The first time I encountered "Tuesdays with Morrie," it almost led me into crime. A friend of mine lent me the book, and Mitch Albom's touching account of conversations with his mentor, Morrie Schwartz, who is dying of Lou Gehrig's Disease, moved me so much I almost went right out and xeroxed the whole book, so I would always have it.
I resisted the urge to commit a crime and instead bought the book. I've read it five or six times since, about once a year. I've read passages from it at a friend's wedding and have come back to it when times are tough in my own life, It's like scripture to me.
On Saturday, "Tuesdays with Morrie" moved me to tears again, this time in its stage version, an adaptation Albom wrote with playwright Jeffrey Hatcher, performed skillfully and warmly by the Oldcastle Theatre Company in Bennington.
Tim Dugan as Mitch and J.C. Hoyt as Morrie are the only two actors on stage, and they are terrific, able to wring all the sweetness and sadness out of the script without oversentimentality. The technical work is top-notch, particularly the lighting of Keith Chapman and Richard Howe, and all in all, it's just a wonderful, inspiring night of theater. Judging from the sniffles I heard around me, it's quite a touching night, as well.
If you've never ventured over to Oldcastle Theatre, it's worth a trip. It's a beautiful venue, and there are no bad seats. I have the utmost respect for Oldcastle founder and "Tuesdays with Morrie" director Eric Peterson, and I recommend you go. "Tuesdays with Morrie" continues through May 20. For information, call 802-447-1267 or visit www.oldcastletheatreco.org.