Herb Gardner (1934–2003)

With a title based on what has got to be one of the most hilariously unfunny comedy routines in theatre, Gardner introduces us to two elderly men who face the world in radically different ways. Midge keeps getting drawn into Nat's fantasies, ultimately landing him in bigger trouble than he would have been in otherwise. Nat wants to figure out how to scam his daughter and prevent her from keeping him out of the trouble he is determined to get into. Meanwhile, there are sinister figures moving show more through the strange and convoluted world Nat is building around himself. A decent read, but the interplay misses a bit in reading. The banter needs to be presented by able comedians to reach its full potential. show less

Plays that present oddball people in oddball situations, and yet manage to look familiar. The people we see aren't quite like anyone we know, but they are actually a lot like people we know, perhaps ourselves. Well written, easy to read, a lot to laugh at, and when you stop laughing, to think about.

I really, really love "I'm Not Rappaport". The playscript is so readable, so that even though I've never seen it performed I'm already a little bit in love with the characters. And the arc is so good and bittersweet.

play that is the source of these lines [said of an uncle about his 12 year old nephew]:
"I want a little guts to show before I can let him go. I want to be sure he sees all the wild possibilities. I want him to know it's worth all the trouble just ot give the world a little goosing when you get the chance. And I want him to know the subtle, sneaky, important reason why he was born a human being and not a chair."

and that my friends is funny with a little sadness mixed in. genius.