Robert Kaplow | |
---|---|
Born | Robert Kaplow |
Occupation | Novelist, teacher |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Rutgers University |
Genre | Coming of age novel |
Notable works | Me and Orson Welles |
Website | |
robertkaplow |
Robert Kaplow (born c. 1954) is an American novelist and teacher [1] whose coming-of-age novel was made into the film Me and Orson Welles . [2] The story is about "youthful creative ambition" and has received positive reviews from The New York Times which described it as "nimble, likable and smart." [2] Kaplow has written nine books and used to teach English language and film studies at Summit High School in New Jersey. [3]
Kaplow graduated in 1972 from Westfield High School in Westfield, where he wrote his first satirical sketches as a student. [4] [5]
One of Kaplow's later novels is sprinkled with references to Westfield. "Westfield remains for me the geography of my youth. I'm still very drawn to the place, though I don't live there," Kaplow said in 2009. [6]
He graduated from Rutgers University, the state university of New Jersey.
Kaplow conceived the idea for the book while being a student at Rutgers University. He saw a photo in the periodical Theatre Arts Monthly from 1937 with Orson Welles with a young man. [7] Kaplow wondered what the young man might have been thinking. He wrote the story, but it took about nine years to find a publisher. [7] It was made into a film by director Richard Linklater which was released in 2009. [2] The Guardian critic Sophie Martelli described the film as a "schmaltzy yet charming coming-of-age story." [8] Me and Orson Welles was a New York Times bestseller[ citation needed ] and the film in 2008 starred Zac Efron and Claire Danes. The movie was filmed in the Gaiety Theatre on the Isle of Man. Kaplow's most recent novel is a satire of writers, critics, and publishers. For National Public Radio's Morning Edition , Mr. Kaplow created "Moe Moskowitz and the Punsters," a series of musical and satirical pop-culture parodies. [9] These musical parodies were released on two CDs: Steven Spielberg, Give Me Some of Your Money and Cancel My Subscription: The Worst of NPR.
He has been a resident of Metuchen, New Jersey. [3]
The 2022 Netflix show The Watcher , based on a real-life incident that occurred in Kaplow's hometown of Westfield, features a character loosely based on Kaplow named Roger Kaplan, portrayed by Michael Nouri, who is presented as a suspect of being the author of the mysterious letters. [10]
Kaplow became associated with the case after he admitted to having written admiring letters to a Victorian house on the north side of Westfield, around the time "The Watcher" was sending letters obsessed with another house in the same town. Kaplow's students recalled, "He had this idea to start writing letters to the house – not the occupants but to the house." He eventually befriended the family who lived there; they even let him housesit once.
No actual connection between Kaplow and the real-life "The Watcher" has been proven. [11]
George Orson Welles was an American director, actor, writer, and producer who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time.
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar (First Folio title: The Tragedie of Ivlivs Cæsar), often shortened to Julius Caesar, is a history play and tragedy by William Shakespeare first performed in 1599.
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Summit is the northernmost city of Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located within the New York metropolitan area. Situated on a ridge in northern–central New Jersey, the city is located within the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions, and also borders both Essex and Morris counties in the Passaic Valley region. Summit is a commercial hub and commuter town for New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 22,719, an increase of 1,262 (+5.9%) from the 2010 census count of 21,457, which in turn reflected an increase of 326 (+1.5%) from the 21,131 counted in the 2000 census.
Westfield is a town in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located 16 miles (26 km) southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 31,032, an increase of 716 (+2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 30,316, which in turn reflected an increase of 672 (+2.3%) from the 29,644 counted in the 2000 census.
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Wyllis Oswald Cooper was an American writer and producer.
"Itchy & Scratchy & Marge" is the ninth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on December 20, 1990. In the episode, which is a satire of censorship issues, Maggie bullies Homer by attacking him with a mallet and Marge blames The Itchy & Scratchy Show for Maggie's actions. It was written by John Swartzwelder and was the first episode to be directed by Jim Reardon. Alex Rocco makes his first of three guest appearances as Roger Meyers Jr.
Marc Acito is an American playwright, novelist, and humorist.
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Michael Emerson is an American actor who is best known for his roles as Benjamin Linus on Lost (2006–2010) and as Harold Finch in the CBS series Person of Interest (2011–2016). Other prominent roles include Zep Hindle in the horror film Saw (2004) and as Dr. Leland Townsend in the Paramount+ thriller series Evil (2019–2024).
Westfield Senior High School is a comprehensive public high school located in Westfield, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Westfield Public Schools. It was established in the early 1900s at its original location on Elm Street until 1951 when it was moved to its current location on Dorian Road. The new wing designated for biology, chemistry, physics, and other sciences, along with English as a Second Language (ESL) was completed in 2002. Westfield High School is overseen by the New Jersey Department of Education. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1928.
Summit High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in Summit, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Summit Public Schools. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1934.
Orson Scott Card is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. As of 2024, he is the only person to have won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for his novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card coproduced, was released in 2013. Card also wrote the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987–2003). Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
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Me and Orson Welles is a 2008 period drama film directed by Richard Linklater and starring Zac Efron, Christian McKay, and Claire Danes. Based on Robert Kaplow's novel of the same name, the story, set in 1937 New York, tells of a teenager hired to perform in Orson Welles's groundbreaking stage adaptation of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar who becomes attracted to a career-driven production assistant.
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This is a bibliography of books by or about the director and actor Orson Welles.
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Robert Kaplow teaches 12th grade Advanced Placement English, creative writing and film studies at Summit High School. ...
"Me and Orson Welles," directed by Richard Linklater, with a screenplay (from Robert Kaplow's novel) ...
...I remember 10 years ago ... looking through a copy of Theatre Arts Monthly from 1937, ... Next to him was a young man ... What does this moment feel like from the kid's point of view...
A schmaltzy yet charming coming-of-age story, it is dominated by its portrait of Orson "I am the Mercury Theatre" Welles: the artist and rising star; the charismatic tyrant.