Plays
Playbills and Photos
The stage version of Tuesdays with Morrie premiered in an acclaimed production at New York Stage and Film in Poughkeepsie, New York in Summer 2002, and opened off-Broadway on November 19, 2002, to highly favorable reviews at the Minetta Lane Theatre. Co-authored by Mitch Albom and Jeffrey Hatcher (Three Viewings) and directed by David Esbjornson (The Goat or Who Is Sylvia?, My Old Lady), Tuesdays with Morrie starred Alvin Epstein (original Lucky in Waiting for Godot) as Morrie and Jon Tenney (The Heiress) as Mitch. Since then, the play has seen productions across the globe, including a 25 city tour and independent productions at the Seattle Repertory, Laguna Playhouse and American Heartland Theatre, to name a few.
Reviews
“Unforgettable! No matter how well you tell the story, the play makes it more vivid, more shattering, more humorous…This is a play that might – incredibly, just might – change your life.” – New York Magazine
Duck Hunter Shoots Angel was Mitch Albom’s first play not based on a book and his first comedy. The story of two bumbling Alabama duck-hunting brothers who think they accidentally shot down an angel debuted in the summer of 2004 at the Purple Rose Theater, in Chelsea, Michigan, a theater started by actor Jeff Daniels. The premiere was directed by Purple Rose Theatre Co.’s Artistic Director Guy Sanville. It went on to become that theater’s highest-grossing play. It then moved to downtown Detroit for a good stretch at the City Theatre before moving on to other productions around the country. Hailed by audiences as a comedy with a heartfelt message, the play follows the intersecting paths of the two guilt-ridden duck hunters, a depressed tabloid journalist, his reluctant photographer, their crazed boss, a shopgirl at a local Gasmart, a half-man/half-alligator, and a ghost. The themes of redemption, race, media and north vs, south are all explored in hilarious fashion, and the play features a surprise ending that few playgoers see coming.
Reviews
“Works – ‘big time’ as duck hunter Dick Cheney might say – because it’s sufficiently audacious to surprise and sufficiently familiar to comfort.” – Chris Jones, Variety
Playbills and Photos
Playbills and Photos
And The Winner Is was Mitch Albom’s second comedy. It saw its world premiere at the Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea, MI, in the summer of 2005 and its west coast premiere at the Laguna Playhouse in the summer of 2006. And the Winner Is tells the comic story of Tyler Johnes, a self-obsessed movie star, who is finally nominated for an Oscar, then dies the night before the awards. Outraged at his bad luck and determined to know if he wins (even though he’s dead), he bargains with a heavenly gatekeeper to return to earth for the big night. Along the way, he drags his agent, his acting rival, his bombshell girlfriend and his ex-wife into the journey, in a wildly twisting tale of Hollywood, the afterlife, and how we are judged. And The Winner Is was directed by Purple Rose Theatre Co.’s Artistic Director Guy Sanville. “It’s a quirky, heartfelt and slightly wicked tale of life, death and sacrifice,” Sanville says. About his second collaboration with the playwright, he continues, “Mitch uses humor as a window into the human heart.” The play has been hailed for its wit, originality and hilarious portrayal of Hollywood values.
Reviews
“I suppose it is always a worthwhile thing to be reminded about mending relationships and getting right with God before it is too late. But it is truly a rare and special thing to have such a reminder included in one of the funniest plays I’ve ever seen.” – Robert Delaney, The Detroit Monitor
“Looong gone”, but never forgotten. “Ernie,” Mitch Albom’s much-anticipated new play dedicated to Ernie Harwell, made its world premiere April 2011 at the City Theatre in Detroit, one block from Comerica Park and just in time for fans to visit with the “Voice of Summer” once again. “Ernie” is set on Ernie Harwell’s last night at Comerica, when the Hall of Fame broadcaster is about to give a moving thank you to a grateful city. Just before he walks onto the grassy field, he encounters an unusual boy who is eager to know all about him, coaxing Harwell into giving one final broadcast – the “broadcast of his life.”
Playbills and Photos
Spamalot! – With Hockey Sticks!
When the Lord Above decides there is one too many sports in the world, He decides there is only one clear for smiting: hockey. But that doesn’t sit well with fans of the underdog game. So, the game gets one more chance – if five pure-of-heart fans can plead their case, God will reconsider. Their appeals frequently take the form of a song in both original and parody tunes including, “When You’re A Wing,” “Kill Baseball,” and “God is a Canuck,” which may backfire if God isn’t a fan of poutine.
NEWS FROM THE PLAYS
“Tuesdays with Morrie” Play Comes to Michigan in Special 25th Anniversary Celebration
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary edition of Tuesdays with Morrie, we're proud to announce several productions of its theatrical adaptation in August and September. This is the first time the play has been produced in Michigan. Michigan's own Water Works...