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Arts Club Tuesdays with Morrie By Mitch Albom and Jeffrey Thatcher Dates 15 June - 26 August 2006 Venue Arts Club Theatre Reviewer Kulpreet Sasan |
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The
final production of The Arts Club Theatre's 2005-06, Tuesdays With
Morrie by Mitch Albom and Jeffrey Hatcher, is based on the popular
book of the same name by Mitch Albom. The play is about the relationship
between the author, an accomplished sports journalist, and his former
college professor (Morrie).
The play takes
place during the last months of Morrie's life as he fights a losing
battle against Lou Gerig's disease. The title arises from the weekly
pilgrimages the author makes to his professor's house to ruminate on
the meaning of some of life's essential questions. Kimmel as Mitch
humanizes a character who could easily be seen as rather calculating
and exploitive. His cherubim, earnest face does not allow for an unsympathetic
interpretation. Kimmel captures the essential 80s Yuppie, but one with
latent humanist values, the kind of role Tom Cruise has played his whole
career. Kimmel is articulate, feisty and completely believable as the
effective professional making his mark on the world. However, some of
his moments of angst and distress seem a bit false and pretentious,
but this is more a weakness in the script rather than the acting. © 2006 Kulpreet Sastan |
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