Sportswriter Mitch Albom and retired sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz explore living the full life in Tuesdays With Morrie, coming to the Indiana Wesleyan University stage at the end of September. Tuesday with Morrie Poster 11×17
Mitch and Morrie develop a close relationship during Mitch’s undergraduate years, but lose touch when Mitch leaves to begin a career as a Jazz musician. Mitch stops playing the piano and begins a new all-consuming career as a sports writer after some tragic incidents in his personal life. Sixteen years after he last saw Morrie, Mitch is up late one night watching television when he comes across a Nightline show about his old professor who is dying of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. They reconnect at a time when they need each other the most.
Dr. Katie Wampler, Assistant Professor of Theatre, is directing Tuesdays With Morrie, her first production at IWU. Her favorite line from the play is something Morrie says to Mitch: “We’re all running! We’re in the human race! Some people are running so fast they don’t know where they’re going.” The line reminds her of the verse in the Bible that says we run the race set before us as we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. (Heb. 12:1) Wampler says, “This is the essence of the Christian walk that we are here to encourage each other as we run the race that God has laid before us.”
The production is Cody Konschak’s senior project who was instrumental in bringing this play to life on the IWU campus. “I really am enjoying everything so far. Working with a new director has been amazing and I am excited to see what all I will learn. It hits home a little for me because I can relate with the character that I am playing to an extent.”
Dr. Mark Perry, Assistant Professor of Communication, completes the cast, playing Morrie Schwartz. He feels a certain connection with the character he is playing: “I love the character of Morrie – he is the type of teacher I hope to be, one more concerned about the whole student rather than transmitting a certain amount of information in the class,” he says.
“Tuesdays With Morrie” takes the stage in the Black Box Theatre: September 30-October 1 and October 6-8, 7:30 PM performances, Saturday matinees @ 2:00 PM. The price is $6.
