Review: TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE at Theater J

"Learn how to live and you'll know how to die; learn how to die, and you'll know how to live." This quote, from the titular Morrie, best sums up the key themes of Theater J's latest production, Tuesdays with Morrie, based on the well-loved memoir.

Tuesdays with Morrie was Mitch Albom's breakout memoir, reflecting on his visits with his former sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, and their time together at the end of Morrie's life. Mitch takes Morrie's classes through his undergraduate career at Brandeis, and the two grow close, but Mitch fails to keep in touch after life - and personal tragedy - get in the way. Sixteen years later, Mitch sees his old mentor on Nightline, discussing his Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis. Mitch flies to Boston to see Morrie, intending for it to be a one-time visit, but soon commits to returning every Tuesday, the same day they regularly met in Morrie's office at school. Over the next few months, Mitch and Morrie revive their old dynamic, and Morrie shares with Mitch his insights on life as his own draws to a close, helping Mitch figure out how he wants his own life to look. The play, co-written by Albom himself, premiered in 2002, but there's no denying there's a certain resonance of these themes as we navigate a post-pandemic world.

Before I go any further, I want to make two notes: the first is that, despite its popularity, I have never actually read the original book; when it was making the rounds when I was in high school, it was poorly explained to me and I wasn't interested, and, upon accepting the review of this show, I decided to go in fresh rather than reading it just ahead of the show. However, given Albom's involvement, I'll venture the majority of the source material remains intact. Second, I want to make it clear that I do not know much, personally, about ALS. Most of my understanding of the illness comes from awareness campaigns (like the 2014 Ice Bucket Challenge) and public figures, such as Ady Barkan, who, like Morrie, have shared their struggles in order to raise public consciousness. I note this mostly because I want to caveat my comments below about the performances with my own limited knowledge of ALS and those who suffer from it; I checked the materials provided by Theater J and didn't see a specific ALS expert included in the production team, but there are references to the ALS Association and an upcoming discussion with Dr. Justin Kwan, an ALS research specialist at the National Institute of Health, and Chad Kinsman, Theater J's Director of Patron Experience, who also created the ALS primer in the programs.

Theatre J's production stars Michael Russotto as Morrie and Cody Nickell as Mitch. The chemistry between the two is undeniable from their first round of banter, and it's a delight to watch their relationship develop. Russotto's performance is captivating - from the first moment he's on stage, the audience understands Morrie's vitality and love of his students and life; it makes it all the more tragic to watch him slowly deteriorate. Russotto portrays Morrie's illness with subtle changes that build on each other, allowing the audience to watch the disease progress. He lets the audience see his struggles as he loses his independent motor functions, even when he tries to hide it from Mitch. It's a heartbreaking, but nuanced performance that still keeps the character we met dancing in the opening scenes at its core.

That said, it's probably Nickell's Mitch that broke me. Mitch lost his uncle, Mike (who, like Morrie, was a close mentor), just after college; as a 21-year-old, he didn't know how to handle a slow, painful death and instead chose to hide from it in his music. After his Mike's death, Mitch stopped playing and threw himself into becoming a successful sports journalist. He's tough, ambitious, and consistently pursuing the next job, the next story. When he starts visiting Morrie, he's struggling with his own sense of guilt - for losing touch with Morrie, for how he handled his uncle's death - and the loss of the person he was under Morrie and Mike's tutelage. Throughout his visits with Morrie, we start to see the young, earnest man we met in the opening of the show peek through, and when Mitch finally breaks down over Morrie's imminent loss, Nickell's performance is so raw that it's impossible not to break with him.

On top of the fantastic talent on the stage, the production team deserves tremendous credit for bringing this emotional and touching production to life. Tuesdays with Morrie is Theater J's directorial debut for Jenna Place. Place guides the audience through an emotional tale without ever allowing it to become too saccharine or sermonic; it carries just the right balance of sentimentality and humor, and feels all the more human for it. Framing this wonderful production is Debra Kim Sivignay's beautifully functional set - the leaves of the tree outside Morrie's window, each carefully and individually placed, are particularly striking, and the entire space feels appropriately like a professor's home. Pamela Weiner's props enhance this feeling, particularly the small lap desk Morrie uses for his correspondence. Andrew R. Cissna's lighting design was especially effective, and helped demarcate both the passage of time as well as Nick's asides to the audience. Matthew M. Nielson's sound design was also delightfully interwoven, especially for the scenes where characters were watching television or listening to Mitch's wife sing; the integration of these particular pieces felt natural to the production.

Overall, Theater J's Tuesdays with Morrie is a touching, emotional exploration of human connection. It's an intimate portrait of a beautiful relationship between a man and his mentor in the face of tragic circumstances, but it's also a greater insight into how we all relate to each other and ourselves. Morrie's lessons live on through this show, not just because he's preserved in this production, but because it's impossible to see a performance this profound and not let it shift your perspective.

And, with that, I believe I have an old professor I owe an email.

Theater J's Tuesdays with Morrie runs through December 5th. Tickets for in-person or streaming performances, including select dates for socially-distanced seating and special after-show talks, are available on the Theater J website. Run time is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.

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