I'm Not Rappaport

I’M NOT RAPPAPORT

I’m Not Rappaport

by Herb Gardner

February 2 - 18

Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm

4530 Colorado Ave., Sheffield Village, OH www.MetroParks.cc

Coming Soon!

LORAIN COUNTY METRO PARKS’ FRENCH CREEK THEATRE PRESENTS:

CHILDREN OF EDEN

BOOK BY JOHN CAIRD | MUSIC AND LYRICS BY STEPHEN SCHWARTZ BASED ON A CONCEPT BY CHARLES LISANBY ORCHESTRATIONS BY BRUCE COUGHLIN AND MARTIN ERSKINE

DIRECTED BY NATE SAYATOVICH MUSICAL DIRECTION BY ANTHONY TRIFILETTI

MARCH 9 - 25

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS AT 7:30 PM AND SUNDAYS AT 3 PM TICKETS: $10 - $18 | (440) 949-5200 OR WWW.METROPARKS.CC

French Creek

Theatre

French Creek Nature and Arts Center

Cultural Arts Manager / Site Manager....................................Rick Fortney Ranger Supervisor / Park Manager....................................... Brian Holmes Senior Naturalist................................................................................. Aimee Potonic Cultural Arts Programmer..............................................................Brian McNally Front Desk Staff.............Camille Olsen, Chris Bizub, Robert Scott Taylor FCNAC Building and Grounds Crew............................................Tim Barrett,

Thomas Bourque, David Davis

Lorain County Metro Parks

Director.....................................................................................................................James Ziemnik Assistant Director..........................................................................................Jennifer Bracken Operations Supervisor............................................................................................Paul Hruby Chief Naturalist...............................................................................................Grant Thompson Public Information Officer...........................................................................Vanessa Klesta Web Developer and Graphic Artist.....................................................Nicholas Baker

Lorain County Metro Parks Board of Park Commissioners

Chairman ................................................................................................... Ms. Cookie McLoda Board Member..............................................................................................Mr. Joseph Hribar

Pg. 3

French Creek

Theatre

2017-2018 season E w i n g T h e at r e

E w i n g T h e at r e

Bonnie & Clyde

Annie

The Great Depression. As the country’s corporations, banks and institutions crumble, suffering Americans crave a reckoning. Two upstart criminals emerge from the dust of poverty to become folk heroes for their brazen, lawless and deadly deeds.

Billionaire Oliver Warbucks is a man who thinks he has everything. Elevenyear-old Annie is an orphan with nothing. When the unlikely pair meet, together they find the thing that was missing in each other.

Oct 13 - 29, 2017

Book by Ivan Menchell Lyrics by Don Black | Music by Frank Wildhorn

P i j o r T h e at r e

Dec 1 - 17, 2017

Book by Thomas Meehan Music by Charles Strouse | Lyrics by Martin Charnin Based on Little Orphan Annie by permission of The Media Tribune Services, Inc.

E w i n g T h e at r e

I’m Not Rappaport

Children of Eden

From a bench in Central Park, Nat & Midge, two feisty octogenarians, refuse to disappear into the diminishing twilight of their lives.

While Nat’s daughter imperils his independence with the threat of nursing homes, Midge fights the yuppie forces trying to push him out of his job. Using the wiles and wisdom that only come with age, they make their final stand in this sidesplitting and thoughtful Tony-award winner.

In the beginning, Adam and Eve live in a state of perfection with their Father.

But when they eat from the Tree of Knowledge, their disobedience sets off a powerful chain of events spanning generations, and leaves the far reaches of their bloodline searching for the way back to Eden.

Feb 2 - 18, 2018

By Herb Gardner

Mar 9 - 25, 2018

Book by John Caird Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz Based on a concept by Charles Lisanby Orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin and Martin Erskine

P i j o r T h e at r e

E w i n g T h e at r e

The Elephant Man

Oliver!

In 1886, a horrifically deformed sideshow attraction named John Merrick is taken in by a young English surgeon named Frederick Treves.

As Treves endeavors to civilize him by introducing him to London’s elite, Merrick dreams of being like other men. But when manners and propriety leave Merrick dissatisfied, Treves begins to question his own altruistic pursuits.

Sold from the only life he’s ever known in a toilsome workhouse to be an apprentice coffin-follower for a jocund undertaker, the orphaned and hapless Oliver escapes to find someplace he truly belongs. Taken in by a band of young pickpockets, Oliver thinks he’s finally found a family until a robbery gone sour incurs the wrath of their menacing leader.

May 4 - 20, 2018

July 13 - 29, 2018

Book, Music and Lyrics by Lionel Bart

By Bernard Pomerance

L a k e v i e w Pa r k , Lo r a i n

Romeo & Juliet

Aug 17 - 19 (Shows at 7pm) One of the greatest tragedies of all time, Shakespeare’s tale of passion and calamity is performed outdoors as Lorain County Metro Parks is transformed into “fair Verona, where we lay our scene…”

By William Shakespeare

Shakespeare in the Park!

Pg. 5

Visit Us! 38790 Chester Road Avon Ohio 44011 440.934.WINE (9463) www.thewoodnwine.com

Proud supporter of French Creek Theatre!

Pg. 6

French Creek

Theatre

I’m Not Rappaport

By Herb Gardner Director // Jacqi Loewy Stage Manager // Jordan Demich-Bogner Sound Designer // Stan Kozak Set Designer // Derek Green Lighting Designer // Rob Peck

“I’m Not Rappaport” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

–– PLEASE NOTE ––

The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited

Welcome to French Creek Theatre Welcome!

In 1986, while living in New York City, I had the privilege to see I’m Not Rappaport at the Booth Theatre on Broadway starring Judd Hirsch and Cleavon Little. The production received Tony Awards for Best Play, Best Lighting Design, and Best Actor (Judd Hirsch). I loved this show and have always wanted to produce it here at French Creek. Thanks to our director Jacqi Loewy, our staff and production team, and of-course to Noah Budin, Bobby Williams and our wonderful cast, this dream has become a reality. Thank you!

Inspired by two elderly men playwright Herb Gardner met in New York City’s Central Park, Rick Fortney I’m Not Rappaport touches on several issues, Cultural Arts Manager, including society’s treatment of the aging, the Lorain County Metro Parks difficulties dealing with adult children who think they know what’s best for their parents, and the dangers that lurk in urban areas.

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!

Enjoy the show! We hope to see you in March for Children of Eden, in May for The Elephant Man, in July for Oliver! and in August for Romeo and Juliet. Thank you for your continued patronage and support of the arts here at French Creek and throughout Northeast Ohio.

Rick Fortney Cultural Arts Manager

Pg. 9

A Note from the director I saw I’m Not Rappaport on Broadway many years ago. I was amazed at the facility of the actors, but it did not resonate with me the way that it does now. I am 62 and thoughts of “old people” occupy me daily. I never feel “old”, but I keep waiting for “old” to happen. I can only imagine what it feels like to come face to face with people who treat you as if you are “old.” Nat and Midge, our heroes, bring to life the complexities and the richness of lives well-lived.

Still yearning to connect and be relevant, they show us the deep wealth of relationship with our older (and wiser) fellow human beings. Please enjoy this wonderful celebration for the human spirit!

Jacqi Loewy Director

Pg. 10

Setting/Scenes Setting Central Park, New York City, the late 1980’s

Act I Three in the Afternoon

// intermission //

Act II Scene 1....................Three in the afternoon, the next day Scene 2....................................Six in the evening, the next day Scene 3........Eleven in the morning, twelve days later

Pg. 12

Cast Nat...............................................................................................Noah Budin Clara.............................................................................Suzanne Kramer Midge...........................................................Robert “Bobby” Williams Laurie..........................................................................................Kayla Gray Danforth...............................................................................Corey Knick The Cowboy...........................................................................Ian Whippie Gilley...............................................................................Daniel Weddell

Production Team Director.................................................................................Jacqi Loewy Stage Manager......................................Jordan Demich-Bogner Sound Designer .................................................................Stan Kozak Set Designer .....................................................................Derek Green Lighting Designer .................................................................Rob Peck

Pg. 13

Actor/Actress Bios

CAST Noah Budin (Nat) graduated from Kent State University with a B.A. in Theater, and was one of the members of the Chicago based a capella music and comedy group “Four Guys Standing Around Singing.” He is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, recording artist, actor, and storyteller, and spent a year and a half at the Hanna Theater in the cast of Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding, Cleveland’s longest running hit show. Recently, Noah has appeared at French Creek in The Fantastiks and Death of a Salesman.

Noah has released two CDs of original music, Hallelujah Land and Metaphor. Currently, Noah is the Life Enrichment Coordinator for Stone Gardens Assisted Living at Menorah Park. Noah would like to thank his wife Sharon Grace, without whom he could never have learned this show, and who, by now, probably knows the show better than the cast.

Kayla Gray (Laurie) is a Cleveland transplant, and a graduate of Case Western Reserve University.

Kayla has performed on numerous stages across Cleveland including Cleveland Public Theatre, Beck Center for the Arts, Pg. 14 and Convergence-

Continuum.

When not on stage, Kayla is a research specialist at Eversight where she focuses her efforts on restoring sight through donation, transplantation and research.

Corey Knick (Danforth) is excited to be back working with these awesome people! Previous appearances at French Creek include Death of a Salesman, Jekyll and Hyde, and The Glass Menagerie.

Other credits include Buried Child and The Diviners at LCCC, Into the Woods at LCMT, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Cabaret at Workshop Players. Corey has also worked with the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival and at Cleveland Public Theatre.

Many thanks to his family and friends for their constant love and support.

Suzanne Kramer (Clara) I’m Not Rappaport marks Suzanne Kramer’s return to theater after a 20 year intermission.

Originally from Newark, Ohio, Suzanne was active with Licking County Players, Weathervane, and Granville Players, as both an actress and choreographer, before relocating to

Actor/Actress Bios Northeast Ohio and starting a family. Suzanne is a Intervention Specialist and Certified Trauma Practioner of Education working for Olmsted Falls City Schools. She lives in Avon with her husband Brian, and her daughter Jordyn.

D a n i e l Weddell (Gilley) is excited to be returning to French Creek, having last appeared in South Pacific (Yeoman Quale) in the summer of 2016.

He is currently a senior theatre major on the acting track at Cleveland State University, and will be graduating in May. Recent credits include the world premiere of Christmas in Akron: The Musical (Mack/Johnny/Larry) at Coach House Theatre, You Can’t Take it With You (Henderson) at Cassidy Theatre, Romeo and Juliet (Benvolio) at Cleveland State University, and The Drowsy Chaperone (Underling) at Stagecrafters Student Stock. You can see him this coming April in Marat/ Sade as Coulmier at Cleveland State in the Outcalt Theatre at Playhouse Square. He gives many thanks to Jacqi, and hopes you enjoy the show!

Ian Whippie (The Cowboy) hails from the far and distant shores of Keene, NH (most notable as the filming location of Jumanji, and the site of an actual riot about pumpkins), having struck out for the bustling metropolis of Cleveland last February. Ian has participated in theater in some form or another since the age of 12, from improv shows and small church musicals all the way up through college and community theater. Before graduating from Colby-Sawyer College (following in the footsteps of our illustrious director), Ian’s proudest theatrical moment was found in directing a production of Murray Shisgal’s Ducks and Lovers with a cast of 18 of his peers. Ian also writes things (it says so on his diploma), and you can find some of the things he’s written here: https://idlemindsdevilscookbook. wordpress.com/ R o b e r t W i l l i a m s (Midge) is pleased to appear on the French Creek stage. Past credits include The Iceman Cometh for Ensemble Theatre, Two Gentlemen of Verona for Great Lakes Theater, Ma Rainey’s Black

Actor/Actress Bios Bottom for The Beck Center, Venus for Cleveland Public Theatre, A Soldier’s Play for Karamu Theatre, and America Hurrah for Dobama Theatre.

Production Team: Jacqi Loewy (Director) celebrates four decades as a busy director/ actor/stage manager/educator.

Her direction has been seen at The Cleveland Play House, Dobama, Ensemble, Interplay Jewish Theatre, CASE, JCC Halle, Playhouse Square and Cleveland Public Theatre. As an AEA/SAG/AFTRA actress/stage manager, Jacqi has worked on Broadway, in International Touring companies, at several Cleveland venues and in many recognizable feature films/commercials. As a playwright and/or producer, her credits include Mr. Lewis Rules: Stories from the Juvenile Justice System, Legally Addicted (opiate addiction epidemic) and Both Sides of the Family (interfaith relationships). Jacqi is also a full-time professor of Theatre and Communication at Notre Dame College. “Glad to be back at French Creek (where she directed Jekyll & Hyde, The Nutcracker, The Last Five Years, I Do, I Do, Blooms of Steel and was commissioned to write Ten Cents A Dance); so happy to spend time with this creative team, cast, the ‘old guys,’ and grateful for your support of live theatre. Next up: Anything Goes at LCMT in Pg. 16 July!”

Jordan Demich-Bogner (Stage Manager) is currently attending Cleveland State University where she will earn her bachelor degree in technical theatre with a concentration on light design. She has served in many theatre roles over the years including actor, house manager, stage manager, light designer, board operator, and technical crew from props to building the set. This is her first time as Stage Manager at French Creek, she is excited for this opportunity to be working with the fabulous cast and crew.

Derek Green (Scenic Designer, Tech Director) is pleased to return to French Creek for this production.

Most recently, Derek served as the Scenic and Lighting Designer for the FCT production of Bonnie & Clyde. Other design credits include Willy Wonka, Our Town, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (French Creek Theatre); The Tempest, Richard II (Cleveland Shakespeare Festival); South Pacific, The Curious Savage, Joseph . . . Dreamcoat, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Here Come the Brides (NDCL). Derek currently works on the Education staff at Cleveland Play House.

Stan Kozak (Sound Designer) Stan Kozak, currently in his twenty-seventh season at Great Lakes Theater, has more than 50 design credits including Bat Boy: The Musical, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Comedy of Errors,

Actor/Actress Bios Amadeus, You Can’t Take It With You, Private Lives, Into the Woods and the Tom Hanks’ benefit performances. His work in 1979 and 1981 with Geraldine Fitzgerald on Streetsongs at GLTF led to the original cast album. Mr. Kozak was the resident sound designer for four seasons at the Porthouse Theatre Company, including productions of Driving Miss Daisy, Niteclub Confidential and a Nightingale Sang.

His collaborations with Victoria Bussert at Baldwin-Wallace College include productions of Chess, Hair, Company, Cabaret, West Side Story, Tommy in Concert, Parade, the Ohio premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s Passion, and one of the first nonprofessional productions of Phantom of the Opera.

For Cain Park, his design credits include Secret Garden, Fiddler on the

Roof, Grease, Bat Boy, Tick, tick…Boom, Nine, The Wiz, Harold and Maude and Pippin. Mr. Kozak has also designed sound for Wit and Last Five Years for the Dobama Theater, Iolanthe and Sweeney Todd for the Cleveland Opera, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and Forbidden Broadway SVU for the Hanna Theatre and A Shayna Maidel, Brooklyn Boy and Pangs of the Messiah for the JCC. He has served as sound designer for the All-City Musical for the Cleveland school system for eight seasons. He also had the good fortune to have worked with Bebe Neuwirth in her concert performance for the Ideastream Gala in 2005. He was honored to be among the first group of LORT sound designers to achieve recognition in USA 829.

Pg. 17

Your Ad Here!

French Creek Theatre serves thousands of captive audience members each year. What better way to spread your company’s message?

For advertising opportunities call (440) 949-5200 Ext. 228

The Morning Journal Lorain, OH | www.MorningJournal.com

Proud Supporter of Lorain County Metro Parks and French Creek Theatre!

Coming Soon!

LORAIN COUNTY METRO PARKS’ FRENCH CREEK THEATRE PRESENTS:

THE ELEPHANT MAN

BY BERNARD POMERANCE

DIRECTED BY ISMAEL LARA

MAY 4 - 20

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS AT 7:30 PM AND SUNDAYS AT 3 PM TICKETS: $10 - $16 | (440) 949-5200 OR WWW.METROPARKS.CC

WE BELIEVE IN

“We became ideaLeaders because we think investing in ideastream is the way to get involved in supporting the community.�

- Donald and Karin Hopkins

Find out more at ideastream.org/support