Get ready to laugh and be inspired, because “The Marriage Counselor” is coming to Indianapolis.
“The Marriage Counselor,” the tenth stage production by popular playwright Tyler Perry, will be shown at the Murat Centre from Friday Feb. 27, to Sunday March 1.
With nearly half of all marriages in the United States ending in divorce, “The Marriage Counselor” is a fun way to explore the complications that sometimes emerge in relationships, and how love can “conquer all” if we allow it to do its work.
“The Marriage Counselor” profiles the experiences of Roger Jackson, an accountant, and his wife Judith, a marriage counselor. The Jacksons are taking care of Roger’s weed-smoking father, Floyd, as well as Judith’s retired Bible toting mother, TT. The two parents don’t get along.
Judith is an ivy league trained counselor who gives advice to angry and frustrated couples, but she needs advice of her own after an old college friend stops by. Who can counsel the counselor when she has trouble in her own marriage?
The play has been praised for its surprise elements and unpredictable theme.
“The Marriage Counselor” recently received rave reviews following its showing in Grand Rapids, Mich. Sue Merrill, a reviewer for the Grand Rapids Press, noted that the production is still excellent, fun and motivating, even though Tyler Perry himself doesn’t appear in it.
“His characters still deal with various issues such as drugs , HIV, domestic abuse and a husband who loses interest when his wife gains weight,” Merrill wrote.
For its lead roles, “The Marriage Counselor” features two stars in the state production industry, including Anthony “Tony” Grant (as Roger) and Tamar Davis (as Judith).
Grant has been a popular stage actor since his debut in the 1991 play “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” and as the former lead singer of the R&B group AZ Yet, best known for “Last Night,” a 1997 classic. Most recently Grant has been featured in the stage version of Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married?”
Davis is an up-and-coming R&B singer who first performed in an early version of the group Destiny’s Child, when it was still known as Girls’ Tyme. She reached national fame with the 2006 Grammy nominated duet with Prince, “Beautiful, Loved and Blessed.”
Palmer Williams, a veteran actor known for his spontaneous jokes and antics, plays Floyd (Roger’s father), a popular character that Perry first introduced in the barbershop on his hit television sitcom “House of Payne.”
Perry, 39, is an Atlanta-based writer, producer and actor who grew up in an abusive household and overcame homelessness to build one of the world’s fastest growing entertainment empires, thanks to 10 hit plays and nine successful films that have generated millions.
Perry’s current film, “Madea Goes To Jail,” was the top feature at the box office this weekend and earned $41.1 million.
In a recent interview Perry noted that “The Marriage Counselor” represents his goal of producing plays and films that are not just enjoyable to watch, but provide ways viewers can strengthen their families.
“I’m always wondering what’s happening in the community now, what’s happening with the people,” Perry said. “With the divorce rate being so high, and with the family needing some sort of uplift or boost, I think that’s where I’m going to be for the next few projects… talking about family, relationships and marriage.”
