Interview: Brad Zimmerman of MY SON THE WAITER: A JEWISH TRAGEDY at 7 Stages Theatre

Brad Zimmerman is bringing his highly praised solo show My Son The Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy to 7 Stages Theatre from May 18-June 18. The autobiographical show, which The New York Times called "distinctly original and bittersweetly on target," tells the story of Zimmerman's nearly three decade journey to becoming an actor. I caught up with Zimmerman to ask him about his show. Here's what he had to say:

How are you doing today?

I'm doing fantastic!

Great! I'm glad to hear that.

I'm actually in New York, and I took my three days because I'm working on my next play. I feel like working in my own little apartment is blissful, so...

Nice! I'm sure that that is a welcome respite from the touring scene.

You hit it on the head, bubulah.

I'm seeing the show tomorrow night, and I'm really excited. I had a couple of questions that might help me to understand a little more about what I'm going to see.

Absolutely. Fire away, bubulah.

You wrote and, of course, perform in My Son The Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy. But I was interested to learn that you also directed it. What are the challenges of directing yourself?

Well, you know... You're actually the first person who's ever asked that. I've been in hundreds of interviews... You know, it's... I actually had help. I've always had help in terms of editing, and one guy in 2010 helped me with some of the movement and this and that, but I never really felt in this particular piece that it required a director because I had... You know, remember, I've put together my stand-up, and I've put together theatre. So the stand-up that I do in this show is a hybrid. I was doing it for all these years, and when I started creating this piece, I didn't need a director to direct me doing that because I've been doing it for years. So, it was really... over the years, it just evolved into something where I felt comfortable enough with what I was doing that if I needed any help I would ask on certain movements, but I felt confident enough that I could self-direct. You know, it's not a piece that you need to mess with that much. It's just a little movement here, or... you know... It doesn't mean that having a director wouldn't improve it, but as you'll see, somebody who saw it said to me that it's seamless. And that indicates to me that something's right.

So, I'm interested to know now, having heard you call the show a "hybrid," do you identify more as a comedian or more as an actor?

No. I am not a comedian. I am an actor, more than anything else, who does comedy. The bottom line is, if you're going to define what a comedian is, it's someone who writes jokes who has this obligation to get to a punch line as quickly as possible. That's the basic definition of a comedian. What I do now... when you see the show, you will see some of the jokes that I've written years ago that do fall into that setup-punch, setup-punch, setup-punch where I'm getting to the punch line quickly, but I've evolved over the years to the point where I don't even think about the punch line. I think about the truth. So, what happens is...obviously, there has to be a payoff, but sometimes you have to wait for it. I feel much more comfortable as an actor who does comedy than having somebody tell me I'm a comedian. I mean...when people say "What do you do?" I say I'm an actor and a comedian...which is fine...but really what I am is kind of a craftsman...somebody who's crafting bits. And, you know, the laugh comes when it comes or it doesn't. People who see the show, who really know theatre, they know that I'm an actor who does comedy. The fact that I can live in silence, in the pauses, and all that stuff that a lot of comedians are terrified of.

I'm interested in the fact that you used the word "truth." That's what I'm always looking for when I step into a theater.

I think...I'm big on quotes...Oscar Wilde's famous quote "Be yourself. Everyone else is taken." It's one of the top five ever. But I believe that if you're connecting with an audience in an authentic way, something is going to resonate for them, and that's ultimately what...you know, when I think of what my persona is... just a genuine guy telling the truth the way he sees it, and that's what's resonating, not just for Jews but for everyone.

And what do you think is thematically resonant about the show?

Finding something that gives your life meaning. And never giving up. You know, I think, ultimately, at the end of the play, it's talking about how meaningful my life is at my age, at an older age, I mean... I've never felt so purposeful, and I think it's inspiring to certain people. I think it's also...it can make you think. It can make you reassess. It can challenge you. It's not just one of those...

[He sings.] la la la la la...

pure entertainment kinds of things. It's somebody sharing his... sort of... rawness, his experiences, his ups, his downs, so maybe people don't feel so alone. I also think creativity is essential, in some ways, to an existence. If you're not being creative in some way, you're losing out on a richness that... I mean, I'm just sitting here doing my work... I used to think that performing was the high. No, writing is the high.

That's so interesting. So what's most rewarding for you is crafting the shows?

First of all, everything starts and ends with the writing. I'm a big believer in precision, and... again... Mark Twain said, "The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning." So, the reality is, it's all about finding that right word. It's sort of like creating a little jewel that is worth something. Each piece becomes sort of a...you start from nothing...with something raw and after 5, 10, 15, 20 [revisions], you give it that stamp of approval. That's like amazing. There's nothing like it.

You said you were working on something right now. What are you working on?

It's the sequel. It's called My Rise to the Middle. I mean...I've never been so driven. I'm actually doing it...I've been working on it for over two years. In [My Son The Waiter] there are loads and loads of laughs. The sequel will have loads of laughs, too, but there's more poignancy. I'm thinking of writing a really great play.

The first play has this interesting title. My Son The Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy. Why is...

That's the mother. That's related to the mother. That's the whole idea that... you know... it's a Jewish thing. My son, the doctor. My son, the lawyer. You know...they get behind that. They're so proud. My son, the doctor. My son, the lawyer. You know... My son, the waiter. They don't even want to talk about it. You know what I'm saying. That's a generalization in the Jewish... It's a Jewish thing. It has to do with your income. You know... and a title. No Jewish mother is going to say, "My son wants to be a poet."

Thank you so much for giving up your time today to do this interview with me. I'm so excited to see your show tomorrow night. It sounds like it's going to be amazing.

Well, let's put it this way... I'm proud of it. The response has been fabulous.

Thank you so much.

All right, darling. Stay well.

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