E.H. Library To Honor Eli Wallach
The East Hampton Library will present a tribute to the celebrated actor Eli Wallach, who died in June at the age of 98, on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Baldwin Family lecture room. The program will include a never-before-seen video of Wallach’s performance as Mr. Green, his last starring role on the stage. Jeff Baron, the author of “Visiting Mr. Green,” will discuss working with the actor for four years to bring the play to the stage.
After Mr. Baron wrote an appreciation of Wallach that appeared in The East Hampton Star in July, Dennis Fabiszak, the library’s director, thanked him, and together they discussed the idea of a tribute to the actor, who was a longtime East Hampton resident and an active and generous member of the community.
The videotape that will be the centerpiece of the program was produced by Wallach’s son, Peter. It was a recording of Wallach and other actors, including Noah Wylie, performing the screenplay of “Visiting Mr. Green,” which is based on the play. The film never materialized.
“Visiting Mr. Green” premiered in 1996 at the Berkshire Theatre Festival and opened the following year at the Union Square Theatre in Manhattan, where it ran for more than 400 performances. Wallach won a Drama League Award for his performance and was nominated for the Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel awards for best actor.
The comedy focuses on the unlikely relationship between Mr. Green, a crotchety octogenarian widower, and a young corporate executive who is sentenced to make weekly visits to the elder man’s apartment after almost running him over. The play has enjoyed more than 400 productions in 23 languages in 45 countries and is currently playing in Romania, France, and the Czech Republic.
“I had never met Eli Wallach when I wrote ‘Visiting Mr. Green,’ ” said Mr. Baron. “I was introduced to him in 1994 by Norman Twain, a producer I knew from the movie and TV business. Eli agreed to do a reading of the play, which is what launched it.”
There followed “a long, twisty road to the play’s New York opening, which involved a series of producers, directors, co-stars, and two out-of-town productions. Eli and I were the constants, and a lovely friendship and creative meeting of the minds came out of that long process.”
In addition to showing the video, Mr. Baron will give a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how things happen — and don’t happen — in the professional theater. He will include anecdotes about Wallach and play an excerpt of a conversation the two men had about the process of working on the play.
“Eli Wallach was a warm, funny, loving man,” said Mr. Baron. “He was a consummate actor, a true family man, and a generous collaborator, showing great patience and respect for the people we worked with on this project. For me, personally, it was an incredible privilege and great thrill to have one of the greatest actors of our time starring in my play. His amazing comic timing and powerful presence onstage made him an unforgettable Mr. Green.”
“Visiting Mr. Green” was Mr. Baron’s first play. Since then he has written two novels, a number of works for film, television, and the stage, directed two short films, hosted a cable television show, and been commissioned by the Los Angeles Opera to write the libretto for “Escape,” an original one-act opera. He lives in New York City and on Shelter Island.