If you find yourself inside of Long Branch’s famous New Jersey Repertory Company this summer, you might just leave wondering whether knowing someone’s stance on the existence of the soul would render them your friend or not, thanks to the vivid imagination of playwright Michael Tucker.
The play, directed by the talented James Glossman, features a stellar cast including the accomplished actors Richard Kind and James Pickens Jr. The narrative unfolds around a relatable scenario—an individual visits a tailor to address the snug fit of his suit pants due to recent weight gain. Yet, what seems like a straightforward situation quickly transforms into a negotiation, leading to the creation of a bespoke suit and an unexpected journey of personal transformations.
In John Mulaney’s infamous for kids, by adults musical Netflix special John Mulaney and The Sack Lunch Bunch, we see Richard Kind sitting in a far too small chair at a campsite providing “girl talk” to some of the special’s young women. The 70-minute sack (no pun intended) of absurdity opens with the kids stating that they have so many guest stars, but then actually remembering that they only have one, which turns out to be the aforementioned star of Mad About You. The kids exclaim that the audience is about to see what’s on kid’s minds, since the guest star’s name is Richard Kind, thus leading into the hilarious Girl Talk with Richard Kind segment.
The image of Kind giving girl-talk to the Sack Lunch Bunch kids (in which he ended most sentences with the phrase itself) combined with his laugh-out-loud roles on Big Mouth and American Dad are a stark contrast to his current role as Sam in Michael Tucker’s A Tailor Near Me, currently playing at the New Jersey Repertory Company in Long Branch. Though Kind’s iconic, booming voice would be recognized anywhere, the story he is telling on the Long Branch stage is a rather somber one.
Prior to first coming into contact with Kind’s Sam, James Picken’s JR. (Grey’s Anatomy’s Dr. Richard Webber) taps into the role of the rather complex Alfredo, inside of a basement tailor shop in New York City. When we meet the two men, Sam struggles behind the curtain of Alfredo’s fitting room, as he has been brought to the tailor shop due to outgrowing a suit. You know when you go to the doctor because you have a pain and when you get there the pain is gone?” He asks. “This is not going to be one of those times.”
It is soon revealed that Sam is going to a funeral for his closest friend, Robert. When Alfredo asks when the funeral is, he grimly replies that he isn’t sure, but it won’t be long now. The two men fall easily into a banter, especially when Sam is surprised to learn that Alfredo, who is from Argentina, is Jewish. This poses the question for both men, but mostly for Sam: what does being Jewish look like?
Alfredo comments that Sam himself does not look Jewish to him. “You’re too white,” he says. “My ancestors came over with Christopher Columbus -–the same year Queen Isabella threw all the Jews out of Spain.”
The play occurs in three parts, early Spring, three weeks later, and then two weeks after that. The men learn the in and outs of each other, with the conversation often shifting from a sharp, back-and-forth banter to a story told by one man while the other intently listens. The men quickly learn that they are more alike than different, possibly to their surprise.
Eventually, the conversation shifts to Robert, with Sam reveling in a grandiose story about the time that the pair skipped their college graduation to drive across the country to Los Angeles, in which they discussed cunning topics such as large breasts versus small breasts and the existence of the soul. In between the recollection of the trip and a rather long joke from Sam about a Jewish tailor, Sam reveals to Alfredo that he plans to spend two thousand dollars in Italy for a custom suit. Alfredo challenges that he can do it better, and for much cheaper, thus marking this visit the first of three that Sam would make to the tailor shop.
The first visit ends on a rather heated note, with the pair arguing over Sam’s dismay for Alfredo’s unwillingness to tell jokes about his wife Couma. Sam grows agitated with Alfredo “putting his wife on a pedestal,” and Alfredo shuts the conversation down by telling Sam that it simply “isn’t for him.”
As the two men build a suit, and in turn a relationship, we begin to learn more about them, and we begin to see some of the prior stories unravel. On the third visit, after Robert has passed, an exasperated Sam reveals to Alfredo that he doesn’t seem to understand the nature of the relationship that the two of them had.
“I know that we were never easy with each other,” he says. “It was more like we wished we could be easy with each other. But we would never just hang out, you know? Sit around, shoot the shit. Unless I was asking him for advice or he was mentoring me in some way we never really had all that much to say to each other. Unless it was to proclaim to the world what old and great friends we were. We drove across the country in that Mustang fifty years ago to begin our lives as men. How many fucking times did we have to tell people that fucking story? Friends don’t have to do that.”
The revelation, while not entirely shocking, is a left turn as to the story that Sam had been previously establishing. As the play goes on, we see him try and pick up the pieces of what he knows about relationships, and in turn, asks Alfredo and Couma to have dinner with him and his wife Janet, but he vehemently declines.
Kind and Pickens JR. deliver stunning performances and director James Glossman creates an environment that will make any viewer feel as if they are in the tailor shop, watching from a nearby chair.
Tucker, not only a playwright but also an actor and author, is no stranger to the stage. Having debuted his first play, “The M Spot,” at NJ Rep, followed by “Fern Hill,” Tucker has now returned to present “A Tailor Near Me.” His extensive experience in the arts, spanning over five decades, has provided him with a deep understanding of the nuances of storytelling and character development.
In a recent interview with BroadwayWorld, Tucker opened up about his journey and the inspiration behind his latest work. He emphasized the significance of self-belief and the power of talent in navigating the challenges of an artistic career. Tucker’s insights resonate with aspiring artists and creatives, reminding them that confidence in their abilities is the cornerstone of success in the demanding world of the arts.
A Tailor Near Me finds its home at NJ Rep, a company dedicated to producing new plays for more than a quarter-century. Tucker’s affiliation with NJ Rep goes beyond a professional relationship; it’s a creative haven that has nurtured his work and allowed him to bring thought-provoking narratives to life. His admiration for the theater company is evident, praising its audience for their open-mindedness and the company itself as the “Little Engine That Could.”
A Tailor Near Me is playing at The New Jersey Repertory Company until August 27th. Purchase tickets here!