By Mary Ann Bourbeau
LONG BRANCH – Small regional theaters have always struggled to stay afloat, and that struggle became even greater when the Covid pandemic shuttered them, often for a year or more. Many nonprofit theaters are running at a loss, with audiences dwindling and government aid slashed, forcing some venues to reduce the number of shows produced each season, shorten the length of a show’s run or lay off staff members. In the most drastic cases, theaters have shut down completely.
Yet the New Jersey Repertory Company in Long Branch, which develops and produces six new plays each year, has managed not only to survive for more than a quarter century, but is being hailed as a crucial part of the planned redevelopment and cultural renaissance of Long Branch’s lower Broadway area.
“It’s been very challenging,” said Gabor Barabas, who along with his wife SuzAnne, founded the company in 1997. “Running a nonprofit theater is not for the faint of heart. So many theaters are faltering and closing. It’s been coming for a long time, and Covid just accelerated it. The business model for a regional theater is no longer tenable. American theater is imploding before our eyes. Yet we have a play that is selling out.” That play is “A Tailor Near Me.” Not only is it selling out, but due to popular demand, the run has been extended an additional week through September 3.
“A Tailor Near Me” – A World Premiere Comedy
“A Tailor Near Me” stars Richard Kind (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mad About You, Spin City) and James Pickens Jr. (Grey’s Anatomy, The X-Files, Roseanne).
In this world premiere comedy, written by Michael Tucker (L.A. Law), a man goes to a tailor to have his suit pants let out. The tailor convinces him that he needs a new suit, which leads to not only the making of a new suit but alterations in both of their lives. Direction of “A Tailor Near Me” is by James Glossman.
“The thought of doing a two-character play was intriguing to me,” said Pickens. “I hadn’t done it before, and it was a real challenge. When I read Michael Tucker’s script, it was a delightful examination of men and relationships, of love and commonality. The play is about the things we share more than the things that keep us apart. It’s got a lot of heart and introspection.”
Pickens was also drawn in by the chance to work with Richard Kind.
“I’ve been a fan of his for a long time,” he said. “He’s a real piece of work; totally committed to his craft. You can just tell that he loves what he does. He knows theater and what it takes to make a play successful. It’s a real learning experience watching him work.”
Kind was familiar with NJRep because of his friendship with actor Dan Lauria, who has performed at the theater numerous times over the years.
“I admire Dan for his love of regional theater and original plays, two things that I support,” said Kind.
Kind went on to explain his admiration for regional theaters such as NJRep and why it’s important for the community to support these venues.
“My dad was a jeweler,” he said. “I know that some people look for the crown jewels, the biggest and flashiest ones, but often the prettiest gems are small and perfect, simple and beautiful, not in an in-your-face kind of way. NJRep is a gem that people should be coming to. You never know when something great is going to be created in this unassuming theater. Some plays will be good, some great and some astounding. It’s like going to a restaurant – sometimes the food is really good and sometimes it’s not as good, but it’s tasty and full of nourishment. Theater is a wonderful place to go and sit for a short while and be uplifted. It elevates you and enlightens the community.”
NJRep Continues its Mission to Develop and Produce New Plays
Over the years, NJRep has produced three of Michael Tucker’s plays. Tucker and his wife, Emmy nominated actress Jill Eikenberry (L.A. Law), have appeared separately and together in Tucker’s plays at the theater. The Barabas’ are thrilled that the theater’s stature has grown to the point of having actors such as Pickens and Kind not only perform Tucker’s work but offer to extend the run.
“It’s remarkable that two actors of their caliber are at our theater bringing this wonderful play to life,” said Gabor.
Gabor and SuzAnne Barabas met as teenagers and married at a young age in Brooklyn. She was pursuing a career in theater, and when they moved to Cincinnati, where he entered medical school, she opened a theater there. They later moved to Philadelphia, where they started another theater. In 1997, the couple had the opportunity to relocate to an old industrial building in Long Branch where they would be part of an effort to revitalize the community.
“The original donors who gave us the building wanted to better the community,” said Gabor. “In our neighborhood 25 years ago, we were the only business open at night. There were 30 buildings around us boarded up and no foot traffic.”
The couple decided to produce only new plays to distinguish the theater’s focus from what others were presenting.
“We both love theater, and living in New York inspired us,” said Gabor. “We are enthusiastic and enamored with established plays, but we want to contribute to the repertoire of the American stage and produce the classics of tomorrow.”
NJRep’s Growth
Their very first play was called “Ends” written by David Alex.
“We didn’t fully realize the irony of that,” said Barabas. “Our first three or four years were highly challenging. It could have spelled the end for us. But 300 of the plays we gave birth to have been done all around the country and overseas. Theater is bigger than our walls.”
Those walls now include a 65-seat main stage and a 50-seat studio theater on lower Broadway along with the nearby West End Arts Center, which has an art gallery and four small theaters including a flexible 100-seat venue. In the past year, they have hosted stand-up comedy events, jazz concerts and poetry readings there. They plan to add additional venues as well as a cultural center.
“It’s going to be a large transformation of the community around us,” said Gabor. “We intend to run both locations and expand programming for children and families, essentially inspiring the next generation of theatergoers.”
Gabor Barabas, now retired after a 30-year career as a pediatric neurologist, has devoted himself entirely to developing theater and is excited to be part of the renaissance of the up-and-coming Long Branch arts district.
Next Up: “Welcome to Matteson!”
Next up at the New Jersey Repertory Company is “Welcome to Matteson!” a dark comedy by Inda Craig-Galván. The plot involves two African American couples and their journey through the social constraints of classism, economics and discrimination as they host a welcome-to-the-neighborhood dinner party for their new neighbors who have relocated from Chicago’s roughest housing project. The play exposes reverse gentrification and how people deal with the “other” when the other looks just like them.
“It’s a beautiful, four-character play and a remarkable exploration of what happens to these people under those circumstances,” said Gabor.
“Welcome to Matteson!” runs from September 28 to October 29. Tickets are $45 for students and $65 (or $60 early bird) for adults. For more information visit www.njrep.org.
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Thanks to Mary Ann Bourbeau for this article. Mary Ann has won multiple awards from the New Jersey Press Association. She spent 14 years writing for daily newspapers and for the past decade has been an arts and entertainment freelancer for various publications.