Adam Rapp
Encyclopedia
Adam Rapp is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, musician and film director. His play Red Light Winter was a Pulitzer Prize
finalist in 2006.
, with his brother, actor Anthony Rapp
, and sister, Anne. He was raised Roman Catholic. His parents divorced when Rapp was five, and he and his siblings were raised by their mother, who died in 1997. He graduated from Clarke College
in Dubuque, Iowa
, where he played varsity basketball. Rapp orginally had dreams of becoming a professional basketball player until he took a poetry writing class in college, where he discovered he had a talent for creating stories. He also completed a two-year playwriting fellowship at The Juilliard School.
and the Actors Theatre of Louisville
in 2000 and 2001, respectively, and by Rattlestick Theatre in New York City in 2004. In 2001, Nocturne was premiered by the New York Theatre Workshop
. It has also been staged at by American Repertory Theater and Berkeley Repertory Theatre
. His play Stone Cold Dead Serious was produced in 2002 by American Repertory Theater.
Rapp's best-known play, Red Light Winter, was awarded the Joseph Jefferson Award
in 2005 for its production at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
. The play was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
in 2006. Rapp directed a production of Los Angeles, by Julian Sheppard, in 2007 at the Flea Theatre. As of 2007, Rapp was the resident playwright at the Edge Theatre Company in New York City. He teaches at the Yale School of Drama
. In 2011, Rapp's The Metal Children was given its regional debut by Swine Palace
on Louisiana State University
's campus.
The majority of Rapp's plays feature small casts and are set in small spaces. Many characters in the plays are lower-class Americans. His plays often combine stories of Midwestern longing with the idea of finding escape in New York. He combines humor with gloom, preferring dark themes
. The Buffalo Tree was censored by the Muhlenberg School Board in Reading, Pennsylvania
due to its themes, graphic language and sexual content. His novel 33 Snowfish
was one of Young Adult Library Services Association
's top ten best books for young adults.
His first adult novel, The Year of Endless Sorrows, was released in December 2006. Rapp made his graphic novel
debut with the release of Ball Peen Hammer in September 2009. Rapp has said that his ideas for characters and stories come to him most often while playing basketball or walking the streets of New York. He is interested in the rhythm and language that he hears while listening to conversations and voices.
with Zooey Deschanel
and Will Ferrell
in 2005, and was a creative consultant for the television show The L Word
. While he was working on The L Word
, Rapp left in the middle of the season to attend the Edinburgh Festival
. He also wrote for the 2010 season of HBO's In Treatment
.
Rapp was a member of the band Bottomside, which released the independent CD The Element Man in September 2004. He is a member of Less the Band, which released the album Bear in April 2006.
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
finalist in 2006.
Early life
The son of Mary Lee and Douglas Rapp, he was born and raised in Joliet, IllinoisJoliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, with his brother, actor Anthony Rapp
Anthony Rapp
Anthony Deane Rapp is an American stage and film actor and singer best known for originating the role of Mark Cohen in the Broadway production of Rent in 1996 and later for reprising the role in the film version and the Broadway Tour of Rent in 2009...
, and sister, Anne. He was raised Roman Catholic. His parents divorced when Rapp was five, and he and his siblings were raised by their mother, who died in 1997. He graduated from Clarke College
Clarke College
Clarke University is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, United States, with a general attendance of approximately 1,200 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs...
in Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
, where he played varsity basketball. Rapp orginally had dreams of becoming a professional basketball player until he took a poetry writing class in college, where he discovered he had a talent for creating stories. He also completed a two-year playwriting fellowship at The Juilliard School.
Plays
Rapp attended the O'Neill Playwrights Conference in 1996. His play Finer Noble Gases was staged by Eugene O'Neill TheatreEugene O'Neill Theatre
The Eugene O'Neill Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 230 West 49th Street in midtown-Manhattan.Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, it was built for the Shuberts as part of a theatre-hotel complex named for 19th century tragedian Edwin Forrest...
and the Actors Theatre of Louisville
Actors Theatre of Louisville
Actors Theatre of Louisville is a performing arts theater located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1964 by Louisville native Ewel Cornett, local producer Richard Block and actor Ken Jenkins of Scrubs fame, and was designated the "State Theater of Kentucky" in 1974. It is run as a...
in 2000 and 2001, respectively, and by Rattlestick Theatre in New York City in 2004. In 2001, Nocturne was premiered by the New York Theatre Workshop
New York Theatre Workshop
__notoc__New York Theatre Workshop is an Off-Broadway theatre noted for its productions of new works. Located at 79 East 4th Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, it houses a 198-seat theatre for its mainstage productions, and a...
. It has also been staged at by American Repertory Theater and Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Berkeley Repertory Theatre is a regional theater company located in Berkeley, California. It was founded in 1968, as the East Bay’s first resident professional theatre. Michael Leibert was the founding artistic director, who was then succeeded by Sharon Ott in 1984. The company runs seven...
. His play Stone Cold Dead Serious was produced in 2002 by American Repertory Theater.
Rapp's best-known play, Red Light Winter, was awarded the Joseph Jefferson Award
Joseph Jefferson Awards
The Joseph Jefferson Awards are given annually by a volunteer non-profit committee to acknowledge excellence in theatre in the Chicago area. Founded in 1968, the awards are given in tribute to actor Joseph Jefferson...
in 2005 for its production at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Tony Award-winning Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry in the basement of a church in Highland Park, Illinois. It has since relocated to Chicago's Halsted Street, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Its name comes from...
. The play was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
The Pulitzer Prize for Drama was first awarded in 1918.From 1918 to 2006, the Drama Prize was unlike the majority of the other Pulitzer Prizes: during these years, the eligibility period for the drama prize ran from March 2 to March 1, to reflect the Broadway 'season' rather than the calendar year...
in 2006. Rapp directed a production of Los Angeles, by Julian Sheppard, in 2007 at the Flea Theatre. As of 2007, Rapp was the resident playwright at the Edge Theatre Company in New York City. He teaches at the Yale School of Drama
Yale School of Drama
The Yale School of Drama is a graduate professional school of Yale University providing training in every discipline of the theatre: acting, design , directing, dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, playwriting, stage management, sound design, technical design and production, and theater...
. In 2011, Rapp's The Metal Children was given its regional debut by Swine Palace
Swine Palace
Swine Palace is a non-profit professional theatre company associated with the Louisiana State University Department of Theatre in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.-Mission:...
on Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
's campus.
The majority of Rapp's plays feature small casts and are set in small spaces. Many characters in the plays are lower-class Americans. His plays often combine stories of Midwestern longing with the idea of finding escape in New York. He combines humor with gloom, preferring dark themes
Novels
Rapp's first young adult novel, Missing the Piano, was published in 1996. After writing his second book, The Buffalo Tree, in 1999, Rapp was invited to be the first author in residence at Ridgewood High SchoolRidgewood High School (Illinois)
Ridgewood High School, or RHS, is a public four-year high school located in Norridge, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
. The Buffalo Tree was censored by the Muhlenberg School Board in Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
due to its themes, graphic language and sexual content. His novel 33 Snowfish
33 Snowfish
33 Snowfish is a 2003 novel by Adam Rapp.-Plot introduction:The main character, Custis, is a 10-year-old orphan boy living with his "owner" Bob Motley, who sexually abuses him, in a dilapidated house in Rockdale, Illinois...
was one of Young Adult Library Services Association
Young Adult Library Services Association
The Young Adult Library Services Association , established in 1957, is a division of the American Library Association. The mission of YALSA is to advocate, promote and strengthen service to young adults as part of the continuum of total library service, and to support those who provide service to...
's top ten best books for young adults.
His first adult novel, The Year of Endless Sorrows, was released in December 2006. Rapp made his graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
debut with the release of Ball Peen Hammer in September 2009. Rapp has said that his ideas for characters and stories come to him most often while playing basketball or walking the streets of New York. He is interested in the rhythm and language that he hears while listening to conversations and voices.
Film, television and music
Rapp directed his first film, Winter PassingWinter Passing
Winter Passing is a 2005 American drama film. It is the directorial debut of playwright Adam Rapp, also known for his work on the show The L Word. The film stars Zooey Deschanel and Ed Harris, with supporting performances by Will Ferrell and Amelia Warner...
with Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Claire Deschanel is an American actress, musician, and singer-songwriter. In 1999, Deschanel made her film debut in Mumford, followed by her breakout role as young protagonist William Miller's troubled older sister Anita in Cameron Crowe's 2000 semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous...
and Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
in 2005, and was a creative consultant for the television show The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
. While he was working on The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
, Rapp left in the middle of the season to attend the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
. He also wrote for the 2010 season of HBO's In Treatment
In Treatment
In Treatment is an American HBO drama, produced and developed by Rodrigo Garcia, about a psychologist, 50-something Dr. Paul Weston, and his weekly sessions with patients, as well as those with his own therapist at the end of the week. The program, which stars Gabriel Byrne as Paul, debuted on...
.
Rapp was a member of the band Bottomside, which released the independent CD The Element Man in September 2004. He is a member of Less the Band, which released the album Bear in April 2006.
Plays
- Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling (2011)
- The Edge of Our Bodies (2011)
- The Hallway Trilogy (2011), Part One: Rose, Part Two: Paraffin, Part Three: Nursing
- The Metal Children (2010)
- Classic Kitchen Timer (2009) (ten minute play)
- Decelerate Blue (2009)
- Kindness (2008)
- Bingo with the Indians (2007)
- Red Light Winter (2005)
- Members Only (2005)
- Gompers (2005)
- Blackbird (2004)
- Stone Cold Dead Serious (2003)
- Trueblinka (2002)
- Faster (2002)
- Finer Noble Gases (2002)
- Train Story (2002)
- Nocturne (2000)
- Animals and Plants (2001)
- Dreams of the Salthorse (2000)
- Faster (2000)
- Night of the Whitefish (1998)
- Netherbones (1995)
- Blackfrost
- Classic Kitchen Timer
- CouchWorks
- Jack on Film
- Nursing
- Paraffin
- Rose
Young adult novels
- Punkzilla (2009) (2010 Michael L. Printz AwardMichael L. Printz AwardThe Michael L. Printz Award is an annual award in the United States for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a school librarian from Topeka, Kansas, who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association...
Honor Book) - Under the Wolf, Under the Dog (2004) (2006 Schneider Family Teen Award Winner)
- 33 Snowfish33 Snowfish33 Snowfish is a 2003 novel by Adam Rapp.-Plot introduction:The main character, Custis, is a 10-year-old orphan boy living with his "owner" Bob Motley, who sexually abuses him, in a dilapidated house in Rockdale, Illinois...
(2003) - Little ChicagoLittle ChicagoLittle Chicago is a 2002 novel by Adam Rapp.Little Chicago is a story told by eleven-year-old Gerald 'Blacky' Brown, a victim of sexual abuse and neglect. Blacky is taken to hospital to be examined, tells a social worker about the molestation, and at school he tells his best friend, Eric...
(1998) - The Copper ElephantThe Copper ElephantThe Copper Elephant is a young adult science fiction novel by Adam Rapp. It was published November 2, 1995 by Front Street, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press....
(1995) - Missing the Piano (1994)
- The Buffalo Tree (1990)
- The Year of Endless Sorrows
- Ball-Peen Hammer
Screenwriter
- In TreatmentIn TreatmentIn Treatment is an American HBO drama, produced and developed by Rodrigo Garcia, about a psychologist, 50-something Dr. Paul Weston, and his weekly sessions with patients, as well as those with his own therapist at the end of the week. The program, which stars Gabriel Byrne as Paul, debuted on...
- Blackbird (2007 film)Blackbird (2007 film)Blackbird, is a 2007 American film. It was adapted from a stageplay by Adam Rapp.It played at the Edinburgh Film Festival. It won "Best Narrative Feature" at the Charlotte Film Festival for writers Adam Rapp and Bruce Romans.- Cast :...
- The L WordThe L WordThe L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
- Winter PassingWinter PassingWinter Passing is a 2005 American drama film. It is the directorial debut of playwright Adam Rapp, also known for his work on the show The L Word. The film stars Zooey Deschanel and Ed Harris, with supporting performances by Will Ferrell and Amelia Warner...
- The Jury (TV series)The Jury (TV series)The Jury is an American legal drama television series that was broadcast by the Fox Network in 2004. Each week, in the same New York City courtroom, a new 12-person jury deliberates over a criminal case...
Awards and honors
| Year | Nominated work(s)/Awards | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Missing the Piano | Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association | |
| 1995 | Missing the Piano | Best Books for Reluctant Readers citations, American Library Association | |
| 1997 | Trueblinka | Herbert & Patricia Brodkin Scholarship, National Playwright's Conference | |
| 1999 | Playwriting award | Princess Grace Fellowship | |
| 2000 | Roger L. Stevens Award | Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays | |
| 2000 | Suite Residency | Mabou Mines | |
| 2001 | Nocturne | Helen Merrill Award for Emerging Playwrights | |
| 2004 | Under the Wolf, Under the Dog | Los Angeles Times Book Award nomination | |
| 2006 | Red Light Winter | Pulitzer Prize in Drama finalist | |
| 2006 | Under the Wolf, Under the Dog | Schneider Family Book Award, teen category | |
| 2010 | Punkzilla | Michael L. Printz | |
External links
- List of Rapp's plays at Doollee.com
- Adam Rapp interviewed in The Playwright Working in the Theatre CUNY-TV/American Theatre WingAmerican Theatre WingThe American Theatre Wing is a New York City-based organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre," according to its mission statement...
, December 2006 - E-view with Adam Rapp