By Gary Wien
originally published: 12/22/2016
When a friend told Gino DiIorio that Jack Klugman was looking for a new project, the playwright came up with The Jag - a play loosely based upon his own father and his desire to fix up his classic Jaguar car. The play was written with Klugman in mind and sent to him. Gino says Klugman read it, liked it, but passed on the play. And he wasn’t alone.
Despite being a finalist in a pair of play competitions and winning the 2010 Firehouse Theatre’s Great American New Play Award, The Jag never got a full production. Chances are it’s because the play needs a car on stage and not just any car, it needs a Jaguar.
Flash forward to 2017 when New Jersey Repertory Company will give The Jag its long awaited full production - complete with a car on stage.
The play revolves around 70 year-old “Chick” Chicarella and his 1967 Jaguar that is in desperate need of repair. The suggestion is made that the two fix up the car and sell it off, but realizing they need help they hire Carla — someone who is an expert in Jaguars but utterly lacking in social skills. Together, the three learn some hard lessons about repairing cars and smoothing out life’s jagged edges.
“I can’t die, I’ve got to finish the Jag” was something Gino’s father would often say. “I always thought that was funny,” said Gino. “Because it was one of those projects that never seemed to end. And then we lost my mom and my father developed lung cancer and was starting to go. Out of nowhere he said, ‘maybe it’s time to sell this damn car.’ I thought in the back of my mind that it was kind of strange. You know how you hold on to things like holding on until your kid graduates school? It seemed like he wanted to hang on to finish the car and then he realized he wasn’t going to be able to see it.”
Gino says his father was a very good mechanic and a great craftsman who saw himself as an artist. They always had several junk cars in the yard that needed repairs, but as the cars came and went, the Jag always remained. It became a member of the family.
The play is a father/son story that has many funny moments. Gino describes it as a ‘sweet play without being too sentimental.’ The father and son have difficulties with one another and are ok with that. They actually give the project more of an effort than Gino and his father did.
“My father and I worked together for about two weeks,” Gino recalled. “He was a body shop man. I worked with him for a while and then he said, ‘Look, if you’re going to work with your hands, you’re going to starve. You need to do something else.’ And he was right, I was not very good at it at all.”
In real life there was no Carla, but the play not only benefits from her addition - she generally steals the show. Gino thinks that may be one reason Klugman passed on the play.
“The Jag is one of those plays that a lot of people read and said they loved, but ‘how the hell are we going to put a car on stage?’” said Gino. “I wrote to my friend. The next time I decide to write a play with a car on stage just shoot me! But they did it. NJ Rep put a freaking car on stage!”
The Jag runs January 12 through February 12 at NJ Rep in Long Branch, NJ. Directed by Brendan Burke, the cast includes Estelle Bajou, Dan Grimaldi, and Christopher Daftsios.
BEHIND THE SCENES:
Jessica Parks has designed an outstanding set for The Jag. Here we see technical director, Brian Snyder, and his team working on the set. In the top photo, we see playwright Gino Dilorio next to the car.
About the author:
Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of
Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station
The Penguin Rocks. His personal website is at
lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at
[email protected].
George Street Playhouse Presents Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-woman Show
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJWritten by and starring
Vicki Lawrence Two Performances Only
Vicki Lawrence, the legendary actress, comedian, and singer, brings her signature wit and charm to the stage in Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. Best known for her iconic role as Thelma Harper, or "Mama," from The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family, Lawrence delivers a hilarious and heartfelt performance that takes audiences on a journey through her extraordinary career. From her Emmy-winning years alongside Carol Burnett to her chart-topping hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” she shares behind-the-scenes stories, comedy, and music—all with her trademark humor. Whether reminiscing about her Hollywood adventures or embodying the feisty Mama, Lawrence proves that laughter is timeless.
Kean Department Of Theatre Presents "the Drowsy Chaperone"
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJMusic and lyrics by
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Princeton’s Famous Triangle Show: Roswell That Ends Well
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 8:00pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
91 University Place, Princeton, NJIf you’re feeling all alone in the universe – or even if you’re not – Triangle’s newest musical comedy is for you! Join us as Triangle explores what it means to have friends in high – or should we say “sky”? – places. Extraterrestrial visitors, crazy conspiracy theories, and intergalactic shenanigans power this year’s annual laugh-fest of witty jokes, lavish production numbers, and, of course, Triangle’s famous kickline. Can interplanetary goodwill blossom in the dystopian desert of our current times? Get your Triangle tickets now and learn if
Roswell That Ends Well!
George Street Playhouse Presents Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-woman Show
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 2:00pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJWritten by and starring
Vicki Lawrence Two Performances Only
Vicki Lawrence, the legendary actress, comedian, and singer, brings her signature wit and charm to the stage in Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. Best known for her iconic role as Thelma Harper, or "Mama," from The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family, Lawrence delivers a hilarious and heartfelt performance that takes audiences on a journey through her extraordinary career. From her Emmy-winning years alongside Carol Burnett to her chart-topping hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” she shares behind-the-scenes stories, comedy, and music—all with her trademark humor. Whether reminiscing about her Hollywood adventures or embodying the feisty Mama, Lawrence proves that laughter is timeless.
Kean Department Of Theatre Presents "the Drowsy Chaperone"
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJMusic and lyrics by
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
EVENT PREVIEWS
Spotlight Players presents "The Addams Family"
(MATAWAN, NJ) -- Spotlight Players presents The Addams Family across two weekends from November 6-15, 2026 at the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan. There's one weekend left to see everyone's favorite wonderfully unconventional family on stage.
Hunterdon Hills Playhouse presents Christmas at the Playhouse 2026
(HAMPTON, NJ) -- Hunterdon Hills Playhouse presents Christmas at the Playhouse 2026 from November 10 to December 20, 2026. Celebrate the season with this spectacular holiday production filled with the music, memories, and traditions audiences have cherished through the years.
Ferrell Studios presents "Carrie, the Musical"
(PLAINFIELD, NJ) -- Ferrell Studios presents Carrie, the Musical at the Plainfield Performing Arts Center from November 12-15, 2026. Based on the classic novel by Stephen King, the musical poses the question: What happens when someone is pushed too far?
Centenary Stage Company's Fringe Festival presents "Ghost Dance: Picture of a Madman"
(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company's Fringe Festival continues with Ghost Dance: Picture of a Madman, a captivating one-woman play written and performed by Erica Knight. Running November 12–15, 2026, in the Kutz Theatre at the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University. The production explores the turbulent life and legacy of Ralph Albert Blakelock, one of America's most celebrated yet tragically overlooked nineteenth-century painters.
Fool Moon Theatre Company presents "Love, Loss, And What I Wore" at The Eagle Theatre on November 12th
(HAMMONTON, NJ) -- Fool Moon Theatre Company presents a special, one-night-only presentation of the hit play Love, Loss and What I Wore on Thursday, November 12 2026 at Eagle Theatre. This exclusive event is a benefit for the Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary in Mays Landing. Showtime is 7:30pm.
Middlesex College presents "She Kills Monsters"
(EDISON, NJ) -- Middlesex College Visual, Performing and Media Arts presents She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen from November 12-18, 2026 at the Performing Arts Center - Studio Theater in Edison. She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly.
CherryBlossomPlayers:LLC presents Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher"
(NUTLEY, NJ) -- CherryBlossomPlayers:LLC presents Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher from November 12-14, 2026 at Philhower Chapel at Vincent United Methodist Church in Nutley. This is an exciting new original adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale.
Theater League of Clifton presents "1776" in November
(WAYNE, NJ) -- Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of opinionated, stubborn and deeply divided delegates gathered in Philadelphia and somehow managed to create a new nation. This November, the Theater League of Clifton brings their story to the stage with 1776, the Tony Award-winning musical about the tumultuous days leading to the Declaration of Independence. Directed by Maren Sugarman, the production will be presented November 13–15, 2026, at the Wayne Community Center.
Lomotion Live presents "Etiquette" by David Lee White
(BOONTON, NJ) -- Lomotion Live presents Etiquette, a timely and biting comedy by playwright David Lee White, directed by Lauren Moran. The production will run November 13–15, 2026 at Lomotion Live at Parsippany Arts Center in Boonton.
NJ Rep presents Theatre Brut Short Play Festival 2026: "Through The Window"
(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- What happens when we look through a window? Do we see the world as it really is, the world as we wish it could be, or something we never expected? New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) invites audiences to discover the unexpected with NJ Rep presents Theatre Brut Short Play Festival 2026: "Through The Window" a festival of eight original short plays presented over two weekends, November 13–15 and November 20–22, 2026 at the West End Arts Center in Long Branch.
