By Chelsea Bohannon | Celebrating the unwavering bond that friendship brings, Aurora Theatre closes the curtain on its 20th anniversary season with a heartwarming presentation of the Tony Award-winning play I’m Not Rappaport, May 5-June 5.
Based on the author’s real-life encounter, the touching tale follows the daily ritual of two elderly men who inhabit a bench in New York City’s bustling Central Park. While both dream of escaping the current realities of life – nursing homes, aging and dangers of urban living– they end up finding solace in each other’s company and forming an irreplaceable friendship.
Revisiting the storyline almost three decades after playing identical roles in 1989 at Theatrical Outfit, Rob Cleveland and Kenny Raskin, along with director David de Vries, reunite in I’m Not Rappaport. Aurora Co-founder and Producing Artistic Director Anthony Rodriguez worked on the set alongside them when the theater was located in Midtown.
Ann-Carol Pence, co-founder and Associate Producer, says: “What is so special about this production is the rarity of having two actors star in the same roles they performed in 27 years ago. Aside from being more age appropriate for the roles now, Rob and Kenny offer audiences a deep-felt connection that can’t be taught or rehearsed. Having David transition from actor to director this time around, and having Anthony serving as artistic director, brings an added layer of historical reference to our production; one that will certainly be an emotional revival.”
Audiences will delight in laughter as the feisty Jewish Nat (Raskin) and Midge (Cleveland), a half-blind and cantankerous African-American, chat away their afternoons in the heart of the Big Apple. Nat’s love of spinning tall tales paired with Midge’s griping of his unruly tenants, offer the two seniors plenty of issues to gab about as the commotion of the concrete jungle surrounds them.
Recommended for teens and adults interested in a taste of the Big Apple, I’m Not Rappaport will be presented May 5 through June 5. There will be a discount matinee on Wednesday, May 25 at 10 a.m. with tickets starting at $16. Regular show tickets range from $20-$55 and can be purchased online at tickets.auroratheatre.com or by calling the box office at 678-226-6222.
Show times are Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Aurora Theatre produces professional live entertainment to suit everyone’s taste. Aurora Theatre is home to over 600 events each year. Two series of theatrical productions, the Peach State Federal Credit Union Signature Series and the Georgia Gwinnett College’s Harvel Lab Series, are comprised of the biggest Broadway plays and musicals alongside exciting contemporary theatre.
Additionally, Aurora produces concerts, stand-up comedy, children’s programs, metro Atlanta’s top haunted attraction Lawrenceville Ghost Tours, as well as Atlanta’s only professional Spanish language theatre, Teatro Aurora. Nestled on the square in historic downtown Lawrenceville, Aurora has free attached covered parking and is surrounded by restaurants and shops.
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