Aging Gracefully

Judd Hirsch and Ben Vereen star as two octogenarians trying to enjoy the last years of their lives in the Tony Award-winning play I’m Not Rappaport at Paper Mill: the State Theater of New Jersey.

By: Jim Boyle
   Although the worlds of advertising, film and television suggest that everyone stays within the 18-49 demographic, growing old is inevitable.
   Thankfully, Herb Gardner’s play, I’m Not Rappaport, follows the daily lives of two
gentlemen in their 80s. They spend their days talking in Central Park, helping each other work out problems.
Old age won’t keep them from enjoying life.
   "We will not go into the night silently," says Ben Vereen, who co-stars in the play with
Judd Hirsch. "When you get older, doors start to close. It’s frightening. America is not elderly user-friendly.
It’s a very youthful culture."

Judd Hirsch, left, was in the original production of I’m Not Rappaport in 1985. He reprises his role as Nat Moyer, sharing the stage with Ben Vereen, right, who plays Midge Carter.

   After wildly successful runs in Florida and Washington, D.C., I’m Not Rappaport is
coming to Paper Mill: The State Theater of New Jersey in Millburn. The production runs Feb. 20-March 24.
   The Tony Award-winning show’s next stop is a return to Broadway, where it opened in 1985
after a short stint off-Broadway. Mr. Hirsch played Nat Moyer in the original production and reprises the role
here. He earned a Tony in 1986 for his portrayal of a man who likes to spin tall tales about his youth.
   Mr. Vereen plays Midge, an ex-boxer who is being forced out of his job as the superintendent
of his apartment building. The part was originally portrayed by Cleavon Little, who died in 1992. Mr. Vereen
was recently added for the show’s revival.
   "I like the issues the play brings up," he says. "I also find a lot of importance in the
poetry and the meanings of the words. It’s written so well. I’m learning more about Midge Carter whenever I’m
playing him."
   The success of a play like I’m Not Rappaport relies heavily on the chemistry between
the two leads, something he and Mr. Hirsch found right away.
   "He’s a brilliant actor to work with," Mr. Vereen says. "I never had a partner so wonderful."
   While he likes to refer to himself as the new kid on the block, he is an accomplished stage
and screen veteran. He was memorable in shows such as Chicago, Fosse and A Christmas Carol.
His role in Pippin earned a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
   He played Chicken George in the Emmy Award-winning mini-series Roots and has made
guest appearances on programs such as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Touched by an Angel.

"There’s nothing like live theater," says Mr. Vereen. "It’s just so organic. For the audience, it’s like they are watching an intimate conversation."

   With all of his experience throughout the entertainment world, Mr. Vereen still finds the
most satisfaction on the stage in front of an audience.
   "There’s nothing like live theater," he says. "It’s just so organic. For the audience, it’s
like they are watching an intimate conversation. It’s a private moment that’s really special. Film is not to
be neglected. It reaches millions of people who cannot come to the theater."
   Having spent most of his life in front of audiences, Mr. Vereen gained enough wisdom to know
the significance of entertainment in any form.
   "The arts are fighting very much to stay alive," he says. "They are the one thing that keeps
a civilization going. They heal the wounded heart and give some sort of inspiration. In battle, soldiers sing
songs to keep morale up. Even at football games, where the crowd sings ‘We will rock you.’ It is the arts that
drive society. Now more than ever, we must embrace them."
   Taking a role such as Midge, along with being on the verge of becoming a grandfather, the
55-year-old Florida native finds himself looking at his own mortality.
   "It makes me think of my age and where I’m headed and where my place is," says Mr. Vereen,
who survived a serious car accident in 1992.
   Working on the show has provided him with a new understanding of the importance of the elderly.
They shouldn’t be cast aside but instead held in high respect.
   "Asian and African cultures revere their elders as keepers of the stories," Mr. Vereen says.
"Alex Haley went to his elders, and they told him the story of Kunta Kinte. The elders held on to the legacy."
   Mr. Vereen thinks it is crucial to accept the elderly as vital parts of society. It’s only
a matter of time before we take their place.
   "One of my favorite lines from the show is when Nat Moyer says, ‘You, too, will become an
old person,’ " he says. "They are the coming attractions. When we’re young, we think we know everything and
have so much energy. We also have to prepare for when we become the coming attraction."
I’m Not Rappaport plays at Paper Mill: The State Theater of New Jersey, Brookside Drive, Millburn, Feb.
20-March 24. Performances: Wed.-Fri. 8 p.m.; Thurs. 2 p.m.; Sat. 2:30, 8 p.m.; Sun. 2, 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost
$29-$59. For information, call (973) 376-4343. On the Web: www.papermill.org