Review: Stellar 'Lost in Yonkers' gets Dramaworks season off to a great start
Neil Simon was a comedic genius, a playwright who once had four comedies running on Broadway simultaneously. But occasionally, Simon delved into deeper issues, especially with his period pieces, like “Lost in Yonkers,” now on stage at Palm Beach Dramaworks.
While Simon’s work was a hit with the public, critical praise was elusive, even though “Lost in Yonkers” won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1991. “Lost in Yonkers” was a departure for Simon, and while it has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, there is also an exploration of the deeper themes of love, loss, and family.
It’s 1942 and young teens Jay and Artie have been sent to stay with their Grandma Kurnitz for nearly a year while their father, Eddie, hits the road as a traveling salesman.
Grandma is the polar opposite of warm and fuzzy, and while Eddie’s conversation with his mother takes place behind a closed door, it’s obvious he’s had to do some world-class begging to get her to agree to take in the boys. The whole family is terrified of Grandma.
The boys adjust to Grandma’s strict rules and work after school in the family candy store and ice cream parlor below the apartment. While the boys hate Grandma, they love their Aunt Bella, a sweet, childlike woman with developmental challenges. They also adore their Uncle Louie, a bag man hiding out from the mob in Grandma’s apartment. When Bella confides in the boys that she has met a man with challenges like hers, and that he has proposed marriage, they agree to help her tell the family, knowing Bella’s plans will not go over well with Grandma.
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Palm Beach Dramaworks has done a stellar job in bringing “Lost in Yonkers” to life. Julianne Boyd, in her directorial debut, keeps all the moving parts of this complicated play running smoothly.
Laura Turnbull, as Grandma Kurnitz, is just as scary to the audience as she is to her family, but in Turnbull’s skilled hands, glimmers of Grandma’s humanity show through. Fig Chilcott is a breath of fresh air as Bella, but also brings out the pain in her character. The second-act scene in which she finally stands up to Grandma is riveting.
Jordan Sobel plays up Louie’s mob persona, but the moments in which he shows real love and concern for his family are priceless. Suzanne Ankrum, as Aunt Gert, is funny and endearing in her brief time on stage. Patrick Zeller, as Eddie, overflows with paternal love.
Will Ehren, as Jay and Victor de Paula Rocha, as Artie, are excellent. Their chemistry playing brothers is very believable, and they each do a great job of showing their characters’ growth over the course of the play.
The design elements are sumptuous. The warm, amber lighting design by Carolina Ortiz Herrera is gorgeous, a personification of family love. Roger Arnold’s sound design of trains passing nearby is symbolic of the boys’ desire to escape life with Grandma, whether it’s their pop coming home on one of those trains or them leaving on one.
Brian O’ Keefe’s costume design enhances the characters, from Bella’s bright, sunny, floral dresses to a deep red print dress for Grandma, a hint of the woman beneath the dictatorial façade. The scenic design, by Bert Scott, embodies the war-time era, right down to a couple of tiny America flags on display.
“Lost in Yonkers” is a fine way for Palm Beach Dramaworks to kick off their 25th anniversary season, and is a must-see show for theater lovers.
If You Go
“Lost in Yonkers” runs through November 23 at Palm Beach Dramaworks, 201 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. For tickets and more information, call 561-514-4042 or visit PalmBeachDramaworks.org