years.

In its off-Broadway production the play was greeted
with such reviewer comments as: “No matter how well
you know the story, the play makes it more vivid, more
shattering, more humorous.”  "I was unprepared for how
moving and powerful it turned out to be.” And, “A love
song to a wise old professor who taught a young man
how to feel." 

The CPH production is well-conceived by director Seth
Gordon.  It is nicely paced, doesn’t become too sappy
and plays all the right musical notes....literally and
figuratively.  Charles Kartali displays the right
level of guilt and angst as Albom.  The last scene,
when he finally allows himself to feel emotion, is
finely honed.   Bernie Passeltiner is the perfect
curmudgeon to portray Morrie.  His eyes twinkle, he
nags with delight, he stands on his philosophical soap
box with gentle power, he dies with dignity.  The only
flaw in his performance was during the last scene in
which he was supposedly totally paralyzed but gestured
with his hands which distracted from the illusion of
this brilliant man trapped inside a frozen body.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  The fine CPH cast does its job of
bringing Albom’s message to life.  Whether you like
‘TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE’ is going to be based on your
tolerance for the tender but preachy concept.  

For tickets to ‘TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE’ call
216-795-7000 or go on-line to
www.clevelandplayhouse.com.


=====
Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


		
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