Encore Atlanta

September 2008 Fabulous Fox Theatre

Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor

'Love can conquer all'
Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor'Love can conquer all'

When asked what Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor is about, Palmer Williams Jr., says it’s an instruction manual about how to live a better life. “It’s a relationship story about good and evil. It’s about a hard-working accountant who is married to a marriage counselor who feels neglected.”

Williams, who plays Floyd Stanley Jackson, is the comic relief for the show. “I have some interesting parenting skills … I’m an herbalist,” Williams says. “In other words, I smoke weed. I try to give bits of wisdom and knowledge to my son in between my inebriated state. I happen to be high most of the time, but I do have some pretty intelligent things that I tell him that he [can either] take to heart or ignore.”

His character is deeply flawed, but real, which is a hallmark of Tyler Perry shows. “He is writing through his pain that he’s experienced through life,” Williams says. “He’s writing about the human race as opposed to the black race.”

Williams hopes the audience will learn from these human stories. “Don’t take yourself too seriously. Look at yourself on this stage. Identify with it, [make] changes and [show] some altruism, unselfish concern for the welfare for others.”

“Love can conquer all if you have good sense.”

Tyler Perry’s The Marriage Counselor plays at The Fabulous Fox Theatre Sept. 11-14.

What's the story?

Despite being a marriage counselor, Judith is unhappy in her marriage to Roger, an accountant. The couple lives with Roger's weed-smoking father Floyd and Judith's mother T.T., who bicker like a modern day Fred Stanford and Aunt Esther.

Atlanta: The Southern Hollywood/New York

"I love Atlanta because you can go from obscurity to the king of Atlanta if you do right by people," says Palmer Williams Jr. "Atlanta is the land of opportunity. [It] exemplifies the melting pot of America. It is becoming the Southern Hollywood/New York. The Alliance Theater is growing in its popularity. The gospel musical genre is moving upward. Atlanta is going to be a force to be reckoned with. We got the music thing down pat, but we have to get the movie and TV thing down, and, thanks to Mr. Perry, we're on the map now.

"Atlanta is a metropolitan city with a country feel. I just hope we stay country because that means we'll stay humble."

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