''I'm Not Rappaport'' is a play by Herb Gardner, which originally ran on Broadway in 1985.

Productions

The play was originally staged by Seattle Repertory Theatre in 1984. The play premiered on Broadway at the

Booth Theatre The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theater at 222 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1913, the theater was designed by Henry Beaumont Herts in the It ...

on November 19, 1985, and closed on January 17, 1988 after 891 performances. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, the cast starred

Judd Hirsch Judd Seymore Hirsch (born March 15, 1935) is an American actor. He is known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983), John Lacey on the NBC series '' Dear John'' (1988–1992), and Alan Eppes on the CBS ser ...

(Nat),

Cleavon Little Cleavon Jake Little (June 1, 1939 – October 22, 1992) was an American stage, film and television actor. He began his career in the late 1960s on the stage. In 1970, he starred in the Broadway production of '' Purlie'', for which he earned both ...

(Midge Carter), Jace Alexander (Gilley), and

Mercedes Ruehl Mercedes J. Ruehl ( ; born February 28, 1948) is an American screen, stage, and television actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award. Ruehl won the Academy Award f ...

(Clara)."' I'm Not Rappaport' Broadway"
playbillvault.com, accessed November 13, 2015 The production received

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

s for Best Play, Best Lighting Design, and Best Actor (Judd Hirsch). Sherman Hemsley starred in the play in 1987 in Calgary. A revival opened at the Booth Theatre on July 25, 2002, where it ran for 53 performances and 15 previews. Again directed by Sullivan, Hirsch reprised his role and was joined by

Ben Vereen Benjamin Augustus Vereen (né Middleton; October 10, 1946) is an American actor, dancer and singer. He gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of the musicals ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', for which he received ...

. Prior to the Broadway 2002 production, the play had engagements at three regional venues: the Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami in January 2002; Ford's Theater, Washington, DC in February 2002; and the Paper Mill Playhouse, New Jersey in February and March 2002. The play, directed by Sullivan starred Hirsch and Ben Vereen.

Plot

Inspired by two elderly men Gardner met in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...

, the play focuses on Nat Moyer, a feisty

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

, and Midge Carter, a cantankerous

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, who spend their days sitting on a bench. They both mask the realities of aging, sharing tall tales that Nat spins. The play touches on several issues, including society's treatment of the aging, the difficulties dealing with adult children who think they know what's best for their parents, and the dangers that lurk in urban areas. Its title comes from an old

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

joke, a variation of which evolved into dialogue between the two protagonists:

*Nat: Hey, Rappaport! I haven't seen you in ages. How have you been? *Midge: I'm not Rappaport. *Nat: Rappaport, what happened to you? You used to be a short fat guy, and now you're a tall skinny guy. *Midge: I'm not Rappaport. *Nat: Rappaport, you used to be a young guy with a beard, and now you're an old guy with a mustache. *Midge: I'm not Rappaport. *Nat: Rappaport, how has this happened? You used to be a cowardly little white guy, and now you're a big imposing black guy. *Midge: I'm not Rappaport. *Nat: And you changed your name, too!

Film adaptation

The 1996 film version, written and directed by Gardner, starred Walter Matthau,

Ossie Davis Ossie Davis (born Raiford Chatman Davis; December 18, 1917 – February 4, 2005) was an American actor, Film director, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He received num ...

Amy Irving Amy Irving (born September 10, 1953) is an American actress and singer, who has worked in film, stage, and television. Her accolades include an Obie Award, and nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award. Born in Palo Alto, Cali ...

, Craig T. Nelson, Martha Plimpton, Peter Friedman, and

Ron Rifkin Ron Rifkin (born Saul M. Rifkin; October 31, 1939) is an American actor best known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama '' Alias'', Saul Holden on the drama '' Brothers & Sisters'', and District Attorney Ellis Loew in '' L.A. Confide ...

Adaptations

In 1986 at the Apollo Theatre London, the part of Nat was played by

Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was an English actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Tony Award for his work. Scofield ...

. In 2012, a theatre group in Germany had come under fire for allowing a white actor to paint his face and take the part of the black character Midge Carter on stage. In 2014, a Spanish speaking adaptation, Parque Lezama, premiered at the Teatro Liceo, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was directed by Academy Award winner Juan José Campanella, and starred Eduardo Blanco (as Antonio/Midge) and Luis Brandoni (as León/Nat).Parque Lezama y el despertar de la risa
9-14-2016, ''Diario Registrado''

Awards and nominations

Source: PlaybillVault * 1986

Tony Award for Best Play The Tony Award for Best Play (formally, an Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award given to the best new (non-musical) play on Broadway, as determined by Tony Award voters. There was no award in the Tonys' first year ...

—winner * 1986 Tony Award, Actor in a Play (Hirsch) -- winner * 1986 Tony Award, Lighting Design (Play or Musical) (Pat Collins) -- winner * 1986 Outer Critics Circle Award, John Gassner Award (Gardner) -- winner *1986 Outer Critics Circle Award, Outstanding Actor in a Play (Hirsch) -- winner *1986 Outer Critics Circle Award, Outstanding New Broadway Play—winner

References

External links

* * * * * {{TonyAwardBestPlay 1976-2000 1985 plays Broadway plays Plays by Herb Gardner Tony Award–winning plays American plays adapted into films Plays set in New York City Works about old age