Playhouse offers 'Tuesdays with Morrie'

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

dastolfo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The true story of “Tuesdays with Morrie” has changed lives.

The wisdom of Morrie Schwartz, a professor at Brandeis University who was dying, prompted writer Mitch Albom to dramatically shift his world view, becoming an activist for the less fortunate.

The uplifting story also has had a profound effect on Brendan Byers, director of a production of the play that opens Friday at the Youngstown Playhouse.

Byers is currently taking care of his father, who is terminally ill.

“The rehearsal process for this show was a unique and challenging one,” wrote Byers in his director’s notes. “Everyone involved has recently lost a love one, has had personal health problems or, in my case, along with my brother, is the primary caregiver for my father [who is] dealing with the end of his life battling pancreatic cancer.

“This show has caused us all to look at the way we live our lives, and in my case how I look at death in an amazing, different and powerful way.”

Byers said he was approached to direct the play last year and decided to revisit the book, which he had read years ago.

“I read it again, and it was all over,” he said in an interview. “I had it pictured in my head. It was the right time.”

Victor Garcia plays Morrie in the Playhouse production, and Jason A. Green is Mitch.

Karen Gagliano has a featured role as Connie, and Pat McCleery is stage manager.

“The words and messages in the play are beautiful, and the actors are wonderful,” said Byers. “They stepped up and out of their comfort zones.”

Byers said that audiences will be moved by “Tuesdays,” if not changed.

“I know that I am looking at this sad thing in my life differently than when it was first diagnosed,” he said.

The fact that everyone in the small cast and crew has, or had, a similar issue caused emotion to boil over at a recent rehearsal.

“After the third scene, we started to cry,” said Byers. “But it’s not a doom and gloom kind of story. It’s uplifting. Morrie’s life lesson, the anecdotes that he came up with, it kind of overpowers you.”

The play started as a 1997 best-selling novel and was adapted into a 1999 movie starring Jack Lemmon.

Morrie Schwartz was a professor at Brandeis University. When Albom, his former student and a successful writer-journalist, saw Schwartz featured on ABC’s “Nightline,” he began to visit his old mentor.

Albom was so moved by Schwartz, who had Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), that he began to tape the weekly visits so that he could share them with the world.

After Schwartz’s death, Albom would found seven charities, mainly in the Detroit area.

The Youngstown Playhouse also will help a charity.

A performance to benefit the ALS Association will be June 26 at 7 p.m. Representatives of the association as well as Dr. Medford B. Mashburn, chief medical director of the Hospice of the Valley, will conduct a post-play symposium. Tickets are $20, and refreshments will be served.

A new motorized scooter, which was given to the Playhouse by an anonymous donor, will be given to a local person living with ALS.