red ▁Hir sch ▁and ▁Ben ▁Vere en . ▁ ▁Plot ▁In sp ired ▁by ▁two ▁elder ly ▁men ▁Gard ner ▁met ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ' s ▁Central ▁Park , ▁the ▁play ▁focus es ▁on ▁Nat ▁Mo yer , ▁a ▁fe ist y ▁Jew , ▁and ▁M idge ▁Carter , ▁a ▁cant ank er ous ▁African - American , ▁who ▁spend ▁their ▁days ▁sitting ▁on ▁a ▁ben ch . ▁They ▁both ▁mask ▁the ▁real ities ▁of ▁ag ing , ▁sharing ▁tall ▁tales ▁that ▁Nat ▁sp ins . ▁The ▁play ▁touch es ▁on ▁several ▁issues , ▁including ▁society ' s ▁treatment ▁of ▁the ▁ag ing , ▁the ▁difficulties ▁dealing ▁with ▁adult ▁children ▁who ▁think ▁they ▁know ▁what ' s ▁best ▁for ▁their ▁parents , ▁and ▁the ▁d angers ▁that ▁l urk ▁in ▁urban ▁areas . ▁ ▁Its ▁title ▁comes ▁from ▁an ▁old ▁v au dev ille ▁jo ke , ▁a ▁variation ▁of ▁which ▁evol ved ▁into ▁dialog ue ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁protagon ists : ▁ ▁Nat : ▁Hey , ▁R app ap ort ! ▁I ▁haven ' t ▁seen ▁you ▁in ▁ages . ▁How ▁have ▁you ▁been ? ▁M idge : ▁I ' m ▁not ▁R app ap ort . ▁Nat : ▁R app ap ort , ▁what ▁happened ▁to ▁you ? ▁You ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁short ▁fat ▁gu y , ▁and ▁now ▁you ' re ▁a ▁tall ▁skin ny ▁gu y . ▁M idge : ▁I ' m ▁not ▁R app ap ort . ▁Nat : ▁R app ap ort , ▁you