2004-2005 Season: Tuesdays with Morrie
A Note from the Director
Everybody loves a hero. Our worship of heroes is historic, mythic, maybe even genetic, but that probably says more about us than about them. Our inability to measure up to a giant can be humbling or motivating, paralyzing or inspiring, exasperating or transformational.
Morrie Schwartz is a hero to Mitch Albom — and to millions of readers, TV-watchers and theatergoers. By the end of today’s performance, he may also be a hero to you.
There is much that is remarkable about Morrie’s resilience amidst his rapid physical decay, an almost superhuman capacity to express his affirmation of life. It’s not that he never feels despair, just that he rejects it as being no way to live. His power of positive thinking is not too good to be true, just an essential means to an end. Despite, or perhaps because, of his rigorous intellect, the wisdom Morrie imparts finds its form in simple, common-sense sayings to be taken at face-value — not even all original. “Loving is the point” must be taught to each new generation. And taught again to those who skipped that class.
Mitch initially thinks he is accompanying Morrie on his journey as a sort of unofficial oral historian. And though he’s savvy enough to suspect he might learn something from his former professor along the way, when the lesson plan diverges and, to his surprise, he becomes the subject, Mitch starts to realize the journey is really his. And then it’s Mitch Albom whose character is put to the test.
Perhaps there are really two heroes to this story.
- Richard Stein