The character of Tobi is inspired by Alphonse Poulin, a professor of ballet at Juilliard School.
Tobi is an aging dancer, choreographer and teacher who enjoys knitting.
The play starred Frank Langella as Tobi with Ray Liotta as Mike and Jane Adams as Lisa.
For his role as Tobi, Langella was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
Belber adapted the play into the 2014 film Match, which he also directed.