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Annie Pesch

‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ Review – Young at Heart Players – Life Lessons

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Young at Heart Players presents an excellently heartrending production of Mitch Albom and Jeffrey Hatcher’s stage adaptation of Albom’s 1997 best-seller “Tuesdays with Morrie” at the Dayton Playhouse.

(left) Patrick Allyn Hayes and Jamie McQuinn star in Young at Heart Players’ production of “Tuesdays with Morrie.” (Photo by Fran Pesch)

Fluidly co-directed by YAH founder Fran Pesch and her daughter Annie Pesch, this effectively scaled down two-hander absolutely thrives on the terrific performances of Patrick Allyn Hayes as sports reporter Albom and a remarkable Jamie McQuinn as Albom’s former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz. Believably bonded in the past and present, Hayes and McQuinn forge a fascinating journey unabashedly sentimental at its core but also very enlightening. Significant and meaningful life lessons arise notably rendered by McQuinn with eloquent earnestness.

The story is based on Albom’s endearing reflections with Schwartz, whom he visited over the course of 14 Tuesdays while working for the Detroit Free Press. He hadn’t seen Schwartz since graduating from Brandeis University 16 years prior, but his travels from Michigan to Massachusetts became an important lifeline particularly as drama at work threatened to consume him. As Schwartz battles Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Albom ultimately realizes the importance of living life to the fullest.

In his first major leading role, McQuinn soars in a quietly astute performance blending charm and whimsy with beautiful sensitivity in a father figure capacity. As Schwartz’s health deteriorates, the script naturally allows McQuinn to become more profound and he certainly succeeds in doing so. When Schwartz reminds Albom to “forgive everyone everything” before it’s too late, it’s difficult not to fall under McQuinn’s gentle and inspiring spell. At the same rate, Hayes, in one of his most vulnerable, emotional and understated performances, equally resonates. He displays great narrative skill and appealingly reiterates Albom’s openness to learn and really grasp Schwartz’s morsels of goodness with each meeting. Hayes and McQuinn are also required to go out of their comfort zones a bit (Hayes mimics playing piano; McQuinn attempts a few dance steps) but do so admirably.

“When you age you grow and when you grow you learn,” says Schwartz. This Thanksgiving, let us be thankful for the special teachers who made a difference in our lives. Be sure to stop by the Playhouse and spend time with one of the greats.

 

“Tuesdays with Morrie” continues through Nov. 26 at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton. The play is performed in 90 minutes without intermission. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased at the door. For reservations, call Fran Pesch at (937) 654-040. For additional information, visit youngatheartplayers.com

 

‘First Kisses’ Review –Young at Heart Players – Through the Years

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Jay D. Hanagan’s wonderfully endearing two-hander “First Kisses,” a humorous and touching love story spanning 60 years and a memorable finalist in the 2003 Dayton Playhouse FutureFest, receives a terrific staging courtesy of the senior-themed theater troupe Young at Heart Players at the Dayton Playhouse.

J. Gary Thompson and Annie Pesch portray lifelong friends John and Mary in the Young at Heart Players production of Jay D. Hanagan’s tender dramedy “First Kisses” (Contributed photo by Fran Pesch)

Annie Pesch and J. Gary Thompson are delightfully cast as Mary and John, childhood friends who blossom into spouses while sharing the intimacy of a shack in the woods where they converse and reflect. Portraying a range of ages from 11 to 72 would appear to be a challenging or daunting task, but not for this talented and compatible duo. In fact, Pesch’s ability to vibrantly tap into her inner child with exuberant precociousness and playful spunk certainly aids in setting the correct tone in the opening minutes. Still, both actors bring impressive nuance and versatility to the proceedings, deftly directed by Young at Heart founder Fran Pesch. Thompson is particularly great in a scene which finds the emotionally reserved John finally expressing his love for Mary while hilariously tipsy. Annie, who memorably originated the role of Mary in the FutureFest staged reading also directed by Fran, notably ages gracefully throughout. She finds multiple opportunities to convey meaningful depth whether interpreting Mary’s uncertainties as a spouse or quietly absorbing a life well lived in her golden years. More importantly, Pesch and Thompson are equally captivating in the show’s finest and most dramatic scene involving Mary and John discussing the shakiness in their marriage centered on John’s desire to catch up with his ex-fiancé.
“First Kisses,” nicely accented by Fran Pesch’s set design, Sandy Lemming and Pesch’s costumes, and John A. Falkenbach’s lighting design, is a simple yet charming look at the power of love and the dedicated commitment it takes to make a relationship work and endure. By and large, Mary and John heartwarmingly prove first kisses can last a lifetime.


“First Kisses” continues through Sunday, June 11 at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 40 minutes; Act Two: 50 minutes. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased at the door. Reservations can be made by calling Fran Pesch at (937) 654-0400. For additional information, visit www.youngatheartplayers.com. Patrons are advised the production contains some adult language.

‘The K of D, An Urban Legend’ Review – Magnolia Theatre Company – Captivating Storytelling

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k of d

Dayton native Annie Pesch, a Wright State University alumna whose professional credits include Human Race Theatre Company, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cleveland Play House, and Chicago Dramatists, portrays 17 characters in Magnolia Theatre Company’s local premiere of Laura Schellhardt’s 2008 mystery/drama “The K of D, An Urban Legend” (Contributed photo)

An outstanding Annie Pesch inhabits 17 colorful characters in Magnolia Theatre Company’s terrific local premiere of Laura Schellhardt’s humorous and gripping 2008 ghost story “The K of D, An Urban Legend” continuing through Sunday, Oct. 4 inside the black box Mathile Theatre of the Schuster Center.

 
One-person shows always demand immense versatility, energy and breadth of scope, particularly when the material requires the actor to embody multiple ages and personalities. Thankfully, Pesch, having already proven her worth in this realm years ago in Dayton Theatre Guild’s “The Belle of Amherst” and Wright State University’s “Fully Committed,” steps up to the plate once again with dynamic intuitiveness and captivating ease. This time, she specifically portrays The Girl, the central storyteller of this spooky summertime tale set in nearby rural St. Marys concerning Charlotte McGraw, a quietly introverted young girl kissed by her twin brother Jamie before he dies. The legend in question stems from the belief that whatever Charlotte kissed from that moment on also dies. As Charlotte and her particularly quirky friends (all distinctively and emotionally realized by Pesch) come to terms with witnessing tragedy firsthand, Schellhardt spins a beautifully poetic and engrossing web of mystery and danger. In fact, one of Pesch’s finest, darkest characterizations is of menacing hillbilly Johnny Whistler, the crude, reckless driver who killed Jamie and especially intimidates the muted Charlotte when he becomes her next door neighbor.

 
In addition to ensuring the tireless Pesch confidently conveys various identities, director Kimberly Borst, who staged “Pride and Prejudice” and “Songs for a New World” at Sinclair Community College last season, fluidly heightens the play’s intimacy by bringing her as close to the audience as possible and never having her remain stationary for lengthy periods. Movement is key and a refreshing plus throughout. Borst also receives impressively atmospheric support from a first-rate artistic team including lighting designer Jessy Henning, sound designer Emily Hutton (notably offering wonderfully eerie and impactful contributions), set designer Tristan Cupp, and costumer/Magnolia founder Gina Handy.

 
So, does Charlotte truly have the kiss of death? Clear your schedule this weekend and find out. After all, Pesch, Borst and the increasingly promising Magnolia Theatre Company have crafted a solid, engaging, fast-paced, and breathtaking experience.

 

 

“The K of D, An Urban Legend” continues today at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. inside the Mathile Theatre of the Schuster Center, Second and Main Streets, Dayton. The production is performed in 75 minutes without intermission. Tickets are $20 general admission and $15 for military, educators and students. For tickets or more information, call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com.