Actor in ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ has Yiddishisms Down Pat

By Sandi Masori 

SAN DIEGO —  Nestled in Mission Valley Center, next to Target and Outback Steakhouse, is a storefront that is a little different.  You may notice the window dressing, which at the moment promotes the current production of Tuesdays With Morrie.  

Trinity Theatre Company itself has been around since 2012, but only moved to its current home last April.  It’s a community theater that holds classes for kids and adults, and also puts on amateur productions (though the actors do receive a stipend).  On Sunday afternoons they have open readers theater where anyone can drop in and cold read. 

It’s a cute theater that makes creative use of the space to stage the productions.  There are 60 seats, but I do have to admit that visibility can be a challenge.  I was seated behind some very large and tall people and as a short girl did have some issues seeing, even after I moved my seat back a row.  As a new location I’m sure this is something they’re working to resolve.  I would say for now, first row or last row may be your best bet. 

Right now they’re doing Tuesday With Morrie, a two-man show based on the book of the same title by Jewish writer Mitch Albom.   The play takes place in the 90s when Mitch (Kevin Quezada) reconnects with his favorite professor from Brandeis University, Morrie Schwartz (John Grasberger).  Morrie has recently been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and is ailing fast.   Mitch guilts himself into committing to come and visit Morrie every Tuesday until he passes.  During these visits they talk about life, love, death and the meaning of it all.  

The show is an emotional journey and the theater wisely had boxes of tissue available under some of the seats.  Many eyes were glistening by the end.  

I’m always a little nervous with the smaller cast productions- like the one-man or two-man shows.  I’m often a little worried that with such a small company, if anything is off, there’s no where else to put your focus.  And with less distractions for breaks in the action, the flow of a smaller production has to be tight to maintain interest.  Not to worry though, Quezada did a fine job as Mitch and kept the story moving.  

Now where I really have to give a shout out is to Grasberger, who did such a phenomenal job as Morrie, I was blown away.  I believed with every bit of myself that he was an old Jewish man- he had the yiddishkeit mannerism and verbalizations down pat.  From the three pats on the back at the end of a hug, to the “ehhh” sound that someone might make when responding to a question that we may only partially agree with, so many small details, that I was absolutely entranced by him.  So much so that after the show, when the actors come out to meet the audience,  I went up to him and asked if he were Jewish and to my surprise he said no.  But, he said, he is from New York, “where everyone is either Jewish or Catholic so it’s almost the same thing.”  

In a brief conversation with the director, Sharonfaith Horton, I also learned that other than coming to some classes, this show was the first full production Grasberger had done since he himself was in college.  I thought he was a retired equity actor, he was that good.  

Sadly the show ends with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, so you only have one chance to see this production, but if you can’t make this one, keep your eye on  the Trinity Theater Company. It seems like it’s doing some interesting work.  

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Sandi Masori is a food and theatre reviewer for San Diego Jewish World.  When she’s not covering food or theatre, she helps authors self-publish, hangs out with her kids, and searches for the best sushi in town.