(Hedy Weiss’s article appeared in the Chicago Su-Times, 10/8.)
First, a bit of history: Scott McPherson’s play, “Marvin’s Room,” a beguiling and eccentric tragicomedy about love, death and family ties, debuted at the old Goodman Theatre in 1990 and almost immediately catapulted the then 30-year-old actor-turned-playwright into the spotlight. The 1991 Off Broadway production of the play caught the attention of Robert DeNiro, who would go on to produce a starry film version of the work featuring Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton and Leonardo DiCaprio. But sadly, although McPherson penned the screenplay for that film, by the time it was released in 1996 he had died of complications from AIDS at the age of just 33.
http://entertainment.suntimes.com/stage/enduring-tragicomedy-marvins-room/
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