| Review of 'Lost in Yonkers' |
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 Simon’s 1991 Pulitzer prize-winning play is a fitting choice to open the new theater. How can one go wrong in presenting one of Simon’s best-written plays? In a way, it’s a pity that today’s younger theatre audiences haven’t been able to relate to the stories and style of America’s most successful and popular playwright of the last 40 years. Simon, with 33 highly successful (think money) plays to his credit, is the only playwright in history to have three smash hits running concurrently on Broadway.But theatre-going audiences have been changing during the last 10 years or so. Not only have the demographics, content and style changed, but the stories the younger technology-driven audiences are drawn to have changed as well. It’s only a matter of time, I guess, before we will have car chases, end-of-the-world on-stage pyrotechnics, (oh, what the heck, throw in a teenage vampire or two, as well) and that will be the look of theatre in the future. Let’s hope my cynicism is not rewarded. But I digress.  “Lost in Yonkers” is a coming-of-age tale that focuses on brothers Arty (Austyn Myers) and Jay (Steven Kaplan) — think of Neil as Arty and Jay as Danny Simon — left in the care of Grandma Kurnitz (Judy Kaye) and Aunt Bella (Jennifer Regan) in Yonkers, New York. Their anxious father, Eddie (Spencer Rowe), works as a traveling salesman to pay off debts incurred due to the death of his wife. Grandma is a severe, frightfully intimidating immigrant who terrified her children as they were growing up, damaging each of them to varying degrees. Bella is a sweet, but mentally challenged and highly excitable, woman who longs to marry an usher at the local movie house in order to escape the oppressive household and create a life of her own. Her brother Louie (Jeffery M. Bender) is a small-time tough-talking hoodlum who is on the run, while her sister Gert (Amanda Naughton) suffers from a breathing problem, the cause of which is probably more psychological than physical. Dysfunctional families are rich goldmines, ripe for exploration as subject matter either in comedy, or this case, drama.Because it is Simon, however, there are always comedy situations and zingers lurking just beneath the surface of the characters’ various personal stories.  The first-rate cast, insightfully directed by Scott Schwartz, couldn’t be improved upon. Anchoring the strong ensemble group is Kaye. As terrifying and unapproachable as Grandma is to her to her family, Kaye manages to find the vulnerable soft spots in her armor. Regan’s Bella may be a little too jiggly at times, but she delivers on the emotional side, the wallop and impact of a woman tired of being treated as a young girl; ultimately challenging her mother for independence. Rowe’s Eddie perfectly sets the tone and the opening scene for his two sons Jay and Arty, as they inject the famous Simon comedy lines into an otherwise serious situation. Kaplan and Myers work, not only the audience, but, each other, like ham-and-eggs throughout the entire evening. The young actors are impressive indeed, with both boasting long lists of professional credits. Naughton’s Aunt Gert, is properly subdued, until she has to explain herself or a situation, and then “it’s the breathing thing” that defines her role in the family. Bender is an absolute delight on stage. Bender’s slightly unstable, passive-aggressive portrayal of Uncle Louie — who’s another casualty from Grandma’s subjugation list — fascinates his young, impressionable nephews at first. However, it soon becomes apparent that Uncle Louie is a Freudian delight, and a guy who may be on the lam from one scrape to another for the rest of his life. But what a performance to watch!The entire creative team of Ralph Funicelo, scenic design; Mathew McCarthy lighting design; along with Alejo Vietti’s wartime period costumes and the always reliable sound design from Paul Peterson; perfectly complements Director Schwartz’s vision of how best to present this production “in the round” at the 250-seat Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre. “Yonkers” is exactly the sort of show that pleases practitioners of the art form as well as audiences. The production is a wonderful choice to open the new complex and reintroduce Simon to younger audiences and to reward the many long-time fans of Simon’s plays. “Lost in Yonkers” runs through Feb. 28. Don’t miss this terrific production. For more about "Lost in Yonkers," click here. For more about the Olde Globe Theatre, click here.  Palm Springs Guides Theatre & Cinema Critic/Reviewer Jack Lyons is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Writers Guild of America, West and Screen Actors Guild and is interested in all things “show biz.” An entertainment journalist, TV, radio and theater reviewer/critic seen locally in the Coachella Valley on channel My13 KPSE-TV on “Desert Entertainment This Week.” To visit Jack’s blog, click here. |
Thursday, January 28, 2010
