Authentic portrayal of ALS resonates with Winnipeg theatregoers

The ALS Society of Manitoba is celebrating a new partnership with a theatre company in Winnipeg – and the overwhelming positive response that’s come with it.

The collaboration with Winnipeg Jewish Theatre and the portrayal of the neurological disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) managed to connect hundreds of Winnipeggers to the cause.

“It’s been a great partnership, it really has,” said Diana Rasmussen, the ALS Society of Manitoba’s executive director. “People are even phoning now to say how much they enjoyed it and how it hit home.”

When Rasmussen got the call from Winnipeg Jewish Theatre about its production of the memoir-turned-stage play “Tuesdays with Morrie,” she was more than up for consulting to make sure the experience of portraying people impacted by ALS was as authentic as possible.

“There were a lot of pieces to this that hit home for me personally,” she said. “Seeing how they handled the roles, and it was just a win-win all around.”

“Tuesdays with Morrie” is based on the real-life experience of author Mitch Albom as he learns his former professor, Morrie, is battling ALS. What begins as a visit evolves into a weekly ritual on Tuesdays that sees Albom and Morrie getting together and sharing the highs and lows of life.

Winnipeg Jewish Theatre’s artistic director Dan Petrenko, who is also directing the theatre’s upcoming production, says its run of “Tuesdays with Morrie” gave a chance to a new generation of theatregoers to become aware of the fatal disease.

“It was really about not just how do we portray it authentically in today’s standards, but how do we show what it was like in the ‘90s?” Petrenko said. “So Diana was instrumental in bringing that to life.”

The ALS community came out nearly every evening. Many impacted by ALS cried during the performance and found it very impactful.

And although the play has many Jewish connections – the playwright, characters and values – it’s a timeless theme that still speaks to all audiences nearly two decades after it was first published.

The stage play was so popular that the theatre added one more performance at the very end of what Petrenko called a sold-out run.

“I think it’s Morrie’s aphorisms, his encouraging, hopeful perspective on life and the idea of, in all the hustle and bustle of the day-to-day, finding what our priorities are and prioritizing connections with other human beings,” Petrenko said. “I think that’s something that, especially after the pandemic, audiences here in Winnipeg and all over, it really resonates with them.”

Winnipeggers showed their appreciation for the play – and the sensitivity of the subject matter – by donating to the cause.

“We managed to raise nearly $5,000 in donations in just the one week that we ran the production,” Petrenko said.

“For us it was important to raise awareness, and we’re just grateful that people walked out of the theatre and wanted to contribute to this important cause.”

Rasmussen, a former nurse, says the spike in donations was an incredible, unexpected surprise.

“Any donation would have been wonderful, we weren’t expecting anything like this at all,” she said.

The ALS Society of Manitoba executive director explains the neurological disease presents huge costs.

“ALS is one of the most costly diseases,” Rasmussen said. “One cushion costs $500, $600. Just one cushion.

“If we can make one difference in their life while they’re travelling on this journey, then that’s what, for me personally, it’s been a passion all the way along. I try to do everything I possibly can to help them.”

More than 4,000 Canadians live with ALS, which has a survival timeline between two and five years after diagnosis. The ALS Society of Manitoba helps support individuals and families who are impacted by the disease.