Lost in Yonkers

    Neil Simon's 'Lost in Yonkers' was recently performed at the theatre that I work in and as Front of House (an usher), I got to watch it about seven times. Normally, watching the same show over and over again can be a tedious part to the job but it was different for this particular play as I found it very interesting. Lost in Yonkers is set in 1942 and it is the story of two Jewish boys, Arty and Jay Kurnitz, who have to live with their intimidating, German immigrant grandmother for a year, so that their father can work to pay off the debts he incurred with their dead mother's hospital bills. As well as their scary grandmother, the boys also have to deal with their mentally challenged Aunt Bella, who is sweet but childlike in behaviour and their Uncle Louie, who is a 'bag man' for the mob. The play opened in 1990 and was very successful, winning the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as a few Tony Awards.

   I lived with my own grandma for while when I was little, so I could relate to the two protagonists but thankfully, my grandma was not as mean as Grandma Kurnitz. Simon's play is brilliant in the way that not a single word of dialogue is wasted; every word means something and adds to the story. The build up to Grandma Kurnitz's first entrance is superb and one of the best that I've ever seen as the two brothers are comically terrified of her: 'I once drew a picture of her, called it 'Frankenstein Grandma'.

  Beneath the play's comedic aspect, the subtext is painfully touching. Grandma Kurnitz is a character who has been hardened by loss and a harsh childhood and is ruled by the idea that one has to be 'like steel' in order to survive, which is why she does not stand for any sign of 'weakness' within her family. It seems that being like steel is a part of Germanic culture as the character of Marta in Francine Rivers' 'Her Mother's Hope' too is harsh on her children to harden them and make them 'strong'. Yes, it is vital that children are raised as strong individuals but this can be done in a loving manner. This is the main message in Lost in Yonkers because all of Grandma's children grow up to be flawed in a way and immensely scared of her, due to the coldness that they have endured at her hands. Aunt Bella's vulnerability is especially believable and heart breaking; she is a challenged thirty-five year old woman that is still living with her mother but dreams of marriage and her own family.

  Despite being set in the 1940s, the play is not dated at all and the sole setting of Grandma's apartment is never dull either as multiple sets would distract and move focus from the importance of the dialogue. The play is mainly from the perspectives of fifteeen year old Jay and thirteen year old Arty and as they are children, it is interesting to see their takes on the complex relationships. One minute flaw is that the first half is a tad too slow and long but the main character development occurs in the second half, where Jay and Arty mature and begin to understand their grandmother better.

  Lost in Yonkers is a great play and it is very thought provoking. Thank you very much, Mr Simon, for making work enjoyable for ushers such as myself.

Rating 4/5 ****

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Yonkers-Drama-Plume-Simon/dp/0452268834